Lawns need nutrients and consistent care to grow. It can take a lot of work to maintain a healthy lawn. Luckily, there are some tools and resources that can be helpful in supporting your lawn, including lime. If your lawn is becoming too acidic as a result of a low pH in your soil, applying lime can help you make it healthy again.

Check out the information below to learn more about what lime is, how to know if your lawn needs lime, and how lime can benefit your lawn.

What is Lime?

Lime is made out of ground limestone and provides nutrients to your lawn that it may be lacking. Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are positive nutrients for your lawn and are some of the major components of lime. Lime works to increase the pH of your lawn when it is too low, helping your lawn get healthier.

How to Know if Your Lawn Needs Lime

A lawn with a low pH becomes too acidic, preventing growth and causing unhealthy plants. When your lawn is too acidic, you may notice discolored areas and more weeds than normal, which thrive in acidic environments. If this is happening to your lawn, it’s a sign that it needs lime. Lime will increase the pH of your lawn to eliminate these effects and reinstate a healthy pH.

It is best to use lime in winter or spring when the weather is not too extreme. It’s also important to determine your lawn’s pH before applying lime. You only need to use lime if your yard’s pH is low. To figure out your lawn’s pH level, you can use a soil test or send a sample of your lawn’s soil to your local soil testing site. This type of testing will tell you if your lawn’s pH is low and therefore, if you should use lime.

How Does Lime Help Your Lawn?

Lime ensures that your lawn has an ideal pH level to help your grass stay healthy and grow. A low pH level in your soil limits the nutrients available to your lawn. This is what stops your grass from growing and can lead to a patchy and wilting lawn. By providing needed nutrients, lime gives your lawn a better pH to keep it strong.

Lime also allows for more soil microorganisms, which break up nitrogen fertilizers in order for them to be usable on your lawn. A low pH in your soil limits the microorganisms available to perform this function. Because a low pH makes your lawn acidic, it will also allow for more weeds, which can get in the way of the growth of your lawn and other plants.

Take Care of Your Lawn

Overall, lime is a great tool for encouraging growth in your lawn and taking care of it. As long as you know when to apply lime and how much, it can help prevent weed growth and allow your lawn to thrive.

If you need help with lime or taking care of your lawn, reach out! Terra Lawn Care offers professional lawn care services, including fertilization and weed control. Call us for a free estimate today!