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There’s Lime and then there’s Lime!

 Functions of Lime

 Lime is primarily a soil amendment or conditioner and not a fertilizer. An application of lime will allows plants to absorb nutrients that were previously unavailable due to the soils pH.

1. Corrects soil acidity

2. Furnishes important plant nutrients—calcium and magnesium

3. Reduces the solubility and toxicity of certain elements in the soil such as aluminum, manganese, and iron. This toxicity could reduce plant growth under acid conditions

4. It promotes availability of major plant nutrients. Calcium acts as a regulator and aids in bringing about the desirable range of availability of many plant nutrients. Some elements which lime aids in regulating are zinc, copper, and especially phosphorus.

5. It increases bacterial activity helps create better soil structure.

Time of Application

 To obtain maximum efficiency and faster action, the best time to apply lime to the lawn is when the soil is being prepared for planting. This applies to the sub-soil as well as the topsoil because lime moves very slowly through the soil. Research has shown that it can take up to two years for lime to move two inches through the soil.

Applications of lime on established lawns and gardens can be made at any time of the year, but best time of the year is fall, and early spring. Lime must be spread evenly over the entire area because it does not move horizontally thru the soil. The use of a broadcast spreader helps in even distribution

Rate of Application 

The amount of lime required will vary with the degree of acidity, the soil type and the kind of lime you choose to use. Light, sandy soils require less lime than soils high in silt and clay. It is always a good practice to have the soil tested to determine the amount and kind of lime required. Soil test instructions for the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab is available at  www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest .

Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Lab - West Experiment Station

682 North Pleasant Street

University of Massachusetts

Amherst, MA  01003

Liming the lawn is an important part of good maintenance and should be included in any yearly schedule. Your soil test will determine the exact amount of application to be made.  

Types of Lime 

Fast Acting Lime

Fast Acting Lime was created to solve a recurring gardening problem here in Central Massachusetts, the need to quickly and effectively raise soil pH. Soils in our area are quite acidic, a condition that limits many plants and grasses from absorbing essential nutrients. Compounding the problem is extreme wet weather during the fall and early spring that creates weathered soil conditions which increase the natural acidity of our soils. The more acidic your soil, the less likely grass and plants will thrive.

Encap Fast Acting Lime is not a hydrated lime also known as slaked lime.  Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide while Encap Fast Acting Lime is made of calcium carbonate which is the same as pelletized lime. Fast Acting Lime won't risk burning your lawn the way hydrated lime might.

The reason that Encap Fast Acting Lime works so fast is because it is ground very fine and has a higher percentage of calcium carbonate compared to other types of lime. The calcium carbonate is ground very fine and then a binding agent is used to group it together to make it easier to spread. When it gets watered in it starts to dissolve and break down into the small particles. The small particles work faster. Think of the difference between using granulated vs cube sugar in your coffee. It also uses two of Encap's technologies, AST and MCT.

AST is Encap's Advanced Soil Technology which helps the applied product integrate with the soil. MCT is Movement Control Technology. It helps keep the lime where you applied it so it doesn't wash away.

Pelletized Lime

Pelletized lime is finely ground pulverized agricultural lime with a cementing agent has been added to form "pellets." It has been in use for several years, and while it is more expensive, this material is easier to spread than regular pulverized liming materials and eliminates the dust problem caused by powdered lime. The lime pellets dissolve quickly with a soaking rain or irrigation.

Pelletized lime costs a little more than powdered lime, but has several advantages in that it goes through a spreader more easily; may be spread by hand without being covered by dust; dust does not drift or blow into areas where lime is not wanted; eliminates such problems as tracking lime onto patios, etc. or into the house; and is easier to clean up.

Liquid Lime

Liquid Lime is an easy, effective alternative to bagged lime for use on lawns. Liquid lime utilizes very fine lime particles in a liquid suspension, which is absorbed by the leaves and roots. Liquid Lime also has a greater ability to move vertically thru soils. This movement helps correct the soil pH not only in the top one inch, but to a depth of four to six inches.

Powdered Lime

Lime powders, while less expensive than pelletized products, can be very messy and difficult to spread. Many have a "dusty" consistency like that of baking flour.