Lime for Lawns in MD & VA
While it would be great to be able to move into a house and never have to do anything to the lawn to make it thick and green, that isn’t a reality for many homeowners. Depending on where you live and the individual characteristics of your soil, your lawn may need some extra care to be able to grow properly and create that lush lawn you desire. In some cases, that means lawn liming.
This means lime needs to be added to balance out the pH of your soil and provide the necessary nutrients. Because adding lime to your lawn is a careful science, calling in the professionals at East Coast Lawn is critical to ensuring you are adding the right amount of lime at the right time to make your lawn healthy.
We serve homes and businesses throughout Maryland and Virginia, and offer liming individually or as part of our overall lawn care services. Schedule your consultation today!
What Is Lime?
Lime is a soil additive made from limestone rock. Limestone naturally contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.
When lime is added to soil, these compounds help increase the soil’s pH levels, making it less acidic and more alkaline. This helps improve the availability of nutrients to your plants and can contribute to their overall growth and health.
How Do I Know When My Lawn Needs Lime?
When your soil becomes acidic, your grass may struggle to grow. Additionally, plants that thrive in acidic soil, such as lawn moss, may take hold instead.
Some common signs that your soil is acidic include:
- Grass isn’t thriving as it should
- Increases in common lawn weeds
- Diseased patches in your grass or plants
- Increase in insects
- Decrease in the effectiveness of herbicides and pesticides
- Lack of response to quality lawn fertilizers
The best way to tell whether your lawn needs a lime treatment is to have its pH level tested. This will give you a definitive answer as to whether your soil is acidic or not, and whether a lime treatment may help correct your problems.
What’s the Best Time for Lawn Liming?
It is generally best to apply lime to your lawn in the fall and spring.
During the fall, rain and snow, as well as cycles of thawing and freezing, help to break down the lime and begin to work on your lawn. This typically makes it the ideal season to add lime to your lawn, although a spring lime treatment also can be beneficial.
Traditional lime can take months to work, so adding it to your lawn in the fall should help prepare your lawn for healthy growth during the spring and summer months in the following season.
How Much Lime Should I Apply?
Knowing how much lime to apply is going to depend greatly on your soil test results.
The more acidic your soil, the more lime you will need to apply to help raise the pH level.
However, it is often best to leave a lime treatment to a professional landscaper so you don’t accidentally apply too little or too much lime.
How East Coast Lawn Can Help With Liming
At East Coast Lawn, our team is experienced in everything that goes with lime treatments: Soil testing, determining the best timing and amounts of lime to apply, and properly applying the lime treatment.
Rather than worry about whether you’re adding the right amount, and whether you’ve got the timing right, trust the team at East Coast Lawn to manage your lawn’s lime treatment for you. We’ve got the skill and experience necessary to get your lawn’s pH level on the right track so you get the beautiful lawn you want year-round.
You also can opt to have a lime treatment applied to your lawn as an independent service, or include it in one of our full-service lawn care packages. We work with you to determine the level of service you need to help you achieve your landscaping goals.
Ready to get a great-looking lawn? Schedule your consultation today!