Agricultural Lime—A Rock Powder
Used To Raise pH

Custom Search

Lime is a rock powder made by crushing calcium carbonate. Gardeners use it to raise soil pH to make acidic soils better able to offer nutrients to plants.

Calcium aids the absorption of nutrients and promotes sturdy stems. A deficiency of calcium in the soil produces stunting of the plant and curled leaf tips.

The first thing to do is have a soil test done.

Ask the lab to check pH in addition to checking organic matter level and the amounts of various nutrients in the soil.

The results will tell you how much lime to use. Don't apply it at the same time you fertilize.

Allow a couple of weeks between the two. If the pH is too high (alkaline) or too low (acidic), the fertilizer will be useless because the nutrients will be locked up in chemical forms that the plants can't use.

The amount that a given quantity of lime per volume of soil will increase soil pH depends on the cation exchange capacity (CEC). Soils with low CEC will have a more noticeable pH rise than soils with high CEC.

Benefits of Using Agricultural Lime

• It sweetens acid soil by raising the pH.
• It give plants some of the calcium and magnesium they need.
• It promotes root growth.
• It allows better water penetration in acidic soils.

However, one thing lime can't do is loosen compacted soil or heavy clay. To do that, add one inch of organic matter (compost) to your soil twice a year. Combined with an application of agricultural lime, you may not have to do much else to keep your soils in great condition.

Crushed (not pellets) Dolomitic lime is the best form to use.

From Agricultural Lime to Organic Fertilizers