Adding lime to the soil
A weird question is does soil need lime. This depends on the ph of the soil. You can get a soil test and that can help offer that information to you.
Why Lime in the Soil?
There are two types of lime that our fellow gardeners should become know which are the dolomite lime and the agricultural lime. They both contain calcium, and the dolomite lime also has the added benefit of containing magnesium. The lime adds these two crucial elements to the soil, although a more commonly used to correct the soil pH.
The highest number of plants favor a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. A ph that is too high or too low, we then have a plant that can’t absorb all the nutrients, which are available in the soil. The plant could show symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. Some of the things that show up are pale leaves and stunted growth. Lime can be used to raise the acidity of the soil. It raises the pH, which leads to the roots absorbing the necessary nutrients from the soil.
How Much Lime is too much Lime?
The amount of lime your soil needs all hangs on how much the initial pH and the consistency of the soil. If you don’t have a good soil test, it will be hard to go through the trial and error process. Having a home pH test kit is another way to get the proper acidity level of the soil, however keep in mind that it doesn’t take into consideration the type of soil.
For example the lawn grasses are able to tolerate a pH between 5.5 and 7.5.
How to Add the Lime
Adding lime can take about four weeks after adding lime, however it can also take 6 to 12 months as the lime needs that time to dissolve completely. Only when the lime is fully dissolved in the soil you will see the effect.
The fall is a good time to add the lime, for most gardeners. The fall gives it several months to dissolve the full lime in the soil before spring planting. Please first prepare the bed before you add the lime to the soil. Tilt or digg to a depth of 20-30cm. You need to spread the lime uniformly over the soil. Next rake it in to a depth of 10cm.