Garden lime how much

When applying more than 0. When applying less than 0. The clay in soils resists changes in pH called buffering capacity so that much more lime is needed to change the pH in soils with high clay content than in soils with little clay, such as coarse sandy soil. See our page on soil types for more information on assessing your garden soil type. The recommendations below are for the finely ground garden lime calcium carbonate sold in garden centres in kilograms kg per square metre or ounces per square yard.

This is considered the best all-round pH for the majority of garden plants. Wear gloves and consider safety goggles if adversely affected. Some plant diseases, such as clubroot of brassicas, are associated with insufficient lime levels in the soil.

Some plant nutrient deficiencies can be associated with acid or alkaline soil conditions. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work Join now. Hot links Browse inspiration articles Buy plants online. Buy tickets. RHS members get reduced ticket prices Join now. Harlow Carr North Yorkshire. Hyde Hall Essex.

Rosemoor Devon. Wisley Surrey. Bridgewater Greater Manchester. Environmentally friendly gardening. What's the best time to apply lime? How much lime should I apply, and what's the most effective way to apply it? What is lime? Lime is a soil amendment made from ground limestone rock, which naturally contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.

When lime is added to soil, these compounds work to increase the soil's pH, making soil less acidic and more alkaline. Even though lime includes calcium and magnesium, which are essential nutrients for healthy plant growth, it's not a substitute for fertilizer.

Lime's primary role is to alter soil pH and offset soil acidity, which can improve the availability of plant nutrients. Lawns need lime when low soil pH starts inhibiting the availability of nutrients. Soil pH preferences vary between regional lawn grasses , but most grasses prefer soil pH between 5.

There are two ways you can broadcast the lime in your garden. Both ways have good results. The old-fashioned way is to spread it using a shovel. You want to spread the lime evenly over the top of your soil.

You should wear a protective breathing mask and goggles. Once you've broadcasted the lime over your garden soil, you need to till it into your garden to make sure it's well mixed. If you use a manual method, such as double digging, you want to turn the soil upside down when you place it in the previously dug row.

Be sure you till or dig down to the depth your plant root systems will grow. This is usually around 12 inches. Simply spreading powdered lime over the top of the soil won't provide much, if any, benefit to your plants. You will need to activate the lime by adding water to your garden. Soaker hoses are best for this task, so they can slowly saturate the ground and filter through to the limestone. The longer you can wait, the better the lime will be distributed in your garden soil.

Besides raising the pH level of acidic soil and making it more alkaline and conducive to vegetable and flower production, lime supports other nutrients, such as nitrogen. Adding lime to your garden soil improves water penetration and with the raised pH, the plant nutrient uptake increases. Lime supports healthy soil bacteria and beneficial microbes. Raised beds don't need as much lime as an open field since most of the nutrients in the soil are contained and don't deplete with rain runoff.

Some vegetables can grow in either alkaline or acidic soils while others like potatoes and parsley prefer acidic soil. You don't need to add lime to your garden soil to grow either of these. Many vegetables prefer a pH between 6 and 6. If your soil pH is less than 6, you need to add lime to bring it up to a more favorable level.

Any vegetable or flower garden will benefit by adding lime to garden soil that is acidic. Knowing when and how to add lime can mean the difference between a high yield and a struggling garden fraught with disease and malformed vegetables. Garden Gardening Basics for Every Interest How to Add Lime to Garden Soil There are several reasons you may want to add lime to your garden soil, but you need to know when and how much to add. When to Apply Lime to Garden Soil There are two times during the year you can choose to add lime to your garden soil.