How to Tell If Your Lawn Needs Lime: 6 Signs to Look For

A beautiful lawn equals a great place to spend time outside and bragging rights in the neighborhood. 

How Do I Know if my Lawn Needs Lime?

1. Changed pH Levels in the Soil

Soil pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of the soil and is a key component in the availability of nutrients to growing plants. 

2. Increased Growth of Common Lawn Weed

Weeds like dandelion, crabgrass, yellow nutsedge, and others are always likely to pop up here and there in an otherwise healthy lawn.  

3. The Presence of Moss 

Moss is another common lawn infiltrator if conditions are favorable: shady, damp, and acidic soil. It grows in places where grass can’t. 

Like us, grass can become stressed out and begin to perform poorly. Without the proper pH balance to facilitate those essential nutrients, a once healthy lawn can start to decline and lose its luster.  

4. The Lawn Looks Stressed

5. Lack of Response to Fertilizer 

It could be that the pH balance of your soil is off. Acidic lawns don’t respond well to fertilizer because the low pH inhibits the intake of the essential nutrients you’re trying desperately to add. 

6. The Soil is Sandy or Claylike

Soil is different depending on where you live. In some regions of the country, the soil can be quite sandy or mostly made up of red clay. 

How Often Should You Put Lime on Your Lawn?

The general answer is that your lawn may need a lime application every 1-2 years. 

When Should You Not Put Lime on Your Lawn?

The basic rule of thumb is that you never want to apply lime to your lawn when it is under stress. That could be when your grass is dormant, dying or just unhealthy. 

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