Maintaining the proper soil pH is important to keep your grass and plants healthy. Most varieties of grass in the New Jersey area prefer a soil pH that is slightly acidic. Follow these steps that our team at Chris James Landscaping put together to determine if you need to be putting lime on your lawn in NJ.
How to Know if You Need to Lime Your Lawn
Colder climates that get a lot of rain have acidic soil. You can tell your soil pH is acidic if acid-loving plants grow in the area such as rhododendrons, camellias, and daffodils. The only way to tell for sure if you have acidic soil is to use a soil pH test. These are inexpensive and will save you time and money if your soil isn’t in need of lime.
Putting lime on the lawn and soil that is already alkaline will not only be a waste of money but it’ll lead to an unhealthy lawn. You should continue testing your soil pH every year because you can start lime application every few years once you reach the proper pH. The best time to test your soil pH is in the spring.
The Best Time to Put Lime On Your Lawn
If you’ve determined that your soil is in need of a lime application then the best time to put it on is sometime between fall and early spring. Many people prefer to be putting lime on the lawn just before the winter frost hits in late fall. This way, the lime application has all winter to soak into the soil.
Make sure you don’t apply lime on a soggy or wilted lawn or when it’s cold enough that your lawn is frosted. If you’re wanting to plant new grass seed then make sure you lime your lawn right before you put down the new grass seed. Having the right pH will ensure that this new grass can absorb the necessary nutrients, such as lime that it needs to grow.
How to Lime Your Lawn
Your local gardening center can help you determine the best type of lime for your lawn. Most people prefer the ease of lime pellets instead of powder. The amount of lime you apply will depend on your soil’s pH. Use your rotary spreader and apply about half the recommended amount of lime per the instructions.
You’ll walk horizontally across your grass using a consistent space. Next, go back over with the other half of the recommended amount of lime but this time go across your grass vertically. This criss-cross pattern is a great way to ensure your lawn receives an even amount of lime. After you’re done, give your lawn a light watering to help the lime absorb into the soil.
Important Things to Consider Before Applying Lime
Don’t apply lime to a lawn that is wilted, unhealthy, or dormant. It’s also important to remember that lime will take several months to work and change the pH of your lawn. Make sure you keep this in mind when you get your soil pH tested.
Some people might try to save time and money by not getting their soil pH tested before putting lime on the lawn. However, this can lead to unhealthy soil conditions and you’ll end up spending more time to fix it. The amount of lime you’ll apply also depends on your exact soil pH.
Contact Us Today for Landscaping Help
The team here at Chris James Landscaping is happy to help you out with all of your landscaping needs. If you don’t have the time to maintain your lawn then we can come and do all the routine maintenance for you. If you need lawn care in the New Jersey area then give our team a call!