Uses for Lime in the Garden & How to Apply

Adding agricultural lime to soil helps reduce acidity (makes soil less sour). This helps certain plants grow better and absorb nutrients more easily.

However, there are many other uses for lime in the garden. Below, you will learn about what garden lime does for the soil and how to use it in the garden.

Benefits of Garden Lime

Below are some benefits of adding ag lime to the soil.

1. Helps Improve Soil Activity

Using garden lime has many benefits for the soil. It boosts earthworm activity. It also helps beneficial microorganisms grow, which improves the soil.

When soil is very acidic, fewer earthworms and helpful microbes can live and work well in it. As a result, garden lime reduces soil acidity, creating a better environment for beneficial microorganisms.

2. It Adds Calcium to the Soil

The primary active component in agricultural lime is calcium carbonate. Therefore, you can use it to add calcium to soil with a low pH level.

Some types of agricultural lime, such as dolomitic lime, also contain magnesium [1], another nutrient that plants need to grow.

3. Improves Soil Texture

Agricultural lime can also help improve soil texture.

In some clay soils, lime helps improve soil structure. This allows water to soak into the soil more easily rather than sit on the surface.

4. Helps Plants Take Up Nutrients

When soil is too acidic, plants have a harder time absorbing essential nutrients. Adding agricultural lime raises the soil pH, making nutrients like phosphorus more available to many garden plants [2].

Lime also helps reduce the harmful effects of excess aluminum and manganese, which can accumulate in highly acidic soil and slow plant growth. As a result, plants are often healthier and grow better when the soil pH is in the right range.

Garden Plants That Need Ag Lime

Plants that often benefit from agricultural lime include peas, cabbage, beetroot, squash, beans, asparagus, and lettuce.

Other plants that grow well in neutral to slightly alkaline soil include onions, lavender, spinach, garlic, and apples.

Plants That Don’t Need Lime

Garden lime is not suitable for all plants.

Plants that grow well in acidic soil, such as blueberries, strawberries, and peppers, would do better without an ag lime application.

Additionally, avoid using it on azaleas, eggplants, rhododendrons, and sweet potatoes.

Soil Testing

If you’ve recently moved to an area and aren’t sure of the soil pH, it’s a good idea to get a soil test.

Growing the same crops year after year can reduce soil nutrients. Rainfall, fertilizers, and plant growth can also slowly change the soil’s pH over time.

Most garden plants grow best in garden soil with a pH close to neutral, usually around 6 to 7 [3].

However, plants cannot absorb soil nutrients if the pH is too acidic or too alkaline (too low or too high). Therefore, testing is vital before applying lime.

Home soil testing kits are available online and at many garden centers. You can use them yourself or have someone come over and do the testing for you.

Moreover, the tests are not that expensive. They will also give you a good baseline of knowledge about the kind of soil you have.

When to Apply Garden Lime

The best time to apply garden lime is in fall because it has several months to work into the soil before spring planting [4]. However, you can also apply it in early spring if a soil test shows your soil is too acidic.

Since lime works slowly, the earlier you apply it, the more time it has to raise the soil’s pH.

How to Apply Agricultural Lime

As noted earlier, the method of application depends on the form of lime you’re using and where you’re using it.

Over a large area, such as a lawn, the push-broadcast spreader is the best method for applying pelletized lime.

For a smaller lawn, there are handheld spreaders with a hand crank that spray pellets a few feet ahead of you.

In vegetable gardens, spread the recommended amount of lime evenly over the soil and, whenever possible, mix or rake it into the top few inches before planting. For open plots, sprinkle it over dry soil and rake it in evenly.

How Often to Apply

Many gardens only need lime every 2 to 3 years, but always follow the results of a soil test.

However, if your soil is very acidic, a soil test may indicate that lime should be applied annually.

Caution

Be aware of the type of lime you’re using for your fields. Also, follow the package directions for proper application and general safety precautions [5].

Quicklime (calcium oxide) and hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) are caustic [6]. So, both are unsuitable for home gardens.

Even with regular garden lime (aglime), which contains calcium carbonate, you should use it carefully, as too much can be harmful.

Additionally, always wear gloves and avoid breathing in lime dust when handling any type of lime.

Too much lime can also make the soil too alkaline, which can stop plants from getting the nutrients they need.

Plants that are already stressed by drought, frost, or disease may be harmed even more if too much lime is added.

High alkalinity can also lead to chlorosis, the yellowing of leaves due to a lack of chlorophyll.

Where to Buy

You can buy garden lime at most gardening centers. It is also available online from reputable organic gardening suppliers, such as Arbico.

Takeaway

Agricultural lime is mainly used to raise soil pH when the soil is too acidic. This helps many plants absorb nutrients more easily and grow better.

However, please exercise caution when using it, as excessive amounts can lead to very high alkalinity, which can cause nutrient deficiencies in plants.