As I am sure you are aware, lime is a generic term for an acid neutralizing agent. Generally it is calcium carbonate in one form or another. In granular or powdered form it takes several months to react with acid to neutralize it. Some pelletized lime are faster, but not anything close to instant, that I am aware of. This would lead me to believe that timing of liming is probably more important based on what might be happening to remove it from where it is effective than anything else (like dry windy conditions or fast water runoff). My opinion, I could be way off. I am eager to see others input on this.
Good subject.
It takes time for the lime to react with your soil and raise the pH. Applying lime in fall allows the lime to react from late fall, through winter and early spring. You start the spring growth season at a higher pH. Also, the liming reaction requires water. More water is typically available in fall, winter and early spring to support the chemical reaction. If you lime in spring, you will not see a pH difference until later in the growing season and the summer heat/drought will slow the reaction. You may not see the major effect of spring liming until the following spring because of the lack of water in summer. Good luck.
Around here farmers lime thier fields in the spring.
Gene
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Lawn Care Forum
7M posts
202.7K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to lawn care and landscaping professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!