Anyone with time and talent can grow a vegetable garden; however, certain soils may be too acidic for successful gardens to flourish.
To address this problem, the gardener needs to know when and how much lime to apply – the ideal time is in fall; however spring applications should be made several weeks prior to planting.
Fall
Garden lime should be applied in the fall before soil work commences in the spring. Chemical reactions that neutralize acidity take time to work their magic, so applying garden lime early provides several months for it to work its magic before planting season comes around. Furthermore, rainfall aids its reaction with soil.
When soil becomes highly acidic, it becomes chemically “locked up”, making some essential nutrients unavailable to plant roots. Although fertilizers may seem helpful at first glance, their costs quickly add up while polluting groundwater and streams with excessive nitrogen levels. A more economical and sustainable long-term solution is to use garden lime to raise its pH level back within acceptable levels for gardening.
Understanding the pH scale can be essential when making decisions regarding how and when to apply garden lime. The scale runs from 0-14 with seven as the neutral midpoint; soil with an acidity level lower than 6.5 is considered acidic; garden lime can help increase hydrogen ions present in soil to raise its pH level and raise its level.
Peas and beans tend to thrive in alkaline soil while onions and garlic thrive when added with lime, while some fruit trees such as apple and pear thrive best with less acidic soil, along with flowers like Gypsophila and Delphiniums as well as shrubs such as Azaleas, Magnolias, Rhododendrons.
Before applying lime and other amendments to the soil, it is vitally important to conduct a professional soil test performed by either a county extension service or private laboratory. A professional test can provide a full report illustrating your current pH level as well as what changes are required in order to balance it; home testing kits typically do not account for differences between various types of soil such as sand and clay that affect their results.
Applying lime to your vegetable garden requires spreading it evenly across vegetable beds using either a garden/agricultural spreader or shovel, wearing a dust mask to avoid inhaling fine powder particles, then digging or tilling it into the soil at four-six inch depth.
Winter
Many gardeners understand the value of adding garden lime, yet not everyone knows when and how much should be applied. Applying garden lime reduces acidity of the soil, helping ensure healthy plants and abundant crops. Apply it during fall gardening so it has ample time to absorb into the ground before spring planting season arrives.
At present, two primary forms of garden lime are available – agricultural limestone and dolomite lime. Both contain calcium with dolomite additionally providing magnesium. Selecting the appropriate garden lime type is key – each works differently. Most often used is agricultural limestone which originates from deposits formed millions of years ago when shallow seas covered the Earth – shells from prehistoric sea creatures found their way onto land where they turned into limestone deposits that have since been mined from. Agricultural limestone comes in powder form which can easily be applied using garden spreader or hoe.
Garden lime should be combined with organic matter to enhance its absorption into the soil faster and improve availability of key nutrients, including nitrogen which is vital to plant health. Liming may also increase activity among beneficial soil microbes that enhance overall garden health over time.
Gardeners who grow vegetables will need to add lime at different points throughout the year depending on the type of veggie being grown, its growing season and soil conditions. A pH meter can help determine how much limeing needs to be done – these devices can often be found at gardening centers or home improvement stores.
Some vegetables, such as peas and beans, thrive best in less acidic soil while tomatoes and peppers require higher pH levels in their environments to flourish. Vegetables grown in soil that is too acidic are more vulnerable to diseases and difficult to cultivate; hence regular lime treatment must take place if your garden is to thrive successfully.
Spring
Before applying garden lime, the first step should be conducting a soil test. A pH meter available from our store or online can measure the acidity level in your soil and identify what amount of garden lime you need to raise it to optimal conditions for vegetable cultivation. A lower soil pH makes it easier for plant roots to access nutrients and thrive – something garden lime does.
Healthy soil has an optimal pH level of 7, and any reading below this will indicate acidic conditions that require garden lime to restore to an acceptable state.
Start the season right by adding garden lime in the fall – this will allow the soil time to adjust its pH levels before planting anything, as garden lime works its way down into the root zone where it can help your vegetables and flowers.
Ideally, when applying garden lime in the spring it should be done several weeks ahead of your planned vegetable sowing or planting. Allowing enough time for the soil to absorb all of its benefits before sowing or planting will maximize benefits to crops while helping avoid potentially acidic conditions in your garden soil.
When it comes to liming soil, selecting the correct garden lime type is of utmost importance. A great option available at most farm and hardware stores and some large box stores is pelletized garden lime; made up of crushed limestone which has been “glued” together into even-sized pellets by water, this form of garden lime makes application easy while quickly increasing soil pH levels.
Garden lime should never be applied alongside manure as the nitrogen found in manure will react with soil bacteria and negate any beneficial effects from lime. Liming should always take place on dry or nearly dry days in order to prevent wet, slippery soil. Likewise, always wear protective equipment when applying garden lime such as gloves and dust masks so as to avoid inhaling any powdery particles that might come loose when spreading around your garden.
Summer
Many North Carolina gardeners find their soil is acidic, and require lime to make it suitable for growing vegetables. Too much lime may be harmful; therefore, its application should be done sparingly. A general guideline would be no more than 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet at one time; otherwise divide the total into half and apply in both spring and fall applications for optimal results (according to University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service publications).
Vegetable plants, with the exception of tomatoes, generally thrive best when grown in soil with a pH level between 6.5 and 6.8. Increasing this range will increase availability of essential nutrients while simultaneously eliminating acidity’s damaging effects on plant roots and microorganisms necessary for their functioning properly.
Applying garden lime to your soil depends on its climate; in most parts of the United States it’s recommended during autumn and winter for maximum results. This allows your soil time to absorb the lime slowly over weeks or months while simultaneously making it easier to work granulated lime into your soil.
Once amended, soil becomes ready for spring planting and your plants can utilize all available nutrients in it. Altering it with organic matter in late fall or early spring may also provide valuable nutrition; however, this method usually proves more costly.
Always wear a dust mask, eye protection and old clothes when handling powdered garden lime, as it can become extremely dusty and blow easily in the wind. Breathing the dust may lead to serious health risks; for best results it may be beneficial to use a water hose spraying it across the ground rather than manually spreading the lime yourself.