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Traditional advertising has most homeowners believing that fertilizer is the answer to fixing a thin, pale lawn. While fertilizer is important, a healthy lawn requires more than just a shot of fertilizer every 6-8 weeks to look green and full. One of the most important and inexpensive applications that you can make to your lawn is applying a pelletized lime product every Spring and Fall.

The combination of our region’s acidic rainfall and acid loving plants, such as Pine trees, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, etc promotes an acidic soil medium. When your soil’s PH becomes imbalanced (too acidic or alkaline) your grass will not be receptive to absorbing nutrients from the soil. This leads to a thinning lawn, opening up holes for weeds and moss to flourish!

How can I tell if my soil is acidic?

We sell PH soil test kits, however sometimes this isn’t needed to diagnose areas of your lawn that might be too acidic. If you have a bunch of pine needles covering your soil, or if the area you’re trying to reseed is next to an acid loving plant, such as a Rhododendron or Azalea, it probably needs some lime.

So….this Spring don’t simply put down an application of fertilizer and a little seed and expect to get good results. If your soil medium is not PH neutral you will limit the results you receive from the fertilizer and seed you put down.

Are all lime products created equal?

No, when it comes to selecting a lime source we have a couple different options. You can purchase the basic pellitized lime, or a fast acting calcium based product. You can get away with the basic lime if you don’t need immediate results. However, if you plan to reseed an area of your lawn that is not PH neutral the fast acting lime product will provide much better results.

Don’t shortchange your efforts this Spring. Make sure you pick up a bag of lime with your purchase of fertilizer and seed.