Lime Soil Amendment Services
No matter which type of grass you have growing in your lawn, your soil requires a precise balance of acidity and alkalinity in order to help your grass grow in healthy and lush. If there’s a pH imbalance in your soil, you could find yourself dealing with patchy, dry grass throughout the year.
Lime is a type of soil amendment that can help correct the pH balance of your soil, getting you the grass you’ve been dreaming of. Our beginner’s guide to lime amendments will help you understand if a lime treatment is right for you—and a few of the benefits that come with choosing a professional lawn care company like TruGreen for all of your soil concerns.
What is Lime?
Lime is a type of soil amendment treatment created by grinding down limestone rock, which is a naturally occurring compound that contains magnesium sulfate and calcium carbonate. When introduced to your lawn, lime lowers the pH of the soil. This can be beneficial if your lawn’s pH is outside of the standard pH range for your grass type, which is usually between 6 and 7 on the pH scale.
Without a balanced soil pH, your grass will have a hard time absorbing the nutrients it needs to grow and remain healthy. If your soil’s pH is too far off, it might even cause you to waste money on fertilizers and other types of soil enhancements that your grass’s roots can’t use. This is why it’s important to test your soil’s pH and make amendments as needed before you create your lawn care plan.
Signs that Your Lawn May Need a Lime Treatment
Soil needs lime when its pH lowers to the point where your grass begins to start having trouble absorbing nutrients from the soil. While the ideal pH level for your soil will vary depending on the type of grass you have in your lawn, a pH of 5.8 or below will usually begin harming your grass. Adding lime to soil that’s too acidic raises the pH level, which restores the balance in your lawn and creates the optimal conditions for your grass to begin absorbing nutrients again.
If you notice any of the following symptoms of acidic soil in your lawn, there’s a chance that your soil’s pH balance is the culprit.
- Failure to respond to treatments: Chemical treatments like pest control products, herbicides, and fertilizers require your lawn to be within a certain pH range in order to be absorbed by your soil. If you’ve been applying treatments to your lawn on a consistent schedule and you still aren’t seeing the promised results, the answer could be found in the soil itself.
- Pest infestations: Keeping your soil at a proper pH promotes healthy grass, which makes it more difficult for pests to infiltrate your lawn. If you’ve noticed that you’re dealing with more mosquitoes, grubs, or beetles this season when compared to other years, it could be because your soil isn’t strong enough to help your grass fight off predators effectively.
- Development of lawn moss: Lawn moss is a type of fungi that requires a low soil pH to thrive. If your soil’s pH drops, lawn can take this opportunity to fester on your lawn. Before you apply a herbicide, you may want to test the pH of your soil to be sure that it won’t be able to come back after treatment.
- Washed-out color and poor growth: One of the reasons why a low soil pH is harmful to your grass is because acidic soil doesn’t facilitate the transfer of water and micronutrients between the soil and your grass’s roots as effectively as a soil with a neutral pH. Lawns often struggle to grow in soil that’s too acidic, which can leave your property looking bare or patchy. Grass that does manage to grow will often be yellow, dry, and easily breakable due to a lack of proper nutrition.
If you think you might need a lime amendment, test the pH of your soil. You can find a soil pH testing kit from your local hardware store, nursery, or online source for lawn care products. You may even be able to receive a professional soil analysis for as little as $20 by brining a sample of your soil to your local university extension service.
Certain types of grasses can withstand more acidic soil. For example, Kentucky Bluegrass tends to thrive with a lower soil pH, which means that treatment with lime might actually end up hurting your lawn. If you aren’t sure which type of grass or grasses you have growing on your property, it’s best to avoid testing your own lawn and contacting a professional team of lawn care experts like those working with TruGreen. TruGreen’s local team is made up of experts in your climate, soil type, and environment, and they can suggest the most effective treatments based on the unique characteristics of your lawn.
When is the Best Time to Apply Lime to My Soil?
Most experts recommend applying lime to your soil in either the fall or spring season. If you apply lime in the fall season, your lime treatment may begin working sooner, as cycles of rain and snow will help introduce the lime into the soil more effectively. Though you can apply lime at any point of the year when your lawn isn’t frozen, most experts don’t recommend using a treatment in summer because the dryer months can stop your lime from being absorbed into the soil.
If you’ve never applied lime to your soil before or you aren’t sure what type of grass you have, your best bet is to contact TruGreen to schedule your free Healthy Lawn Analysis before you create a plan to repair your lawn. Your TruGreen lawn care expert will take a sample of your soil to determine how much lime you need to correct the problems you’re seeing in your grass.
How Does TruGreen Apply Lime Amendment Treatments?
TruGreen is your local source for professional lime applications and a range of other treatments to keep your grass green, thick, and healthy. Here’s what you can expect when you schedule an appointment for a lime amendment with TruGreen.
- Step 1—Healthy Lawn Analysis: TruGreen understands that your lawn care needs are as unique as you are as a homeowner. They start all of their customers off with a comprehensive Healthy Lawn Analysis that includes a soil pH test. Your lawn care technician will take a sample of your soil and test for some of the most common lawn diseases and issues to help you create a holistic plan of action for your lawn.
- Step 2—Application of treatment: Your TruGreen technician will recommend a lime amendment or other soil correction based on the results of your pH test. If your technician believes that a lime amendment is the right course of action, he or she will take a look at the weather and choose a date in the fall or spring for your appointment. Your TruGreen technician will work together with you to select a date when rainfall is prevalent, as moist soil helps the lime treatment be absorbed faster.
- Step 3—Monitor your lawn’s progress: After treatment, your TruGreen technician will offer additional tips and insights to help you monitor and manage your lawn throughout the year. If your treatment’s results don’t turn out like you imagined, TruGreen will return as many times as needed until you get the results you love thanks to our Healthy Lawn Guarantee.
Why Should I Choose TruGreen?
As a homeowner, you have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting a lawn care service provider. If you’re looking for the best possible blend of professionalism and affordability, your first call should be to TruGreen. Here are a few of the benefits you can take advantage of when you choose TruGreen to apply your lime treatments and manage your lawn.
- Comprehensive service options: TruGreen understands that you don’t want to pay for treatments that you don’t need. However, if this is your first time seeking professional lawn care services, you might not be 100% sure which types of treatments will be most effective on your lawn.
TruGreen starts all customers off with a custom Healthy Lawn Analysis. During your Healthy Lawn Analysis, a lawn service professional will survey your lawn, test your soil, and search for the root cause of any issues your grass is facing. This allows TruGreen to target treatments specifically to your grass type—and it ensures that you won’t pay for a treatment that won’t help your lawn or work in your climate.
- Professional service: All technicians must complete a comprehensive TruExpert Certification Program before they visit your property. This rigorous course ensures that you only receive the highest possible quality of service, and technicians must re-complete their training on an annual basis.
- Package plans available: Every homeowner wants their lawn to look immaculate throughout the year. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time, tools, and products needed to keep their lawn in perfect condition. In addition to single treatments and lime applications, TruGreen offers a complete set of service plans that include things like fertilization, aeration, soil amendments and more. TruGreen even offers organic package options in select states.
With service throughout the country and convenient quotes, there’s little question why TruGreen is one of the top choices for year-round lawn management and care.
Improving Your Lawn with a Professional Touch
Calculating the amount of lime needed for your grass doesn’t need to be a challenge—and you don’t need to take on this major project by yourself. Now is the perfect time to begin planning your new season of lawn care treatments with TruGreen. To learn more about the difference of the TruGreen touch or to get in contact with your local TruGreen team, give us a call today at 877-349-9084.