We all want a garden full of happy plants at the end of the day, don’t we? If you remove the acidity they crave from the soil surrounding them, they’ll struggle to survive. That’s why it enables some plants to positively thrive and flourish whereas, for others, it makes them desperately unhappy! Its principal purpose is to raise the pH level of your soil. It’s important to note that lime is not a fertilizer and shouldn’t be used as such. Effectivityĭo note that lime can take years to have any effect, especially if it’s just applied to the surface around already established plants and shrubs in your garden, so you should be regularly tilling and sowing the soil. Lime should be added just prior to digging the soil so that the lime can bed down and take effect over the harsh winter months and not cause any damage to young, winter vegetables.

It’s standard procedure for best gardening practices to add lime during the winter months, especially for your annual crops. To go about the lime application process, here are the things to keep in mind: When to Apply Now, if your plants require lime, here are the things that you should be familiar with: Considerations One of the challenges is that lime lovers divide flower families so again, please do your research if you want your garden to flourish. These days, a lime deficiency is considered to be one of the principal factors contributing to poor growth, particularly in Easter gardens.

On the other hand, plants from the western plains are far more lime-tolerant. Plants from the Rocky Mountains for example and the high Sierras or other heavy granite-based terrains won’t tolerate lime at all. Identify the Plant’s Natural HabitatĪnother way of determining the soil preference of the plants you’re planning to grow is to reference their natural habitat. Testing itself can be carried out at any time but if it’s carried out within three months of adding another organic matter such as fertilizer, it could skew your results and be misleading. That way, you will have a better chance of success when it comes to the healthy and abundant growth of any fruit and vegetable crops you plant. If you’re planning to make changes and adjustments to your garden, perhaps by designing a new area to integrate with existing established plants or adding a vegetable plot, always re-test your soil’s pH level. If your soil has a measurement above 7.0, it denotes it’s alkaline whereas under 7.0 is acid. In terms of the accepted levels to look out for, a pH level of 7.0 is considered neutral. If it’s too high, then lime should be added. We also always recommend that you first carry out a soil pH test to be confidently assured that lime is necessary.Īlso, if you’re planting what are known as perennial plants, such as lawn grasses, shrubs, and trees, then we recommend you to check the level of acidity in your soil. There are many more than what we’ve mentioned and it’s impossible to provide an exhaustive list so do your research and ask at your local garden center, or you may do the following: Soil pH Testing We’re talking about species such as magnolia, azalea, Japanese maples, daphne, and rhododendrons. In terms of flowers that don’t react well to lime, there are plenty so you should most definitely err on the side of caution. The same can also be said for grapes which again, thrive in more acidic conditions. Many types of popular berries also prefer a more acidic soil environment to flourish, so they won’t react favorably if you add lime.Īmong those, we’re singling out blueberry bushes, strawberries, and raspberries. For instance, you should never add lime to sweet potatoes and regular potato crops.Īlso, you should not consider adding lime if you are growing capsicums or tomatoes. Unfortunately, there are several plants that will react badly to lime. You don’t want to discover the hard way that your crops and flower beds aren’t suitable for lime. Shrubs that prefer acidic soils are American Holly, sweet bay magnolias, and mountain laurel. In terms of flowers, you might consider adding lime to decorative and ornamental style gardens populated with variants of gypsophila, delphiniums, and buddleia. Other popular homegrown vegetables that benefit from lime include onions, garlic, parsnips, asparagus, and English spinach.įruit trees, including apple trees, are also far less likely to yield abundant fruits and reach their full potential if the soil is too acidic. If you’ve decided to grow a vegetable patch, then the kind of plants that will benefit from lime include legumes such as peas and broad beans. To ensure that you are not doing more harm to your plants than good, you must make sure they really require lime. What Garden Plants Need Lime and What Doesn’t?

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