How to Lime a Garden
- 1). Test the soil in your garden using a soil test kit to find the current pH. Take a sample from 4 to 6 inches into the soil. Fill the test tube included in your kit to the fill line with soil. Add enough distilled water to completely cover the soil. Shake the sample well to mix the soil with the water. Allow the sample to settle for approximately 30 minutes. Dip the test strip into the test tube, and compare the strip with the enclosed pH chart.
- 2). If your soil is too acidic, add enough lime to raise your soil pH. Loamy soil with a pH of 5.0 should receive 10 pounds of lime per every 100 square feet to raise the pH by 1.5. Apply 8 pounds of lime for every 100 square feet of sandy soils. Add 3 pounds of lime for every 100 square feet of sandy soil to raise the pH by 0.5. Add 4 pounds of lime for loamy soils.
- 3). Add lime to your garden in the fall after the last harvest. Remove all dead plants from the ground and dispose of them. Use a hoe to dig up all the roots.
- 4). Spread the limestone with a mechanical spreader. Walk behind the spreader and apply in even rows until the entire garden has been covered.
- 5). Retest your soil pH in three months, and apply more lime if necessary.
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