How to Beautify Your Lawn with Garden Lime

Are you struggling to transform your dying grass into a beautiful lawn? Has your grass become overrun with moss and weeds? You need garden lime!

But when should you sprinkle it, and how much should you use? Discover all you’ll ever need to know about garden lime.

What is garden lime used for?

Garden lime is a calcium compound – usually created from ground-up limestone. There are four main advantages to using garden lime:

Neutralising soil acidity
Spreading lime helps you achieve the correct acidity level. Lime contains lots of calcium, which raises the pH value. The most suitable soil acidity for grass is 6.5-7.

Lime prevents the growth of moss
Lime will help your grass grow faster than moss. Remember, the denser your turf, the less space for moss to develop.

Fertilisers are better absorbed
Over-fertilising can increase the acidity of your soil. However, garden lime assists the absorption of garden fertilisers. For that reason, you should first spread lime before fertilising.

Reduces the chance of weeds
Lime helps strengthen your grass plants, creating a denser, thicker covering of grass. Thicker grass gives weeds less of an opportunity to develop.

When should you use garden lime?

Before you get started, measure the pH value of the soil. Is your lawn on clay or sandy soil? Then you can assume that the soil is too acidic.

Lime can be applied all year round, but is best in late autumn, the winter months or just after winter. Is there snow on the ground? No problem. When the snow melts, the lime disappears together with the moisture in the soil. Lime in dry weather? Then spray immediately after spreading. Or just before a rain shower. The soil will then absorb the lime better.

Note: Never combine spreading lime with spreading fertiliser. The calcium (lime) and nitrogen (fertiliser) can bind with each other, preventing the grass from absorbing the nutrients. The effect of both is drastically reduced this way.

How much should you spread on your lawn?

Our advice is to lime twice a year with lawn lime. Use 25 grams per m2. There is no point in spreading extra much at once. After all, the acidity of the soil does not change overnight. If your soil has the right pH value, lime once a year, again using 25 grams per m2. This way, you counter acidification of the soil and the soil retains the right pH.

How to use garden lime

With our step-by-step guide, you can’t go wrong!

Remove leaves and garden debris. Compost as much as you can. Or you could rake fallen leaves into your flower beds – they act as mulch over the winter and nourish the soil as the organic matter breaks down.
Mow your lawn (unless it’s winter – your grass plants enter dormancy when the soil temperature drops below 10℃).
Measure your lawn and work out the size in m2. If it’s 4m x 5m, your lawn is 20m2 (i.e., 4×5=20).
Calculate how much lawn lime you need for the job. (Remember, you need 25g per m2). So, for a 20m2 lawn, you’re going to need 500g. That’s 20m2 x 25g = 500g.
Divide your measured garden lime into two equal parts (i.e., 2 x 250g).
Sprinkle the first part lengthways and the second part widthways. Try and make the coverage as even as possible. This can be done by hand, but it is better to use a spreader for a more extensive lawn.
After application, water your lawn to encourage the absorption of the lime. You can walk on the grass straight away.

Does garden lime kill moss?

Moss likes acidic soil. Lime won’t directly kill it, but it will make the earth less hospitable for moss.

Moss is problematic for lawns because it grows over the soil surface and prevents rainwater from penetrating down into the earth. This makes the grass dry out, giving it a yellow appearance.
So, applying lime will help your grass maintain its deep, luscious green colour and prevent moss from zapping the water from the grass’s roots.

Can I apply lime and fertiliser to my lawn at the same time?

When you combine lime and fertilisers, the calcium and nitrogen can bind with each other. As a result, the grass will not absorb the nutrients.
We recommend that you wait at least 3 weeks after liming before fertilising. Sprinkle lime in winter or early spring, and fertilise your lawn 3 weeks later.

Fertilising 3 weeks after liming is perfectly fine.

Should I use granules or powder?

Powder absorbs into the soil quickly, but it can get blown away by the wind. Most lime products don’t fully absorb with the first watering – if the soil dries out after the initial watering, a strong gust of wind could blow the remaining powder residue away.

Granules create less mess and can be more evenly spread. Our lawn lime is a granulated powder (so it’s the best of both worlds). This means the powder is packed into a little jacket which quickly dissolves when it makes contact with water.

Lime+

Lime+

Lawn Lime

• Reduces soil acidity
• Promotes nutrient uptake
• Quickly absorbed into the soil

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Should you apply garden lime to new grass?

If a soil test shows that the soil is too acidic, you can lime a newly laid lawn just fine. There is no risk of burning. Do note: it is better to give the new grass a starter fertiliser than lime.
Fertilise at sowing and use the lime 3 weeks later.

Ready to get started, or do you want more information?

Ensure your lawn receives the loving attention it deserves! Discover how lawn lime lays the foundation for a lush green lawn. Enjoy a healthy and vibrant lawn all year round.

For more garden advice and care tips, we are here for you. If you have any questions, get in touch.
Happy gardening!

Louis Hooft

Founder & Lawn expert

Introducing Louis Hooft, the founder of MOOWY and your reliable expert. With a profound love for stunning lawns and extensive experience in garden maintenance, Louis is here to assist garden enthusiasts in achieving a greener and livelier outdoors than ever before. Count on Louis for invaluable tips, clever tricks, and top-notch products to make your garden flourish!