All those lawn doctors out there

[Don & Lucille]

Is there such a thing as using too much lime on a lawn? What would happen if the soil was too sweet if there is such a thing?

[Colbyt]

The opposite of acidic is alkaline. Most plants don't like either extreme. You can kill your grass if you rinse out your wheelbarrow that you mixed concrete in without diluting the run-off with a lot of water.

I imagine it would take a lot of lime to do that

Colbyt

[Hell Toupee]

Highly alkaline soil ties up certain micronutrients, making them unavailable to the grass plants. Iron, for one. In my part of the country soils tend to be quite alkaline, and grass, even fertilized grass, tends to be a more yellowish-green. Get the soil pH lowered, or provide additional iron, and you can watch the grass turn a darker green.

Besides, adding anything your lawn doesn't need just wastes your time, effort, and money.

[ransley]

Sure, what is the PH, you did test it didn`t you.

[Don & Lucille]

Sure, what is the PH, you did test it didn`t you.

[Norminn]

It can kill the grass. Should have soil test prior to any such application. County extension service (or state) often have soil test kits and loads of info about lawn care. In general, sandy soils tend to be alkaline and soil with lots of leaf waste tend to be acid. Some acid loving plants, like rhododendron, might also suffer.

Too alkaline can cause plants to not take up nutrients. I have used sulfur (ferrous sufate?) to help acid-loving plants in our sandy yard.

[ransley]

Litmus paper should test for ph easily, for 10$ any hardware store will have a complete test kit that will be accurate enough.

[RicodJour]

Local nurseries around here will test your soil for free while you wait.

R

[Bob F]

They use a visable layer of lime to mark playfields. It doesn't kill them.

[ransley]

It wont kill it but all plants grow best in near neutral ph, make it real alkaline or acid and plants suffer. Self testing for ph is easy.

[dpb]

ransley wrote: ...

Except those that don't, of course... :)

Azaleas, rhododendron, etc., need fairly acidic soil conditions to do well as only one example...

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[ransley]

I have not found that so, I acid treated for ferns, rhotodendrons and dont notice anything but maybe my soil is more to the acid side anyway even though its neutral. Neutral has a range its not an exact ph point

[Phisherman]

You can use too much lime. For a half acre use 500 pounds, test in 6 months, and repeat if needed. Most grasses grow best at 6.5 to neutral.