Lime for Lawn: How Much, When to Apply and Which Lime to Buy

Key takeaways

• Test before you buy: Ohio State Extension says only a lab soil test gives the lime requirement, and Purdue says a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 needs no adjustment at all (Ohio State HYG-4026; Purdue AY-18).
• Targets differ by grass: 6.0 to 7.0 for Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, 5.5 to 6.5 for tall fescue, and 5.0 to 6.0 for centipedegrass (University of Kentucky AGR-214; UGA C1003).
• Lab rates assume pure calcium carbonate. Pounds of product = lab rate ÷ CCE: 75 lb at 80 percent CCE becomes 94 lb per 1,000 sq ft (Penn State Extension).
• Per-pass ceilings split the extension services: 50 lb per 1,000 sq ft at Virginia Tech, Maryland and Ohio State, 100 lb at Penn State, Purdue and Kentucky. Split the rest 1 to 6 months apart (Virginia Tech 452-718).
• Expect a slow change: up to 6 months to measure (Maryland Extension) and 6 to 18 months in UConn’s estimate; Kentucky and NC State say pelletized lime is not faster than ground limestone (UMD; UConn).
• Price per pound spans almost nine times: 40 lb pelletized bags ran $0.18 to $0.27 a lb (Vigoro, Soil Doctor) and fast-acting or specialty limes $0.83 to $1.57 a lb on Oct. 28, 2026, while label CCE ran only 86 to 93 percent (product table).

What does lime do for a lawn?

Lime raises soil pH by neutralizing acidity, which makes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium and molybdenum more available to grass roots. Ohio State Extension lists all seven as less available once pH falls below 6.0. Lime is not a fertilizer: Purdue notes it does not replace a fertilization program, and it supplies only calcium, plus magnesium if dolomitic (Ohio State HYG-4026).

Small pH numbers hide large changes: each whole unit is a tenfold change in acidity, so pH 5.5 is ten times more acid than 6.5. At pH 5.5 or below, Penn State warns of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus shortages and aluminum and manganese at levels that may injure turf (Penn State, Liming Turfgrass Areas).

Rain, irrigation and ammonium fertilizers acidify soil over time, so need varies by region. NC State says nearly all North Carolina soils are naturally acidic; Purdue says most Indiana soils under turf need no lime; Ohio State expects acid soil in eastern Ohio but not its calcite-rich west.

Three products sold beside lime do not do its job. Gypsum changes pH little if at all, per Ohio State, Penn State and Kentucky. Hydrated and burned lime raise pH but can burn turf, so Penn State rules them out for lawns. Lime does not kill moss either: Penn State links moss to acid soil but says lime does not control weeds.

How do you know if your lawn needs lime?

Send a soil sample to a lab and lime only when the reported pH sits below the target for your grass. Purdue says pH 6.0 to 7.5 needs no adjustment; Maryland Extension limes only below 5.5 and calls 6.0 to 6.8 optimum. The rate comes from the lab’s buffer pH or lime requirement test: NC State says a pH reading alone, from a kit or probe, cannot produce an accurate lime rate.

Grass	Target soil pH	Lime when the test reads below	Source
Kentucky bluegrass	6.0 to 7.0 (Penn State: grows best at 6.5 to 7.2)	6.0	UK AGR-214, Table 2; Penn State
Perennial ryegrass	6.0 to 7.0	6.0	UK AGR-214, Table 2
Tall fescue	5.5 to 6.5 (Maryland: 5.8 to 6.5)	5.5	UK AGR-214; UMD
Fine fescues (chewings, creeping red)	5.5 to 6.5 (hard fescue 5.0 to 6.5)	5.5	UK AGR-214, Table 2
Bermudagrass	6.0 to 7.0	6.0	UK AGR-214, Table 2
Zoysiagrass	6.0 to 7.0	6.0	UK AGR-214; UMD
Centipedegrass	5.0 to 6.0 (NCDA&CS: about 5.5)	5.0; above 6.0 iron turns short	UGA C1003; NCDA&CS Note 9
Other lawn grasses, North Carolina lab	Lab target 6.0 (centipede 5.5)	6.0	NC State AG-439-51, Table 1

Sample the way the lab expects. Purdue asks for 10 to 15 cores taken 3 inches deep with thatch and leaves removed, mixed into one sample; the University of Georgia lab wants lawn samples 4 inches deep. Purdue retests in 3 years and Maryland every 3 to 4 years. Lab prices, kits and how to read the report are on our soil test guide.

Symptoms are weak evidence. Yellowing and moss also follow shade, compaction or low nitrogen, and yellow centipedegrass usually means pH is too high: UGA says iron uptake drops above 6.0. See our centipede grass lawn guide; other grasses are profiled in our turf and trees guides.

How much lime does a lawn need per 1,000 sq ft?

Use the number on your soil report. Rates run from about 20 lb to 190 lb of calcitic lime per 1,000 sq ft by starting pH and texture: Kentucky puts a sand at pH 5.5 at 20 to 30 lb and a clay at pH 4.5 at 150 to 190 lb. Rutgers gives 65 lb for a sandy loam and 150 lb for a silt loam at pH 5.5 (Rutgers FS633).

1. Sand or loamy sand50
2. Loam130
3. Clay loam or clay190

Source: University of Kentucky AGR-214, Table 1 (2014) 6-inch root zone before planting; ranges run 30 to 50, 80 to 130 and 150 to 190 lb at pH 4.5 and 20 to 30, 45 to 75 and 90 to 100 lb at pH 5.5.

Show the numbers

	Starting pH 4.5	Starting pH 5.5
Sand or loamy sand	50	30
Loam	130	75
Clay loam or clay	190	100

Starting pH	Sand or loamy sand	Loam	Clay loam or clay	Source
4.5	30 to 50 lb	80 to 130 lb	150 to 190 lb	UK AGR-214, Table 1
5.5	20 to 30 lb	45 to 75 lb	90 to 100 lb	UK AGR-214, Table 1
5.5 (Rutgers example)	65 lb (sandy loam)	150 lb (silt loam)	Not given	Rutgers FS633

How do you turn the lab’s number into pounds of product?

Divide the lab’s rate by the calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) printed on the bag. Lab rates assume pure calcium carbonate, which is 100 percent CCE. Penn State’s example: a report calling for 75 lb per 1,000 sq ft and a lime labeled 80 percent CCE gives 75 ÷ 0.80 = 94 lb of product. Ohio State gives the same formula and adds that an amount over its 50 lb ceiling should be split in two.

Fineness matters too. NC State’s effective neutralizing value (ENV) adjusts CCE for particle size, and Va. Code § 3.2-3706 makes Virginia labels print an ENV figured from the 20, 60 and 100 mesh fractions.

How do you convert a per-acre recommendation?

Divide pounds per acre by 43.5 to get pounds per 1,000 sq ft, NC State’s conversion; its own example turns 0.75 ton per acre into 34.5 lb. Watch the depth. The University of Georgia figures lime for the top 8 inches but samples lawns at 4, so its lawn column halves the rate: 1,000 lb per acre becomes 11 lb per 1,000 sq ft, not 23 (UGA Special Bulletin 62).

Step	Georgia lab report (UGA)	Penn State lab report	Source
Soil test result	pH 5.5, lime buffer capacity 400, target pH 6.0	Report calls for 75 lb limestone per 1,000 sq ft	UGA SB 62; Penn State
Lab rate as pure calcium carbonate	2,500 lb per acre for the top 8 inches (Table C)	75 lb per 1,000 sq ft	UGA SB 62 Table C; Penn State
Per 1,000 sq ft of lawn	2,500 ÷ 43.56 ÷ 2 (4-inch lawn depth) = 28.7 lb	75 lb	UGA lawn adjustment table
Divide by the bag’s CCE	Pennington Fast Acting Lime, 89%: 28.7 ÷ 0.89 = 32.2 lb	Lime at 80% CCE: 75 ÷ 0.80 = 94 lb	Labels; Penn State
Product for a 5,000 sq ft lawn	32.2 × 5 = 161 lb, or 6 bags of 30 lb	94 × 5 = 470 lb, or 12 bags of 40 lb	Arithmetic
Passes	1 pass (under every ceiling)	2 passes of 47 lb, 1 to 6 months apart; 1 pass under Penn State’s 100 lb ceiling	Virginia Tech; Penn State
Cost, Oct. 28, 2026	6 × $24.95 = $149.70 (Seed World)	12 × $7.20 to $10.86 = $86 to $130, if a 40 lb pelletized bag carried 80% CCE	Product table

The calculator below runs the same arithmetic: lab rate, bag CCE and price per pound in; pounds, bags and cost out.

Lawn area in thousands of sq ft (5 = 5,000 sq ft) (× 1,000 sq ft)Lime price per pound of product (from the product table)40 lb pelletized lawn lime ($0.18 to $0.27 a lb: Vigoro, Soil Doctor)Fast-acting prilled lime, 25 to 30 lb ($0.83 to $1.20 a lb: Pennington, Encap, Hi-Yield)Specialty garden lime ($1.50 to $1.57 a lb: Espoma 5 lb, Lilly Miller 25 lb)Lab lime rate, lb of calcium carbonate per 1,000 sq ft50 lb25 lb35 lb75 lb100 lb150 lbCCE printed on your bag90 percent100 percent95 percent85 percent80 percent70 percent

Pounds of product

278

40 lb bags

7

50 lb bags

6

Estimated lime cost, before tax$50 to $75

Product lb = lawn area × lab rate ÷ CCE. Keep each pass at or under 50 lb of product per 1,000 sq ft (Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ohio State); Penn State, Purdue and Kentucky allow 100 lb. Prices are bag prices checked Oct. 28, 2026.

Default calculator inputs	Value	Result
Lawn area	5,000 sq ft	5 units of 1,000 sq ft
Lab lime rate	50 lb calcium carbonate per 1,000 sq ft	250 lb calcium carbonate
Bag CCE	90 percent	250 ÷ 0.90 = 278 lb of product
Bags	40 lb or 50 lb	7 bags of 40 lb, or 6 of 50 lb
Price per lb	40 lb pelletized lawn lime ($0.18 to $0.27 a lb: Vigoro, Soil Doctor)	$50.00 to $75.00
Passes	56 lb of product per 1,000 sq ft	1 pass at Penn State’s ceiling; 2 passes of 28 lb at the 50 lb ceiling

What is the most lime you can put on a lawn at once?

Fifty pounds per 1,000 sq ft per pass is the common ceiling: Virginia Tech, Maryland Extension and Ohio State use it, and Scotts repeats it. Penn State, Purdue and the University of Kentucky allow 100 lb on established, higher-cut turf. Both camps split anything above their cap into later passes, 1 to 6 months apart, and both allow the full amount on bare soil that is tilled in before planting.

1. Virginia Tech50
2. Maryland50
3. Ohio State50
4. UConn50
5. Penn State100
6. Purdue100
7. Kentucky100

Source: VCE 452-718; UMD; Ohio State HYG-4026; UConn; Penn State; Purdue AY-18; UK AGR-214 Ground, dolomitic or pelletized limestone. Ohio State caps hydrated lime at 20 lb and burned lime at 10 lb; Penn State caps golf greens at 25 lb.

Show the numbers

	Per-pass ceiling
Virginia Tech	50
Maryland	50
Ohio State	50
UConn	50
Penn State	100
Purdue	100
Kentucky	100

Source	Most per pass, established lawn	Interval for the rest	Reason given	Source link
Scotts (retail guide)	50 lb	Not stated	Not stated	ScottsMiracle-Gro
Virginia Tech, Soil Test Note 18	50 lb	1 to 6 months	More can leave a residue on the turf	VCE 452-718
University of Maryland Extension	50 lb	6 months (85 lb = 50 + 35)	Not stated	UMD, 2026
Ohio State, HYG-4026	50 lb of ground, dolomitic or pelletized product (hydrated 20, burned 10)	Split in half, two times a year	Not stated	Ohio State
UConn Home and Garden Education Center	50 lb typical	Spring and fall, or 30-day intervals	Not stated	UConn, 2025
Penn State Extension	100 lb (golf greens 25 lb)	Spring and fall	Not stated	Penn State
Purdue, AY-18	100 lb on higher-cut turf	Not stated	Not stated	Purdue AY-18
University of Kentucky, AGR-214	100 lb	3 to 6 months	Avoid burn damage	UK AGR-214

Which ceiling should you follow? For pelletized or ground limestone, the 50 lb pass is the conservative reading and costs one extra spreader trip. No ceiling covers hydrated lime, which Ohio State caps at 20 lb.

Bare soil is different: Penn State allows the full requirement at once if it is worked 4 to 6 inches deep before seeding, and NC State’s Carolina Lawns says 6 to 8 inches. Seeding into an existing lawn is in our overseeding guide.

Which lime should you buy for a lawn?

Buy ground limestone, calcitic or dolomitic, in pelletized form if you will use a home spreader, and compare bags by CCE and price per neutralizing pound. Choose dolomitic only when the soil test shows low magnesium, per Penn State and NC State. Skip hydrated and burned lime on lawns, and do not count gypsum as lime.

Material	CCE (approx.)	Speed (Ohio State)	Most per 1,000 sq ft per pass	Notes	Source
Ground limestone (calcitic)	70 to 95%	Slow	50 lb	Standard choice; dusty in a drop spreader	Ohio State Table 1
Dolomitic limestone	70 to 95%; can exceed 100% (NC State)	Slow	50 lb	Adds magnesium; NC law requires 6% Mg as carbonate	Ohio State; NC State
Pelletized limestone	70 to 95%	Fast (Ohio State); not faster (Kentucky, NC State)	50 lb	Ground lime bound into pellets; spreads cleanly	Ohio State; UK AGR-214
Hydrated lime	140%	Fast	20 lb	Caustic; burns turf; Penn State says never on lawns	Ohio State; Penn State
Burned lime (quicklime)	180%	Fast	10 lb	Caustic; hard to apply	Ohio State Table 1
Gypsum (calcium sulfate)	Not a liming material	Little or no pH change	Not applicable	Adds calcium and sulfur only	Ohio State; UK AGR-214

Is pelletized or fast-acting lime faster?

Not reliably. Kentucky’s AGR-214 says pellets are bound with lignosulfonates that must break down before neutralizing starts, so they typically do not react faster than ag lime at equal rates. NC State says pellets touch fewer soil particles, so pH changes more slowly. UConn calls studies of products sold as fast-acting inconsistent. Ohio State’s table does rate pelletized as fast; pellets are mostly a cleaner way to spread the same stone.

What do the bag labels have to show?

State liming laws decide what you can compare. Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina require CCE or its equivalent on the label, and Pennsylvania and Virginia also require the fineness breakdown, so a buyer can check both purity and particle size before paying a premium.

State	Rule	What the label or product must meet	Source
Virginia	Va. Code § 3.2-3706; § 3.2-3700	CCE, ENV by formula and minimum sieve fractions on every label; a standard liming ton is 90% CCE; dolomitic means 15% or more of the carbonate is magnesium carbonate	Code of Virginia, Title 3.2, Ch. 37
Pennsylvania	7 Pa. Code §§ 108.14, 108.15	Total Ca and Mg percent and fineness class; Penn State reports minimums of 95% through 20 mesh, 60% through 60 mesh and 50% through 100 mesh for ground and pelletized stone (granular: 95, 40, 30)	Pa. Code ch. 108; Penn State
North Carolina	N.C. Agricultural Liming Materials and Landplaster Act	90% through 20 mesh; 25% (calcitic) or 35% (dolomitic) through 100 mesh; no minimum CCE, but the label must state the amount equal to 90% CCE lime; pellets must slake to these sizes	NC State AG-439-51

Label CCE varies less than price. We compiled the guaranteed analysis of 10 retail lawn limes from maker labels and safety data sheets, with prices checked Oct. 28, 2026. Five print a CCE, 86 to 93 percent; four print none; Jonathan Green’s Mag-I-Cal Plus is mostly calcium sulfate.

Product (maker page)	Type and form	CCE on label	Ca / Mg	Bag	Label coverage per bag	Price, Oct. 28, 2026	Product equal to 50 lb CaCO3	Cost per 1,000 sq ft at that rate
Solu-Cal PLUS Enhanced Calcitic Lime	Prilled calcitic	91%	36% / 0.5%	50 lb	12.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft for low pH (4,000 sq ft a bag); 5 to 6 lb to maintain	Not confirmed (listings for unclear bag sizes)	55 lb	n/a
Espoma Organic Garden Lime	Pelletized dolomitic	93%	21% / 10%	5 lb	2.5 to 5 lb per 100 sq ft without a test (25 to 50 lb per 1,000 sq ft)	$7.48 (Walmart)	54 lb	$80.43
Pennington PennGreen Pelletized Dolomitic Limestone	Pelletized dolomitic	90%	24% / 5%	40 lb	15 to 25 lb per 1,000 sq ft, established lawns	Not found	56 lb	n/a
Pennington Fast Acting Lime Plus AST	Prilled, from dolomitic limestone	89%	24% / 2.5% (2018 label)	30 lb	30 lb per 5,000 sq ft at pH 6.0 or above; 120 lb below 5.0 (6 to 24 lb per 1,000 sq ft)	$24.95 (Seed World)	56 lb	$46.72
Lilly Miller Super Sweet	Prilled calcitic	86%	34% / not listed	25 lb	2,000 sq ft a bag, once a year (12.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft)	$39.20 (Walmart marketplace)	58 lb	$91.16
Earth Science (Encap) Fast Acting Lime	Pelletized calcitic	Not published	Not published	25 lb	25 lb per 5,000 sq ft at pH 6.0; 75 lb below 5.5 (5 to 15 lb per 1,000 sq ft)	$20.99 (Oley Valley Feed, Google Shopping listing)	n/a	n/a
Hi-Yield Fast Acting Lime	Fast-acting granules	Not published	Not published	25 lb	25 lb per 5,000 sq ft at pH 6.0 or above; 100 lb below 5.0	$29.99 (Rick’s Garden Center, Google Shopping listing)	n/a	n/a
Soil Doctor Pelletized Lawn Lime	Pelletized; SDS lists 52 to 87% CaCO3 and 12 to 40% MgCO3	Not published	Not published	40 lb	Not on a maker page we could reach	$10.86 (Walmart)	n/a	n/a
Vigoro Organic Pelletized Lawn Lime	Pelletized	Not published	Not verified	40 lb	1,000 sq ft a bag (listing title)	$7.20 (Home Depot, Google Shopping listing)	n/a	n/a
Jonathan Green Mag-I-Cal Plus (acidic and hard soil)	Calcium sulfate (gypsum) blend with some calcium carbonate	Not published	28% Ca; 1.5% S	Not printed	3.6 lb per 1,000 sq ft (2019 label); Iowa ECCE 1,682 lb per ton	Not found	n/a	n/a

Compare label rates with your lab rate. Fast-acting bags print 5 to 25 lb per 1,000 sq ft; at 89 percent CCE, Pennington’s 6 lb pass neutralizes about 5.3 lb of calcium carbonate, a tenth of a 50 lb lab rate. Commodity 40 lb pellets at $0.18 to $0.27 a lb cost $9 to $14 for 50 lb, but print no CCE to check.

When should you apply lime to your lawn?

Lime can go on in any month the ground is not frozen and the grass is not wilted or frosted. Penn State and Maryland Extension call fall the most effective season because rain, snow and freeze and thaw work lime in; NC State’s Carolina Lawns guide prefers winter; Ohio State points to spring and fall rains.

Aerating first pays off: Ohio State says coring before liming helps it into the soil, citing a 2008 Agronomy Journal study, and Purdue says it speeds the pH change. Our aeration timing guide lists the best months by grass.

Source	Best timing	Avoid	Source link
Penn State Extension	Any time; most effective in fall	Windy days for powdered lime	Penn State
NC State, Carolina Lawns	Any time; winter usually best (less traffic, freeze and thaw)	Not stated	NC State
Ohio State, HYG-4026	Any time; spring or fall rains help	Wilted or frost-covered turf	Ohio State
University of Maryland Extension	Any time; autumn is ideal (winter freeze and thaw)	Snow- or frost-covered turf	UMD, 2026
UConn, 2025	Fall; repeat spring and fall if more is needed	Not stated	UConn
Scotts (retail guide)	Spring as soil warms, or fall	Dormant or stressed lawns, summer and winter	ScottsMiracle-Gro

How do you apply lime to a lawn, step by step?

Liming a lawn takes one afternoon once the numbers are set: test, convert the lab rate to product, aerate compacted soil, spread in two directions, water it in and retest. Each step carries the figure an extension service gives for it.

1. Test the soil. Send one mixed sample of 10 to 15 cores, 3 to 4 inches deep (Purdue AY-18; UGA).
2. Read the lime line. Per-acre rates divide by 43.5 for pounds per 1,000 sq ft (NC State).
3. Convert to product. Divide by the bag’s CCE as a decimal: 50 lb at 90 percent CCE is 56 lb of product per 1,000 sq ft.
4. Plan the passes. Keep each pass at or under 50 lb per 1,000 sq ft (Virginia Tech, Maryland, Ohio State) and schedule the rest 1 to 6 months later.
5. Core-aerate first if the soil is compacted. Ohio State says coring first helps lime work into the soil, and Purdue says it speeds the pH change.
6. Spread in two directions. Set the spreader to half the rate and cover the lawn north to south, then east to west (Maryland Extension). Powdered lime bridges in drop spreaders; pellets flow (Penn State).
7. Keep it off acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries (Penn State).
8. Water it in. Irrigate after spreading to wash lime off the leaves, per Ohio State, unless rain is due.
9. Retest before liming again, every 3 to 4 years (Maryland Extension).

How long does lime take to work, and how long does it last?

Lime is slow. Maryland Extension says one application can take up to 6 months to change pH measurably, UConn says 6 to 18 months, and Ohio State says several months. Once the target is reached it holds 2 to 3 years on sandy soils and 3 to 4 years on finer soils, according to Rutgers, which is why yearly liming without a test overshoots.

Question	Answer	Source
Time to a measurable pH change	Up to 6 months	UMD, 2026
Time to change pH (range)	6 to 18 months, by weather and soil	UConn, 2025
How deep surface lime moves	Little movement within 1 to 3 years; it neutralizes only where it lands	NC State AG-439-51
Credit for recent lime	Lab subtracts a residual credit for lime applied in the past 12 months	NC State AG-439-51
How long a correct dose lasts	2 to 3 years on sandy soil; 3 to 4 years on finer soil	Rutgers FS633
When to retest	Every 3 years (Purdue); every 3 to 4 years (Maryland); every 2 to 3 years (NC State)	Purdue AY-18; UMD; NC State

Can you put too much lime on a lawn?

Yes. Ohio State says soil above pH 8.0 locks up nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc and favors summer patch on Kentucky bluegrass. Rutgers says yearly liming can push pH high enough to cause iron, manganese and zinc shortages and worsen root diseases. Penn State notes iron chlorosis after over-liming. On centipedegrass, trouble starts above pH 6.0.

The fix is to stop liming and retest. If the lab prescribes sulfur, the University of Georgia handbook says to split any rate above 30 lb per 1,000 sq ft and retest after 2 to 3 months.

Should you lime your lawn this year?

Lime this year only if a lab test from the past 3 years shows pH below your grass’s range. Everything else, from symptoms to a neighbor’s routine to a bag’s coverage claim, is a reason to test, not to spread. The table and flowchart below hold the same thresholds, drawn from the extension publications cited above.

If your situation is	Do this	Why (source)
No lab soil test in the past 3 years	Test before buying lime	Only a lab test gives a lime rate (Ohio State; Purdue)
pH 6.0 to 7.5 on a cool-season, bermudagrass or zoysiagrass lawn	Do not lime	Purdue calls adjustment unnecessary in that range (AY-18)
Centipedegrass at pH 5.0 or higher	Do not lime; treat yellowing with iron	Target 5.0 to 6.0 (UGA C1003)
pH below target; lab rate 50 lb or less per 1,000 sq ft (after CCE)	Apply it in one pass	Within every ceiling (Virginia Tech)
Lab rate 51 to 100 lb after CCE	Two passes 1 to 6 months apart (one pass is within Penn State, Purdue and Kentucky ceilings)	Virginia Tech; Penn State
Lab rate over 100 lb after CCE	Passes in spring and fall until applied; retest in between	Penn State; UK AGR-214
Bare soil before seeding or sod	Apply the full rate and till it 4 to 6 inches deep	Penn State; Kentucky
Soil test shows low magnesium	Use dolomitic limestone	Penn State; NC State
pH above 7.5	No lime; ask the lab about sulfur	UGA SB 62; Ohio State

1. 1Is your last lab soil test more than 3 years old, or did you only use a kit or probe?

   YesGet a lab test first; a pH reading alone cannot set a lime rate.

   NoGo to the next question

2. 2Is the lawn centipedegrass with pH 5.0 or higher?

   YesDo not lime. Treat yellowing with iron and keep pH at 5.0 to 6.0.

   NoGo to the next question

3. 3Is pH at or above your grass's target (6.0 for most lawns, 5.5 for tall fescue)?

   YesDo not lime. Retest in 3 to 4 years.

   NoGo to the next question

4. 4Is the soil bare and about to be seeded or sodded?

   YesApply the full rate and till it 4 to 6 inches deep.

   NoGo to the next question

5. 5After dividing by CCE, is the rate over 50 lb per 1,000 sq ft?

   YesSplit it: 50 lb passes 1 to 6 months apart (100 lb passes under Penn State, Purdue or Kentucky rules).

   NoApply the full rate in one pass, water it in and retest in 3 to 4 years.

Source: Purdue AY-18; Ohio State HYG-4026; UGA C1003; Penn State; Virginia Tech 452-718

Conversion	Multiply or divide	Example
lb per acre to lb per 1,000 sq ft	Divide by 43.5 (NC State) or 43.56	1,500 lb per acre = 34.5 lb
Tons per acre to lb per 1,000 sq ft	Multiply by 2,000, then divide by 43.5	1 ton per acre = 46 lb
lb per 1,000 sq ft to lb per acre	Multiply by 44 (Ohio State)	50 lb = 2,200 lb per acre
UGA 8-inch table to a 4-inch lawn	Divide lb per acre by about 87	2,000 lb per acre = 23 lb
Lab rate to product	Divide by CCE as a decimal	50 lb at 0.90 = 56 lb
Product to 40 lb bags	Product lb per 1,000 sq ft × lawn area in 1,000s ÷ 40	56 lb × 5 ÷ 40 = 7 bags