Soil pH Matters: Why Lime Could Save Your Georgia Lawn

Fertilizer prices keep rising, yet many Georgia lawns stay pale because the soil is too acidic for grass to absorb nutrients. A soil test and a properly timed lime application often solve the problem faster (and cheaper) than piling on more fertilizer.

Key numbers

• Ideal pH for most turfgrasses: 5.5 – 6.5.

• Statewide surveys show much of Georgia sits below 6.0, especially on clay soils that leach

Signs your pH is low

• Slow green‑up even with correct feeding

• Fertilizer burn on leaf tips while color stays light

• Moss or certain weeds thriving where grass struggles

Step‑by‑step lime plan

1. Test first. Send samples to your county extension office every 2–3 years.

2. Read the recommendation. The lab report lists pounds of calcium carbonate per 1,000 sq ft. Up to 50 lb can go down in one pass; split heavier doses six months

3. Aerate, then spread. Opening the soil helps lime reach roots.

4. Water it in. Moisture starts the reaction that raises pH.

5. Retest after 60–90 days if you applied more than 50 lb.

   
   

What lime does for your lawn

• Improves nitrogen use efficiency—grass on corrected soil can need up to 30 % less fertilizer.

• Speeds microbial breakdown of thatch.

• Lowers disease pressure from take‑all root

Schedule a Soil Test