Add Sulfur or Lime to Grass for Your Lawn

Adding sulfur or lime to grass can make your lawn grow much greener and lusher. Grass is like Goldilocks in the three bears, it requires that the soil be not too acidic or alkaline. Lime helps improve the grass growth because it is fights the acidity that can make many lawns look yellow and burned out. Sulfur does the opposite, it counters the alkaline in the soil to help the grass grow. It is natural for lawns can become acidic or alkaline in humid climates because rainfall that leaches out important minerals from the soil. Adding sulfur or lime to soil will re-balance the acidity/alkaline and makes it more receptive to growing grass.
The acidity of a lawn is measured by the pH. The ideal pH for grass to grow neutral pH or 7.0. If the soil is said to be acidic if it is below 6.0 and too alkaline if the pH is above 7.5. The best way to re-balance the acidity of a lawn is to use natural buffers like compost. Not only will compost adjust the pH of your lawn, it also has nutrients that grass need to grow. However, adding compost to a lawn can take a long time and many treatments to properly adjust the pH of a lawn. If you need to rapidly adjust the acidity/alkalinity of the soil or do not have the patience to use compost, sulfur or lime can be added to the grass.

To tell if your lawn is too acidic or alkaline, you need to either have it tested or to use a soil testing kit. A simple pH meter is very easy to use and can be used multiple times to check the effectiveness of your treatments. Test kits work by taking samples of the soil and checking pH level by a electronic reaction. If the pH is higher than 7.5 you need to add sulfur to your lawn. But if it is below 6.0, then you need to add lime to the soil. The amount needed per 1,000 square feet of lawn depends on pH value:

• If the pH below 5.5, add 25 lbs of lime.
• If the pH is between 5.5 to 6.0 pH add 20 lbs of lime.
• If the pH is between 7.5 to 8.0 add 10 lbs of sulfur.
• If the pH is between 8.0 to 8.5 add 20 lbs of sulfur.
• If the pH is above 8.5 add 40 lbs of sulfur.

No matter what the pH is, it is best to apply right chemical evenly and re-test the pH of your soil over time. The best time to add sulfur or lime to grass is in the spring when the lawn is not too cold or hot. Adjusting the pH is also a good time to re-seed a lawn. Lime or sulfur can significantly improve the health of a lawn, but too much of either chemical in a concentrated area can damage the lawn leading to burned out patches. The best way to apply sulfur or lime to grass is by using a spreader to evenly distribute the chemicals. For truly dead parts of the lawn, the best method is to spread the chemical and then till soil to make sure it well mixed. Many people have found that spreading compost along with the chemicals helps to create a healthier lawn.