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Liming

The types of plants that will thrive in your soil will depend on it acidity or alkalinity which is expressed by its pH. The easiest way to measure the pH of your soil is to use a simple soil test kit. If your soil is below pH 6.5 it will be too acidic for many plants to thrive, so you may want to increase the pH especially if you intend growing vegetables or annual bedding plants. To make a soil less acid you need to add a very alkaline substance such as lime. If you limed your soil last autumn, now is an ideal time to check to see what effect it has had. If your soil is still too acidic, apply more lime now. Lime is available in various forms each of which has a different neutralising value which will determine how much you need to add to your soil to have a given effect – the lower the neutralising value, the more you will have to apply. Adding lime also provides plant nutrients such as calcium and some magnesium, increases the activity of beneficial soil creatures such as earthworms and helps break up clay soils. Always wear gloves when applying lime. Do not apply manure or fertilizers at the same time as liming because the nitrogen will react with the lime and be released as ammonia gas rather than being available to plants.

Tools required

lime , gloves

Skill rating

moderate

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