If you want to plant vegetables in your garden, you should lime the soil at least once a year. You can find out why this helps here.
Lime neutralizes the acidic components in the soil and thus prevents acidic soil. This promotes the activity of microorganisms in the soil. However, liming has another advantage: the plants are strengthened and therefore do not break down as quickly. The calcium also makes them less susceptible to disease.
How much lime does the soil need?
The question that many hobby gardeners always ask themselves is how much lime should actually be used. Anyone who thinks that more is better is wrong. If you use too much lime, you can have exactly the opposite effect. Because too much lime prevents some nutrients from dissolving. With a simple soil test (e.g. available here) you can quickly determine the right amount of lime (instructions here). Depending on the soil, the pH should be around these values:
- Clay soils at a pH of 7
- sandy loam soils at a pH of 6.5 loamy sandy soils with a pH of 6
- Pure sandy soils with a pH of 5.5
If the pH falls slightly below these limits, it is sufficient if you sprinkle 150 grams of carbonated lime per square meter every three years. This keeps the pH of the soil stable. If the pH is a full pH level below the threshold, you will need to apply 250 grams per square meter of carbonate of lime to bring the soil pH back to normal.
Indicator plants also provide information about the lime content
If you look a little closer, you don't need to do a soil test at all. There are also so-called indicator plants that indicate a lack of lime in the soil. These include horsetail, farmer's mustard, pansies, rabbit clover, moss, dog chamomile and sorrel.
Stinging nettle, deadnettle or shepherd's purse, on the other hand, indicate a high pH value in the soil.
Which lime fertilizer is the right one?
Algal lime and carbonate of lime are particularly suitable for humus-rich soils. In the case of heavy clay soils, on the other hand, burnt lime is to be preferred. Garden lime, on the other hand, is best suited for light and medium soils. Usually it is enoughbut also off if you apply rock flour. It contains a lot of carbonate of lime, magnesium, potassium and various trace elements.
When is the right time to lime?
Spring is a good time to lime the soil. However, you should only lime your plants when they or the soil are dry. You have to work the lime deep into the soil. If you didn't manage to lime the soil in spring, you can still do so in autumn.