Pounds of Lime to raise pH of 1000sqft

Pounds of Lime to Raise the pH of Soil

This table contains amounts of lime to add for Sandy, Loam and Clay soils to raise the pH from a starting value to a healthy 6.5.

The Math / Science

The proper pH is essential to raising healthy plants.  The ideal pH is 6.5, with an acceptable range of 6.0 to 7.0.  A pH below 6.0 has an unhealthy amount of acid for plants.  To counteract acid soil, the most common remedy is the adding of lime.  Limestone is a natural element, and when crushed into fine powder (lime), it is an excellent balancer of acidity.  Furthermore, lime contains calcium and magnesium which are minerals that are essential to optimal plant health. 

To identify the proper amount of lime to add to your soil, you should have your soil's pH tested.  There are inexpensive kits for testing soil at most agriculture stores.  Once you know the pH of your soil, you can use the pounds of lime per 1,000 ft² table to compute the amount (pounds) of limestone needed per 1,000 square feet or use the Lime Needed for Land Calculator which let's you choose the soil type, enter the pH and the amount of land.  It returns the pounds of lime, number of 50lb bags that is equal to that weight and an approximate total cost of lime.

In the absence of testing, some recommend an application of 40 to 80 pounds of lime per 1,000 ft² for a first application, and 20 to 40 pounds of lime per 1,000 ft² thereafter to maintain pH.