What Is Calcitic Lime?

Before we get into the what, let’s begin our story with a picture. You walk out of your home early one May morning stretching your legs and grabbing the morning paper (or taking the dog for a walk in case you are more of a digital reader, maybe it’s your morning walk that beckons you outside, but you are at your front door). The sun has just started to come through the trees and is hitting your face. The gentle warm breeze carries the sound of birds chirping, creating a melody that is right out of Merrie Melodies.

As you take that first step outside, you look to your lawn. The lawn you just spent that weekend last month spraying weeds and raking moss out. The lawn that cost you all that money. The one that caught your sweat - now has weeds, again! 

Does this sound familiar? Are you tired of the constant merry-go-round relationship you and your lawn seem to have with those unwanted weeds and moss? This blog is for you!  Here we are going to look at why weeds and moss can grow in a lawn along with how we can fight this battle - Calcitic Lime!

Before I introduce you to our SuperHero, and I will, our chat today begins with why moss and weeds can grow in a lawn. What’s important to remember here is that the lawn is a living organism and can and will be affected by  the same things as you and I. Just like you and I, when we start to ignore the things we need (proper food, enough water, vitamins and minerals, oxygen), then we will all get sick and once sick, it is easier for invaders to come in and make things worse.

Weeds and moss are opportunistic plants that will grow just about anywhere they can, even if that means in sidewalks or driveways. These types of plants need very little to begin to germinate and will end up taking advantage of your lawn very quickly. 

Here in the Lower Mainland, it is important to note that one attractor of weed and moss growth are the soil conditions - specifically, the pH Balance within the soil and in this rainforest we live in, that is an uphill battle! The acidity in the rain we receive is continually creating an acidic environment in the lawn. Grass, unlike weeds or moss, does not love an acidic environment.

Enter our SuperHero - Calcitic Lime (Queue the fan fair)! When it comes to choosing a Lime product to apply to your lawn (or have applied by a genuine Nutri-Lawn expert) the first question you should ask yourself, do you want the results now, or 10 years from now?

The first option is Dolomite Lime. This type of lime is your basic crushed limestone that has the addition of Magnesium to the mix. The first difference to note is that this type of lime can take up to 10 years to break down in the soil and be of any help. The only reason that one should use dolomite lime is to additionally correct magnesium depletion in the soil.  Magnesium depletion in plants causes them to appear yellower, have shorter root systems and produce noticeably lower yields than plants growing in healthy soils. If magnesium levels are within range, than calcitic lime is recommended as it is better able to balance the pH in soils.

Your SuperHero option is our Calcitic Lime. Although this is made up of the same crushed limestone, this option has the addition of Calcium Carbonate. This calcium carbonate counteracts the acidification of the soil. In addition to this Calcitic Lime also encourages the growth of microorganisms that contribute to plant health.  The calcium will also work to help release trapped nutrients in the soil and this combined with neutralizing the pH, plants (and crops) will thrive.  And our final benefit of note is that this product starts to work as soon as it has been watered in. No waiting for an unknown amount of time for your results.

Now, with all of our rain, it is going to take regular yearly applications of Calcitic Lime in order to give your lawn a fighting chance to have the pH more balanced. It is important to note here that as the rain will continue to fall, the acidity will continue to increase. You will never reach a perfectly neutral pH in your lawn. Your experts here at Nutri-Lawn Vancouver recommend a minimum of 2 Calcitic Lime applications per year in the spring and fall (heaviest rainfall seasons). 

Let’s paint a new picture, your morning beckoning outside to feel the sun on your face and the wind through your fingertips is no longer met with the view of a weed or moss infested lawn.  Instead, due to your new found knowledge of pH in your soil and the help of your Turf Specialist from Nutri-Lawn, you see nothing but green grass throughout your lawn!

Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we will dive deeper into your lawn and soil to see what makes weeds grow and what other ways we can use to discourage their growth!

Until then, take back your weekend and let Nutri-Lawn Vancouver beautify your lawn!