# Sod farm recommended a lot of fast acting lime



## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

Sod farm said let it rip with Solu-Cal (fast acting lime). I put 15# in early fall and I think that’s the max the bag says to put down. My soil test says I need 70#/1k. So I wanted to put 50# of dolomitic down now then some more Solu cal in 6 months. Sod farm just said do the Solu cal now. Didn’t seem right after reading stuff from here so I’m double checking. Thoughts?


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## robjak (Mar 31, 2020)

Why not put down 55 dolomitic and be done with it? 

What are your magnesium levels? or post the soil test


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## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

robjak said:


> Why not put down 55 dolomitic and be done with it?
> 
> What are your magnesium levels? or post the soil test


I have my soil test in my journal.
I was just trying to call BS on putting down 50lbs of fast acting like.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Applying a lot of lime at once can raise the surface pH and cause some chlorosis. In winter with minimal growth and dormancy, you are safer to apply at high levels. The grass will recover just fine. If you want to be conservative apply 30 lbs now, 10 lbs in Mar/Apr and another 10 in May/June.

Fast acting lime just breaks down and moves into the soil faster. Calcitic vs Dolomitic has to do with the relative amount of Ca and Mg. I have applied 60 lbs/1000 of Fast acting calcitic lime to gardens in a single application with zero problems. I have not tried it on a lawn, but would be totaly fine to break up the 70 lbs over 3-4 applications and not worry about the higher than recommended application rate on the bag.


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## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

bernstem said:


> Applying a lot of lime at once can raise the surface pH and cause some chlorosis. In winter with minimal growth and dormancy, you are safer to apply at high levels. The grass will recover just fine. If you want to be conservative apply 30 lbs now, 10 lbs in Mar/Apr and another 10 in May/June.


I am more trying to double check the advice i was given. fast acting lime vs slow and the amount I am able to put down at once with fast acting lime.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Define safe? No chlorosis, no chance of damage, stick with 10 lbs at most monthly. If you want it done faster, double that and you should be fine. If you want to apply it all at once, that will likely cause some chlorosis but probably won't cause turf damage. The neutralizing capacity of fast acting lime is the same as normal lime, it just dissolves faster.


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## robjak (Mar 31, 2020)

I wouldn't use fast acting lime at all.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

robjak said:


> I wouldn't use fast acting lime at all.


+1 on this. I know the Grass Factor did a video on it awhile back and the basic conclusion was that Fast Acting Lime was just that, it was fast and short lived as to where regular lime gets the job done at a slower pace but for a longer time at a much more affordable price.


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## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

Mightyquinn said:


> +1 on this. I know the Grass Factor did a video on it awhile back and the basic conclusion was that Fast Acting Lime was just that, it was fast and short lived as to where regular lime gets the job done at a slower pace but for a longer time at a much more affordable price.


this is pretty much where I am. It is not going to remedy long term what I need to get done. I’d have to put the recommended amount for fast acting every 4 months forever instead of putting down what my soil report said and then retesting 1-3 years


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Mightyquinn said:


> +1 on this. I know the Grass Factor did a video on it awhile back and the basic conclusion was that Fast Acting Lime was just that, it was fast and short lived as to where regular lime gets the job done at a slower pace but for a longer time at a much more affordable price.


Did they look at duration of action? I don't recall that. What I remember is that the neutralizing capacity was the same between fast and slow acting lime. That makes sense as fast acting lime is just powdered limestone with a clay binder so it breaks down faster than non-powdered limestone.


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## Cav1 (Jan 4, 2019)

I have used both. I have a sandy loam soil that is real stubborn to get above a pH of 5.4. I have dumped many, many pounds of calcitic and dolomitic lime on my yard and for some reason it just doesn’t raise the pH. I have asked many so called “experts“ (local & afar) and they can’t give me an answer. iIdo 2 soil tests normally per year. Generally regular lime is supposed take about 6 months to break down and if my ag knowledge is correct, it doesn’t move very quickly in the soil profile. I probably should do a soil test in the top 2” to see if the pH is higher. What I have noticed though is that when I use fast acting lime (soil test in the 4-6” layer), I can move the pH into the 6’s and hold it there as long as I apply early spring, mid-July, and around November 1.


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## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

Cav1 said:


> I have used both. I have a sandy loam soil that is real stubborn to get above a pH of 5.4. I have dumped many, many pounds of calcitic and dolomitic lime on my yard and for some reason it just doesn’t raise the pH. I have asked many so called “experts“ (local & afar) and they can’t give me an answer. iIdo 2 soil tests normally per year. Generally regular lime is supposed take about 6 months to break down and if my ag knowledge is correct, it doesn’t move very quickly in the soil profile. I probably should do a soil test in the top 2” to see if the pH is higher. What I have noticed though is that when I use fast acting lime (soil test in the 4-6” layer), I can move the pH into the 6’s and hold it there as long as I apply early spring, mid-July, and around November 1.


Sounds like you need to just make regular apps. Sorry you can’t just throw some down and it corrects itself. That’s what I’m trying to get around


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

post the soil test.


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## mxtd30 (4 mo ago)

ABC123 said:


> post the soil test.


It’s in my journal


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## robjak (Mar 31, 2020)

MXTD30 Lawn Journal


Ready for my fall 2022 Reno. Last years went well. Then I got a shit ton of crabgrass in the back and some through out the front yard with clover. Got some MESO and 24D and sprayed it before I went away for the weekend. No rain or irrigation and killed a good portion of my front yard… back to...




www.thelawnforum.com


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