I Am Overseeding My Fescue Lawn

Q: I’m overseeding my fescue lawn. Your website says to apply lime at a rate of 50 lbs per 1,000 square feet. My lawn is 5,000 square feet, needing 250 lbs. But I saw a 30 lb. bag of fast-acting lime at a big box store and the bag stated that it covers 5,000 square feet. There’s a big difference between 30 lbs. and 250 lbs! 

A: Liming soil to raise the pH is more of a marathon than a sprint. The fast-acting lime will change pH quickly, but it doesn’t have enough acid neutralizing ability to last long term. If you like, you could apply the fast-acting lime now, wait two months, and apply 40 pounds of less-expensive garden lime per 1000 square feet. Have a soil test done (georgiasoiltest.com) in April to see if even more lime is warranted.

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