Granular Lime Vs. Pulverized Lime

Lime works as a base that helps balance the pH levels of soil to a neutral level of around 7 on a 0-14 scale. Acidic soil occurs when plants take up nutrients from the soil and the nutrients are not replenished. Acidic soil is normal with lawns and can is easily treated with the aid of lime. When it comes to choosing lime for your lawn, you have three main choices, granular, pulverized, and pelletized. All three are the same product, but in different form, which makes them act differently from one another. This article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of granular lime and pulverized lime to help you decide which one to use this spring.

Why do you need lime for your soil?

Lime is vital for soil for balancing the acidity of soil, which if not treated, will result in poor and weak plant growth. Lime helps raise the pH level and lower the acidity of the soil. Lime also has nutrients that help with the absorption of fertilizer and other plant essentials.

Granular Lime

Granular lime is considered a middle ground between pulverized lime and pelletized lime, where the makeup is easier to apply than pulverized, but faster acting than pelletized. Granular lime takes longer to react with the soil than pulverized, and should be applied at least 2 months before you apply fertilizer.

Advantages of Granular Lime

• Easy to apply- Due to the makeup of granular lime it is easier to apply than pulverized lime is. The mix between pelletized and pulverized lime produces granular, which is easily spread, but does not create as much of a mess as pulverized.
• Fast acting- Granular lime absorbs better in the soil than pelletized lime, as the size of the product is small enough to break down into the soil. However, granular lime does not break down as quick as pulverized limes does.
• Less mess- Granular lime does not leave as much of a powdery mess when applying and when transporting the lime bag. Pulverized lime has the tendency to get all over your cloths and vehicle during transportation.

Disadvantages of Granular Lime

• Chance of washout- Granular lime has less of a chance of washout in the event of a rainstorm after application, but still has a higher chance than pulverized.

Pulverized Lime

Pulverized lime is a powdered form of granular lime that allows for fast absorption and instant results, but is harder to apply, and creates a mess.

Advantages of Pulverized Lime

• Fast acting- Pulverized lime works almost instantly due to its easy absorption in powder form.
• Even coverage- Due to the powder makeup of pulverized lime, it is easier to get even coverage spread on the entire lawn.

Disadvantages of Pulverized Lime

• Messy- The powder form of pulverized lime makes it extremely messy during application. Just lifting a pulverized lime bag will result in lime getting over your clothing and person.
• Hard to apply- Pulverized lime requires the use of a special spreader due to the powder form. If you do not have a special spreader attachment then application must be done by hand, which is time consuming and messy.

Sources:

Personal experience working as the garden supervisor at ACE Hardware and taking agriculture and chemistry classes during my undergraduate studies.