Q: Why put on lime? A: Using lime gets the soil composition right - more worms, more nutrients available, more growth.
- Lime has been referred to as 'the big purifier'. It raises or maintains the soil pH at the ideal level (pH 5.8 - 6.2), which stimulates the soil nutrient cycle. It encourages worm and bacterial activity which aerates the soil and improves drainage, and it also enhances the decomposition of plant matter and dung.
- There are already a lot of nutrients in the soil, yet many are not available to plants when the soil pH is at the wrong level (see Fig. 1). Once the soil is restored to the right pH level, these nutrients are more able to be taken up by plants.
Fig. 1 Effect of change in pH on the availability of plant nutrients.
- Lime enhances decomposition - the breakdown of dead plant matter and dung - all part of the biological cycle. If dung pats are not breaking down, leaves are not decomposing quickly, or grazing is considerably patchy, this is often a sign of low soil pH.
- Because the soil structure and activity is right, decomposition is improved, nutrients are more readily available to plants, and of course, grazing improves.
Lime and the Soil >