Limestone is a staple for many construction and landscaping projects in NJ and throughout the world, but the naturally occurring and extremely versatile material is used for a whole lot more than just building. Anyone with even the most slightly green thumb can benefit from working with agricultural lime.
Generally known as aglime, this finely crushed limestone is capable of fertilizing everything from large fields of crops to small, home victory gardens, and even a grassy front lawn. Because of the variety of agricultural lime uses, we’ve dedicated this post to exploring what aglime does, how it works, and how it can be used in NJ.
Agricultural Lime At-A-Glance
As mentioned previously, agricultural lime is nothing more than limestone that has been crushed down to a very tiny particulate matter. The material must be pulverized very finely in order to have a positive impact on soil. In fact, the smaller the particle size of the agricultural lime, the more effective it will be.
While traditional limestone is often used in the production of agricultural lime, dolomitic lime may also be selected for this purpose. Traditional limestone is able to add much-needed calcium into the soil in order to restore soil health and improve growing conditions.
Because calcium is a base, aglime is often used in soil that is too acidic to grow healthy plant life. Dolomitic lime is also able to bring calcium into the soil, but it also provides magnesium – another base compound. Soil that has been deprived of magnesium may benefit from dolomitic lime over traditional aglime.
Agricultural Lime Uses
Both traditional and dolomitic aglime are invaluable to farmers, gardeners and homeowners alike. Agricultural lime can be effectively used to treat many soil problems and to restore health to any property. Here’s a look at some of the most common uses for aglime:
Restoring pH Balance
There are many reasons why soil may become too acidic. Two of the most common reasons are exposure to acidic rain and over-working the land. After many seasons of growing and harvesting crops and introducing chemicals or fertilizers to the earth, soil can become very acidic.
This, in turn, creates poor growing conditions for most plants. Because both traditional limestone and dolomitic limestone contain such high quantities of calcium, their introduction to acidic soil can help to raise pH levels and create balance.
Reducing Toxicity
In some instances, excessive quantities of manganese and aluminum may be present in the soil. Aglime can help to lower the overall toxicity of these elements which works to improve soil microbe activity. In addition to this, reducing toxicity can also improve soil structure and integrity.
Adding Nutrients
Throughout the years, soil may begin to lose nutrients that are essential for growing healthy plants. Agricultural lime brings important nutrients like calcium and phosphorous back to this soil while also making it much easier for plants to absorb “food” through their root systems.
Because agricultural lime is so effective in the long term, you’ll find that many different types of people can benefit from using the material. You’ll see aglime used for:
Commercial Farming
Aglime is frequently used to improve growing conditions in fields that have been frequently used for growing commercial crops. This allows farmers to continue to make good use out of the land throughout the years.
Personal Gardens
Homeowners who enjoy growing vegetables, frats, flowers, or other plants throughout their properties may find it necessary to add aglime to their soil on occasion in order to keep it healthy.
Commercial Landscapes
Businesses, large commercial and institutional campuses, and other larger facilities may choose to work with agricultural lime in order to keep their landscapes looking lush and healthy.
Parks
City and county parks might elect to add agricultural lime to their soil in order to keep fields vibrant and grassy.
Residential Lawns – Homeowners having trouble keeping their lawns green and beautiful may benefit from adding aglime to the mix.
Getting the Most Out of Agricultural Lime
One thing to keep in mind when working with agricultural lime is that it will take some time in order to see positive results. Unlike many chemical fertilizers, agricultural limestone relies on the passage of time in order for its nutrients to be released into the soil and to take effect. Once the lime begins to work, however, it offers a highly effective and long-lasting solution.
In order to get the best results, you need to understand how to properly use aglime. As mentioned previously, you’ll need to make sure that your aglime is ground down as finely as possible in order to ensure maximum benefit.
This is because, of course, the smaller the particulate matter, the more efficient and effective it will be. On top of this, you will need to consider your plant’s needs in terms of nutrients and pH levels.
This will clue you in as to whether or not you could benefit from using dolomitic lime, and it will also give you a better sense of how much lime to introduce to your soil.
Make sure that you talk with a trusted professional about how much aglime to add to your soil. Under-spreading the material won’t do your soil any good, while over-applying the material could cause even more problems. Take care to add the right quantity and to spread the aglime evenly and consistently over your soil.
Working with Aglime in NJ
As a leading manufacturer and supplier of agricultural lime in NJ and its surrounding areas, Braen Stone is your number one stop for boosting soil health. We offer high-quality agricultural lime at fair wholesale prices.
As industry experts, our team is qualified to help you make decisions regarding the type of aglime you use for your project and the correct quantity needed.
Our aglime can be picked up at your leisure or can be bulk delivered to areas throughout parts of NJ, NY, NYC and limited parts of PA. Give us a call or visit us to learn more and get started today.