Which one should you apply first? Read on to learn more about fertilizer and lime application techniques. Fertilizer is essential to growing healthy plants, bountiful crops, thick lawns and beautiful gardens.
Plants require six nutrients in order to grow: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. As you may recall from science class, plants receive carbon, hydrogen and oxygen through photosynthesis, thanks to a healthy diet of air, water and sun. The remaining required nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are found in soil.
What many people who are not chemists or biologists forget, though, is these nutrients do not renew in the soil without the addition of fertilizer. Year after year, plants consume the nutrients present in the soil, and these nutrients eventually need to be replaced.
Fertilizer helps to bring these essential ingredients back into the equation. Each nutrient brings something different to the table. Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll and is, therefore, an essential part of the photosynthesis process. An even balance of nitrogen leads to thicker and taller stems, healthier leaves, colorful flowers and bountiful fruit. Nitrogen can also speed up the process of plant growth. Phosphorous is also part of chlorophyll, and it helps with the development of sturdy roots, thanks to the increased production of oils and starches.
Phosphorous leads to improved flower formation, increased seed production and a heartier resistance to plant diseases as well. Potassium is another important element with a wide range of benefits that help the overall health quality of the plant.
Potassium increases crop yields by improving root growth, building essential proteins and combatting harmful diseases. Fertilizers provide plants with additional nutrients, too, including calcium, sulfur, magnesium, boron, copper and iron. Fertilizer has its many advantages, but these benefits cannot be properly realized without proper soil acidity. A pH value of 7 is considered neutral. A substance with a pH value lower than 7 is considered an acid, and a substance with a pH value higher than 7 is considered an alkaline or base.
Keep in mind that a lower pH level means a higher concentration of hydrogen, and as the scale is logarithmic, each unit increase means a tenfold change in acidity. For example, soil with a pH value of 6 has ten times the hydrogen concentration of soil with a pH value of 7. Most soil ranges in pH value from 5. For healthy plant growth, a pH value between 6. Fortunately, you can test the acidity level of your soil in a variety of ways.
You can purchase an expensive, yet accurate commercial pH testing probe, a more affordable disposable pH testing kit or use any of a variety of DIY home-testing methods. Depending on your goals and budget, the dollar amount spent on soil testing can vary greatly. Learn more about the different soil types. Soil acidity naturally increases over time thanks to an increasing concentration of hydrogen in the soil.
Agriculture speeds up the process of acidification, largely through the use of ammonium-based fertilizers. Holiday Decor. Christmas Trees. Holiday Lighting. Gift Cards. Lawn Care. Email Save Comment 5. Sort by: Oldest. Newest Oldest. Technically, seed germination no, establishment yes. Did they tell you what your soil pH is? Less than 6. Like Save. Related Discussions Q. Your back splash is exquisite! I have a few suggestions for you. Don't be afraid to paint out your cabinets, just make sure you remove all the doors and send them out to be professionally sprayed.
This will ensure a durable smooth finish. I would highlight your island with an accent color chosen from the tile, I would choose the warm yellow tone which would play nicely off the dark counters. Your hardware should have some sparkle such as glass or crystal knobs, or a contrast to the cabinets in an aged bronze finish. I would use cup pulls on your drawers and handles not knobs on the doors as they look more substantial. Finally I would hang a new light fixture over the island.
I would suggest 2 lantern style fixtures or for some "Bling" a chandelier would be lovely, maybe something vintage? I love the runner pictured from west elm or even something like a kilim with your colors between the island and cabinets. This is a very budget friendly option as it is all cosmetic and will have a huge impact! Good luck with your update!
I would love to see your after photos. I hope Theresa Joy found a good solution. Here is my 2 cents having dealt with basement water issues in my year old fieldstone foundation house and having come full circle after several years on how to address it. Sorry, long post Wet basements, foundation failure, and crumbling mortar result from some source of water intrusion into the basement. First, you absolutely must find out why you have water intrusion and solve that problem s first.
Otherwise all of your efforts will just bandaid the problem and you will ultimately be back at square 1. Basement water intrusions usually come from issues with the roof, gutters, eaves, fascia, and downspouts mine had all of the above , leaks via the chimney or a cracked chimney cap mine had both or exterior grading.
Sometimes its from multiple sources and it may take some time like months, seasons, period or rain and sleuthing to discover all of them. Some leaks might consist of mere drips of water that wick down the wall and into the basement, which nonetheless will cause mold and mortar damage. You have to find all of them. Look for the obvious places but peeling or wonky plaster on the 1st or 2nd floor or mold spots are telltale signs of where to look.
If a section of wall in the basement is affected, in all likelihood the water is coming in right above that spot. That might be your easiest and most-cost effective solution in the short term. So if your budget is limited and you need a temporary solution, focus on the leak first. One guy came out and wanted to trench an interior French drain in my basement. Without regard to the effect the excavation would have on my fieldstone foundation.
Swore it would solve my problem. Thankfully I declined. A prior owner had painted drylock or similar waterproofing paint on the walls and while it was a temporary solution, it just masked the real issues. Eventually, the lime plaster and lime stucco behind the drylock crumbled and delaminated. A prior owner had also made some repairs using portland-based concrete. The use of portland cement triggered damage to other parts of the foundation not directly affected by the leaks. If you find sand residue between the stones or bricks and if you poke at it and it seems like it could go on and on, you have failed lime mortar.
Old house foundations up until the early 20th century were built with lime-based mortar. You should repair only with lime-based mortar and plaster here I mean lime putty-based or natural hydraulic lime NHL -based mortar or plaster, not anything containing portland cement or gypsum. Lime is more expensive than portland-based mortar or gypsum-based plaster; and 2 anything containing portland cement is detrimental to fieldstone and brick masonry in the long run. But understand that there are many contractors who will unreservedly suggest a portland-based solution over lime, whether because of cost, ignorance, ego or a genuine belief that portland is simply superior to lime.
You have to decide if you care if the damage or failure that results from using portland cement matters. If you are a purist and are completely into the historic rehab school it is an easy decision. It took me a while to come around to the lime-only school for the foundation repairs.
Test your soil's pH or have it tested by your local county extension office. The report that you receive will dictate the amount of lime that you need to add to your lawn based on your soil type light, sandy soils require less lime to raise their pH and heavier soils require more lime to raise their pH. Most types of grass grow best when the soil's pH lies between 6.
A soil test performed by a county extension office will also inform you of any nutrients that need to be worked into the tilled soil before you plant your grass seed. Calculate the amount of grass seed that you will need.
Different types of grass have significantly different application rates. The back of your grass seed's package will list the grass seeds' optimal application rate per 1, square feet. Use that figure to determine how much grass seed you will need for your lawn.
Measure that amount into a container and set it aside. Follow the lime manufacturer's instructions and your county extension office's report to determine how much lime to spread over the lawn. When consulting your county extension office's report, keep in mind that pelletized lime should be applied at a higher rate than powdered lime.
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