Testing and Liming Your Soil
                  for Spring Planting

To obtain good yields in your fields or garden for growing season, it is critical to maintain a good balance between acidity and ph levels. Fall and winter are the best times to check your soil and apply lime to prepare the ground for spring planting.  

To begin, a good soil test is necessary. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System provides soil testing through the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory. This economical and easy process will result in actual reports of soil content levels as well as lime and fertilizer recommendations.

Beneficial lime applications release a base into the soil that reacts with hydrogen and aluminum to lower soil acidity and increase ph levels. Overly acidic soils can stunt root growth and inhibit plant development. Liming boosts the nutrients in the soil and increases nutrient supply to plants resulting in healthier roots. This chain reaction enhances drought tolerance in plants and improves performance of many herbicides and nematicides. Liming also improves nitrogen fixation for many legumes promoting better plant yield.

Proper scheduling of lime application, several months prior to planting, is important in that the lime needs sufficient time to react with the soil and neutralize acidity levels.

Applying lime to soil should be done as evenly as possible incorporating it into the soil. Using a box or boom spreader in larger fields gives an evenly distributed application. To incorporate the lime into the soil, disk it in or use a heavy-duty rotary tiller. Cahaba Tractor carries many implements to help you prepare your soil for planting. Be sure to take the necessary steps now to ensure an abundant and healthy crop later.