Too much lime or fertilizer can actually harm or kill plants. Therefore, soil testing is necessary to determine the soil nutrient status and provide recommendations for applying lime and fertilizers in correct amounts. Contact your county Extension office for instructions and materials for soil testing. Lime Liming materials neutralize acid in the soil and provide some nutrients essential to plant growth. Some common materials used to lime acid soils include ground calcitic limestone, basic slag, ground dolomitic limestone, wood ashes, and flue dust.
Calcitic limestone contains calcium.
Dolomitic limestone contains calcium and magnesium. Basic slag contains calcium, magnesium, and a few micronutrients and is often fortified with phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients. Wood ashes and flue dust also contain some plant nutrients, particularly potassium. The primary purpose of liming, however, is to neutralize soil acidity, not to add plant nutrients. Lime can be applied any time of the year, but a winter application will begin to neutralize soil acidity before spring growth.