Therefore, during the course of the season, you would need to apply twenty pounds of that kind of fertilizer on each thousand square feet to meet the basic requirement. The health of your lawn is also affected by the alkalinity or acidity of your soil as indicated on a pH scale. You can make the soil more alkaline by applying lime, but this has to be done in measured amounts, depending on the type of grass you're growing and the nature of your soil. You can find out must how much lime to put on your lawn by sending a sample of the soil to your county agricultural extension agent. Be sure to specify the type of grass you have, so the agent can recommend the rate of limestone to put on your lawn.
Limestone raises the alkalinity.
Once the pH reaches the right level, you can keep it there by applying lime every two or three years. Ground agricultural limestone is the safest kind to use. Apply it in the fall, so that the rain, snow, freezing and thawing of the soil will help to work the lime into the ground. In the desert Southwest and other arid parts of the country, many homeowners have a problem with alkaline soil. To correct for alkalinity, apply sulfur, either in the pure form or as a compound, ferrous sulfate.