One of the questions that we are frequently asked is: Do I need lime or gypsum for my lawn? There are few things we dislike more than seeing homeowners waste their money on treatments that they don’t really need and unfortunately, lime and gypsum are two of the big ones that we see people wasting money on.

Let’s cut to the point. In the Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky area, you do not need lime for lawns (in the vast majority of cases). And gypsum is an even bigger waste of money.

In this article, we’ll explain more about these two services and why they’re not needed. We’ll also talk about what your lawn really does need to thrive.

At the end of the day, we want to make sure that homeowners are well-informed so that they are not spending their hard-earned money on unnecessary services.

Jump to:

What Are Lime and Gypsum Lawn Treatments?
Is Lime Good for Grass?
Do I Really Need Gypsum for Lawn Care?
The Lawn Care Treatments You Really Need
Choosing Lawn Care Services in Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky

What are Lime and Gypsum Lawn Treatments?

Gypsum and lime for lawns are soil amendments that are said to have an impact on the pH of the soil.

The purpose of a lime lawn treatment is to make acidic soil have a pH closer to neutral (7). It achieves this process by adding calcium and magnesium to the soil which, in theory, should adjust the pH to bring it up to neutral range. The pH level is important for lawns, but not every region's soils need adjustments. At an optimum pH level, your lawn will be able to better use the available nutrients in the soil, have improved color, and ultimately thrive better.

Like lime, gypsum is a calcium-based material, though it also contains sulfur. Gypsum is touted as having control over a lawn’s pH balance. Similar to lime, the idea behind using gypsum is that it will act as a soil acid neutralizer.

Is Lime Good for Grass?

Lime can be good for grass if there is a pH issue. In fact, a lime treatment for the lawn is a valuable service in parts of the East Coast, where lawns struggle to regulate their pH.

But lawns in Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky really don’t have a pH issue to begin with. The majority of our lawns are already well-adjusted to the pH and don’t require any tweaking of their acidity levels.

In certain cases, lime treatments might be needed, but it’s relatively rare. At Oasis Turf & Tree, we perform soil testing so that we can see exactly what’s going on with your soil health. We’re also testing for nutrient deficiencies and making adjustments as needed.

Do I Really Need Gypsum for Lawn Care?

Because our soils rarely have a pH imbalance here in Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky, lawn gypsum is a big rip off.

In fact, the quantities of gypsum needed to really make an impact on a lawn are tremendous. The little amount of gypsum that your lawn will receive during a gypsum lawn treatment is not going to make any bit of difference, even if you have an imbalance.

Even small lawns would need multiple tons of gypsum and, in order to have any impact, the recommendation would be to till up the entire lawn and work it into the soil. It’s simply not practical - or necessary.

We hate to say it, but some lawn care companies use a treatment like this to make it seem like they’re doing something for your lawn, when they really aren’t.

In other words, gypsum, gyps ‘em. If you’re being told you need a gypsum treatment, you’re likely being taken advantage of.

In reality, the best way to improve the soil structure of your lawn is not with a gypsum application, but rather annual core aeration and allowing the soil’s natural biology to do its own work. A lawn care program that promotes soil health by adding back in natural biologicals on a regular basis is key.

The Lawn Care Treatments You Really Need

At the heart of these questions is the fact that you need to find a lawn care company you can trust. We absolutely hate to see homeowners get ripped off, sucked in by marketing gimmicks, or pay for services they don’t really need.

It’s important to work with a lawn care company that is going to focus on lawn care treatments that you actually need.

For a lawn to be at its healthiest, it’s important that the proper nutrients are being applied on a timetable that allows your lawn to thrive. This doesn’t mean adding product upon product. It means a customized program that restores soil health.

A focus like this will actually lead to less product use over time. Contrary to popular belief (and what some lawn care companies may tell you) more product does not always equate to better health.

A lawn care program like ours is focused on regularly introducing beneficial microbiological organisms into the soil to allow the lawn to naturally thrive. With this kind of treatment, the biological life will be restored to the soil to help it naturally defend itself against many disease issues. The lawn will even use natural resources like nutrients and water more efficiently as it becomes less reliant on control products to do the work for it.

Choosing Lawn Care Services in Cincinnati, Dayton, OH and Northern Kentucky

What is probably most troubling about the popularity of lime and gypsum treatments for lawns is the underlying deception. Homeowners, like you, put their trust in their lawn care companies that they are offering truthful recommendations based on sound science. Some lawn care companies will advertise Free Lime and Gypsum applications as a sales tactic, knowing full well that these applications really don’t do their clients any benefit.

While those of us at Oasis Turf & Tree are experts in lawn care, we are homeowners, too. Like you, we often rely on other service companies to assist us in household projects outside the scope of lawn care. As a result, we fully understand the frustration that would accompany being misled.

In lawn care, as in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be leery of false claims about lime and gypsum lawn treatments and shift your attention to what is truly best for your lawn and your budget. Our goal is to get you what you need with a fair price upfront. You can trust that our lawn care recommendations are based on what we know is best for your lawn.

If you’d like to find out more about how Oasis Turf & Tree can keep your lawn in Cincinnati, Dayton OH, or Northern Kentucky healthy, request a free estimate or call us at 513-697-9090. 

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