🌱 Lime Per Acre Calculator
Calculate how much lime your field, lawn, or pasture needs — in cubic yards, bags, and weight
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| Depth | Sq Ft / Cu Yd | Sq Meters / Cu Yd | Cu Yds / Acre | Cu Meters / Acre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 inch (0.25") | 1,296 sq ft | 120.4 m² | 33.6 | 25.7 m³ |
| 1/2 inch (0.5") | 648 sq ft | 60.2 m² | 67.2 | 51.4 m³ |
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft | 30.1 m² | 134.4 | 102.8 m³ |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | 15.1 m² | 268.8 | 205.5 m³ |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | 10.0 m² | 403.3 | 308.4 m³ |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | 7.5 m² | 537.7 | 411.2 m³ |
| Bag Size | Cu Ft / Bag | Bags / Cu Yd | Bags / Acre (1/2") | Weight (Ag Lime) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb bag | ~0.48 cu ft | ~56 bags | ~3,770 | 40 lbs / 18.1 kg |
| 50 lb bag | ~0.60 cu ft | ~45 bags | ~3,018 | 50 lbs / 22.7 kg |
| 2 cu ft bag | 2.0 cu ft | ~13.5 bags | ~907 | ~200 lbs / 90.7 kg |
| 3 cu ft bag | 3.0 cu ft | ~9 bags | ~604 | ~300 lbs / 136 kg |
| Bulk ton | ~26.7 cu ft | ~1 ton / yd | ~2 tons/acre | 2,000 lbs / 907 kg |
| Project | Area (sq ft) | Cu Yards | 50 lb Bags (Ag) | Tons (Ag Lime) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Garden 30x30 | 900 sq ft | 1.4 | ~63 | ~1.9 tons |
| Lawn 50x100 | 5,000 sq ft | 7.7 | ~348 | ~10.4 tons |
| 1/4 Acre Field | 10,890 sq ft | 16.8 | ~757 | ~22.7 tons |
| 1/2 Acre Field | 21,780 sq ft | 33.6 | ~1,513 | ~45.4 tons |
| 1 Acre Field | 43,560 sq ft | 67.2 | ~3,025 | ~90.7 tons |
| 2 Acre Field | 87,120 sq ft | 134.4 | ~6,050 | ~181.4 tons |
| 5 Acre Pasture | 217,800 sq ft | 336.1 | ~15,125 | ~453.6 tons |
Figuring out how many lime one must lay on a acre of ground can be a hard task. The right amounts depend on the kind of soil, on its pH-value and on the crops that grow here. Even so there are some basic tips that help to understand the whole process more well.
Common advice is use between 1 and 2 tons of lime for a lime acre. That range works for ranchers and also for the most many cases of care of meadows. Around 90 pounds for 1 000 square feet match almost 1,9 tons for a whole lime acre.
How much lime to put on an acre
For very sour soil the amount can reach 3 or even 4 tons for a lime acre while once applied. Soil with a lot of clay commonly requires 2 to 4 tons for a lime acre, so that the task ends well.
A practical rule says, that around 1 000 pounds of lime for a lime acre raises the pH by one unit. One can also think, that 1,2 tons of farming lime for a lime acre will alter the pH of loam soil by one point. To reach pH of 5 to the middle of 6, one requires 1 to 1,5 tons for a lime acre over one or two years.
For crops that require a ground pH of 6,5, the advice about lime is 2 tons for a lime acre, if the ground pH sinks under 6,0. This amount of 2 tons is also practical, because the most many spreading trucks can not distribute lime well in smaller amounts. When one grows beans, the ground pH should rise to 6,8.
During surface application of lime, no more then two and half tons for a lime acre should be used in one year. Up to 4 tons for a lime acre it is possible, if the lime is worked into the soil. That happens, because pure lime itself only goes one-eighth to a quarter inch into the soil during a year.
The quality of the lime matters too. If ground testing requires one ton of 100-percent ECCE-lime, then for 75-percent ECCE-lime one requires 1,33 tons for a lime acre, to reach the same. Granular lime with 90-percent ECCE would require 1,11 tons for a lime acre.
No matter the form, lime stays lime, and if a report points 2 000 pounds for a lime acre, that is the needed amount.
Good liming helps a lot so that nutrients stay available in the soil. Too much lime can be just as dangerous as too little. One should do ground tests each two years.
Lime stays long in the soil, and on heavy clay ground it can last during five years or more, before needing another ton for a lime acre of lime. Applications usually happen every 2 to 3 years, according to the results. A single application of farming lime in 3 to 4 tons for a lime acre cancontrol the pH well during 4 to 8 years.
