Lime and trees

[wasuellc]

Will lime hurt pine or colorado spruce trees?

 

[Garden Visions]

Lime

Evergreens prefer an acidic soil with a lower PH. By adding Lime you change the chemical composition of the soil and thus create a less healthy environment for the pines or spruce to grow in.
Will it hurt them? Potentially it could depending on how much lime was used. We work for a local Park District which irrigates their plant material ( for years) from an old limestone quarry. Some Pine trees have shown discoloration, and other symptoms of stress.
Because of the stress other pests have found a breeding ground among these trees, and we have lost a few of them.
So in answer, no lime is not good for Pines or Spruce.


John,
ISA Certified Arborist, Illinois Certified Nurseryman
Garden Visions Nursery

 

[Treebeard]

Do you know your soils pH & alkilinity? I would never recommend adding any amendment to the soil until AFTER you get a basic soil test done. Your local Count Extension Agent can help with this. Until you know what you have as soil, you're adding amendments blindly. High pH or alkaline soils bind up some nutients such as iron, which can cause yellowing of pines & other trees, its called chlorosis. Lime or other high or low pH substances can cause burns to both human flesh & trees if over applied directly onto the victim...

 

[wasuellc]

PH

A customer called. They put lime down and a neighbor told them they could hurt the trees. They called me, and asked if that was so. I was just checking for them.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Lime raises the pH. Are you in an alkiline area? I dought one application would do much harm unles it was real marginal.

Time for a soil test!

 

[treeclimber165]

I got a lime tree in my back yard, the limes don't hurt the soil. But they are better in a drink!

 

[HUSKYMAN]

And they are best in a big, cold Corona