Lime calculator: how much lime does my lawn need?
469 lb of lime
12 bags of 40 lb · 93.8 lb per 1,000 sq ft at CCE 80%, from 75 at CCE 100% · for a 100 × 50 ft lawn
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3/8 or 10' 6".
469 lb of lime
12 bags of 40 lb · 93.8 lb per 1,000 sq ft at CCE 80%, from 75 at CCE 100%
Source: Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory, sample soil test report for a home lawn, read October 20, 2026. Read the source
A 5,000 square foot lawn whose soil test calls for 75 lb of limestone per 1,000 square feet needs 469 lb of lime from a product with a CCE of 80%: Penn State's soil lab scales its recommendation by 100 ÷ CCE.
A worked example
A 120 by 60 ft yard whose soil report reads 4,000 lb of limestone per acre, spread from 50 lb bags of pelletized lime labeled CCE 95% needs 696 lb of lime. 4,000 lb per acre is 91.83 lb per 1,000 square feet; at a CCE of 95% that is 96.66 lb of product, and 7,200 square feet take 695.95 lb, or 14 bags.
How much lime per 1,000 square feet?
What your soil test says, adjusted for the product. Penn State's lab bases its limestone recommendation on a CCE of 100% and has you multiply it by 100 and divide by the CCE on the bag: its own example, 75 lb per 1,000 square feet with a CCE 80% lime, comes to 94 lb.
How do I convert lime per acre to lime per 1,000 square feet?
Divide by 43.56, because an acre is 43,560 square feet: 4,000 lb per acre is 91.8 lb per 1,000 square feet, and 2,000 lb per acre is 45.9. Choose «per acre» in the calculator and it converts before applying the CCE.
When should I put lime on my lawn, and all at once?
Any time of year, with fall generally considered best, by Penn State. In one application unless the recommendation is over 100 lb per 1,000 square feet; then split it into two or more, 4 to 6 months apart. Aerating right before or after helps, above all over 50 lb per 1,000 square feet.
What else it is called
Lawn lime is agricultural limestone, ground or pelletized, labeled with its calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE). Searched as a lime calculator, lawn lime calculator, lime per acre or lime application rate. Penn State treats ground and pelletized lime alike: only the CCE changes the weight.
Pounds per 1,000 sq ft by CCE
| Soil test calls for | CCE 100% | CCE 90% | CCE 80% | CCE 70% | CCE 60% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 lb | 25.0 | 27.8 | 31.3 | 35.7 | 41.7 |
| 50 lb | 50.0 | 55.6 | 62.5 | 71.4 | 83.3 |
| 75 lb | 75.0 | 83.3 | 93.8 | 107.1 | 125.0 |
| 100 lb | 100.0 | 111.1 | 125.0 | 142.9 | 166.7 |
| 150 lb | 150.0 | 166.7 | 187.5 | 214.3 | 250.0 |
Pounds of product per 1,000 sq ft: the recommendation × 100 ÷ the CCE on the label, by Penn State's soil lab, whose own example is the 75 lb row at CCE 80%, 94 lb. Recommendations over 100 lb go down in 2 or more applications 4 to 6 months apart.
Where the numbers come from
- Pounds of product: the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory sample soil test report for a home lawn. Its limestone recommendation assumes agricultural ground limestone with a CCE of 100%, and «Actual liming material required = (Soil test recommendation, lbs/1000 square feet) x 100 / CCE of liming material»; its example, 75 lb at a CCE of 80%, comes to 94 lb per 1,000 square feet. Above 100 lb per 1,000 square feet it splits the amount into 2 or more applications 4 to 6 months apart, and it calls fall application generally optimum. Read October 20, 2026. Source
- The rest is arithmetic: an acre is 43,560 square feet, so pounds per acre ÷ 43.56 = pounds per 1,000 square feet; pounds per 1,000 × square feet ÷ 1,000, rounded up to the pound; bags rounded up.
The pounds start from your soil test: this page converts a recommendation, it does not make one, because the amount depends on the pH and buffer pH the lab measures. With no test there is no figure to start from.
By Javier Miralles · Last updated . How this site is made.
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