How to Use Algae Lime Powder on Lawns, Box Hedges and Pasture
Check the soil pH first. In the garden, use 1 kg per 50 m² twice a year below pH 5.5, 1 kg per 50 m² once a year between pH 5.5 and 6.5, and 1 kg per 100 m² once a year above pH 6.5. On box hedges, dust around 20 g per m² onto wet leaves 2 to 3 times a year between February and October. On pasture, spread 200 kg per hectare the first time and 100 kg per hectare after that. Never apply lime and fertiliser together.
Algae lime powder is one of the most versatile products in the shed. The same bag can sweeten a sour lawn, protect a box hedge and keep a pasture in good condition. Because it is so fine, a little goes a long way, which also makes it easy to use too much in the wrong place. Here is how to get it right.
What is algae lime powder?
Organifer Algae Lime is 100% pure Lithothamnium calcareum, a red algae from the Atlantic Ocean. The algae store minerals from the sea in their structure, and the deposits are harvested from the ocean floor. The result is a lime with a pH above 9.5, around 20% magnesium carbonate, an acid-binding value of 53.7% and more than 70 trace elements. It is permitted in organic farming.
The powder is the finest on the market, with 90% of the particles smaller than 150 μm. That large, reactive surface means it works quickly, sticks well to leaves and can be used in powder sprayers.
Do you actually need to lime?
Only if the pH says so. Test the soil before you spread anything.
Moss, sour grasses and grass that stays pale despite feeding are common signs of acidic ground, but a soil test is the only way to know for sure. If the pH is already where it should be, more lime will not help. Keep algae lime away from acid-loving plants such as hydrangeas, azaleas and rhododendrons.
How much algae lime powder for a lawn or garden?
pH below 5.5: 1 kg per 50 m², twice a year.
pH 5.5 to 6.5: 1 kg per 50 m², once a year.
pH above 6.5: 1 kg per 100 m², once a year.
Scatter it evenly over the lawn or around the roots of your plants. A 10 kg pack covers around 500 m² at the standard rate.
Featured products in this guide
Algae Lime Powder - Pure Lithothamnium Calcareum (10 kg for 500 m2)
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Algae Lime Powder - Pure Lithothamnium Calcareum (Big Bag 1000 kg for 5 ha)
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Lawn Repair Seed - Resilient (5 kg for 250 m2)
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How do you use algae lime on box hedges?
Dust the powder onto wet leaves, so after rain or after you have sprayed the hedge with water. The moisture makes it stick. Use around 20 g per m², 2 to 3 times a year between February and October. The lime forms a dry barrier on the leaves that helps against box moth caterpillars and fungi. Whatever rinses off falls to the soil and feeds the roots, so the plant is strengthened from the inside as well.
How much algae lime powder per hectare on pasture?
First application: 200 kg per hectare.
Follow-up applications: 100 kg per hectare.
One 1000 kg big bag covers around 5 hectares on a first application, or around 10 hectares as maintenance. The powder suits powder spreaders and sprayers. Pick a calm day so it lands where you want it. If you work with a pendulum or centrifugal spreader, Algae Lime Granulate is the better fit. For sedum and green roofs with a substrate that is too acidic, the rate is 10 to 20 g per m².
When is the best time to apply it?
Anywhere from February to November for lawns and pasture, and February to October for box hedges. Algae lime can go on in any weather without burning the grass, so you can fit it in around mowing, grazing and the rest of the work. A shower of rain afterwards helps the fine powder work into the soil.
Can you apply lime and fertiliser together?
No. Always apply them separately. Lime first, fertiliser afterwards.
When lime and fertiliser go on at the same time, part of the nitrogen escapes into the air and you lose some of what you paid for. Apply the lime first, give it time to settle into the soil, and plan your feeding as a separate job later.
What does algae lime do for the soil?
It raises and stabilises the pH, and it supplies calcium, magnesium and trace elements in a form that grass and plants can take up. With the pH in a better range, nutrients in the soil become easier for roots to use. Over time that shows as denser, darker green grass with less room for moss and weeds. If thin or bare patches remain once the pH is right, overseed them with Lawn Repair Seed - Resilient.
How should you store algae lime powder?
Cool, dry and out of direct sunlight. Stored like that it keeps for up to two years without losing quality, so what is left can wait for the next round.
In short: test the pH first. In the garden, use 1 kg per 50 to 100 m² depending on the pH. On box, dust around 20 g per m² onto wet leaves 2 to 3 times a year. On pasture, spread 200 kg per hectare the first time and 100 kg per hectare after that. Never apply lime and fertiliser together, and store what is left cool and dry.
Product |
What it does in this job, and when you need it |
Raises and stabilises soil pH on lawns and in the garden, and protects box hedges when dusted on wet leaves. 5, 10 or 20 kg. |
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For pasture, sports fields and large areas with a powder spreader or sprayer. 1000 kg, around 5 ha on a first application. |
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For thin or bare patches once the pH is back in range. 5 kg, around 250 m². |
