Barn Lime vs. Garden Lime: Key Differences Between Agricultural and Garden Applications

Your soils quality is important when growing or establishing a healthy garden. There is an assortment of products available, including lime, fertilizers and pesticides. When used correctly and in the right conditions, barn lime can help your garden grow and keep the soil’s pH level.

Barn lime is basic agricultural lime. It is also known as garden lime or dolomite lime. It is created by grinding up limestone and is sold as either a powder or pellets. Barn lime is used for a variety of agricultural purposes because it is not caustic like hydrated lime.

Lime products come in many forms and have a variety of uses, from agriculture to gardening and construction. Two common types – barn lime and garden lime – are often confused. But there are important differences between these liming materials.

Understanding those distinctions will ensure you choose the right lime source for your specific needs. Here’s an overview comparing barn lime and garden lime uses, composition, and more.

What is Barn Lime?

Barn lime also called agricultural lime or aglime is a coarse lime material used primarily for agricultural purposes. It consists of pulverized limestone, a naturally occurring rock containing calcium carbonate.

Aglime has a gritty, crumbled texture and particles of varying sizes. It contains calcium carbonate and some magnesium carbonate. The calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) is typically 50-75%.

Uses of Barn Lime

Reduces acidity and raises pH in agricultural soils
Provides essential calcium and magnesium to crops
Binds with soil contaminants and toxins

Dries out wet barn floors to control odors and bacteria
Used as livestock bedding to control moisture

Due to its large particle size and lower calcium content, barn lime is not suitable for garden pH adjustment. It takes very high rates to impact soil acidity. The coarse texture also makes it harder to spread evenly.

What is Garden Lime?

In contrast to aglime, garden lime has a finer powder consistency specifically intended for use in lawns and gardens. Two main types are commonly available:

Dolomite garden lime contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, It has a slightly higher magnesium content than aglime, The CCE is in the 80-100% range,

Calcitic garden lime is nearly pure calcium carbonate, containing very little magnesium. The CCE of calcitic lime is typically 95-100%.

Uses of Garden Lime

Raises pH and adds calcium and magnesium to garden and lawn soils
Effective at neutralizing soil acidity and supplying essential nutrients
Easy to spread evenly over small areas using handheld or push spreaders

Available in powder, pellet and liquid forms for convenience

The finer particle size and higher calcium content make garden lime products much more suitable for improving gardens and lawns. Bagged garden lime can precisely adjust soil pH without over-application.

Key Differences Between Barn Lime and Garden Lime

Particle size – Barn lime particles are coarser while garden lime is a fine powder.
Calcium carbonate content – Garden lime has a higher concentration of calcium carbonate.

Soil amendment ability – Garden lime effectively raises soil pH; barn lime requires very high rates to impact acidity.
Application methods – Garden lime can be spread by hand or with push/handheld spreaders; barn lime requires mechanical spreaders.
Cost – Barn lime is cheaper per pound than bagged garden lime products. But more garden lime is required to achieve results.

Availability – Bagged garden lime is sold at garden centers and hardware stores; barn lime is purchased in bulk agriculturally.

Choosing the Right Lime Source

Always match the lime type to the intended use:

For agricultural fields, large properties, or wet barns, choose barn lime.
For improving garden and lawn soil quality, correcting pH, and supplying nutrients, select a powdered or pelletized garden lime.

Applying the wrong form of lime can lead to wasted product and failure to achieve the desired results. Know what each liming material is designed for before deciding on barn lime vs. garden lime.

Other Information About Lime and Gardening

Most of the time, adding lime to a garden makes the soil better for all the plants, even the weeds. Lime helps plants that are healthy grow and keeps weeds from taking over empty spots in the grass or between plants. It takes a lot of lime to make the soil so much more alkaline that it hurts plants. Most plants don’t do well in soil that is too acidic, so keep an eye on the pH and keep it in the right range.

Lime in Your Garden

Lime is a mineral-based alkaline substance containing significant amounts of calcium. Applying it to garden soil increases the soils alkalinity. Plants do not thrive if the soil is too alkaline or too acidic.

Fertilizer, which is commonly used to help plants grow, is acidic. Too much fertilizer tips the soils pH balance too far into the acidic range. Using lime and fertilizer alternately in the garden keeps the pH level in the soil at a good level. This ensures prime growing conditions for plants and helps the garden thrive.

Can you use Lime in Your Barn? First Saturday Lime First Impressions {Barn Cleanout}

FAQ

Can barn lime be used for gardens?

Your soil’s quality is important when growing or establishing a healthy garden. There is an assortment of products available, including lime, fertilizers and pesticides. If applied to your soil properly and under the right circumstances, barn lime helps your garden grow and maintain a good soil pH.

What is barn lime used for?

Barn lime is crushed up limestone – also known as Calcium Carbonate. It serves a variety of agricultural purposes such as preventing build-up of the toxic smell of ammonia and other odors in barns and stalls. Ammonia comes from the urea in livestock waste when it’s left sitting and not cleaned up.

What happens if barn lime gets wet?

The fact is that when you use barn lLime, the ammonia remains and will eventually fill the environment once again. However, one word of caution, barn lime can be extremely slippery when wet… like when it is applied over urine. Luckily, barn lime is not harmful to your horse, unlike its cousin hydrated lime.

Will barn lime dry up mud?

THE SOLUTION: LIME! of either quicklime or hydrated lime, dries up wet soil quickly, so that it can be compacted readily, forming a working table that will resist further wetting as well–you can get back to work! hydrated lime are both highly effective in drying wet clay and silt soils.

Is barn lime better than garden lime?

Cost: Barn lime is typically less expensive than garden lime, which makes it a more cost-effective option for use in livestock stalls and barns. If you’re a farmer or livestock owner, you probably know how important it is to keep your barn or livestock stalls clean. One of the best ways to do so is by using barn lime.

Does barn lime improve soil quality?

Soil Amendment: Barn lime is an excellent soil amendment that can help to improve the pH level of acidic soil. It contains calcium and magnesium, which are essential nutrients for plant growth. You can spread barn lime on your fields or garden beds to improve the soil quality.

Is barn lime good for horse stalls?

Barn lime is often sold as a deodorizer and moisture control for horse stalls or as a garden soil amendment. While barn lime is typically fairly inexpensive and may help absorb moisture and curb smells, it is very ineffective as a pest control measure. There, only FS Lime seems to work the best (and be the safest).

What is the difference between hydrated lime and barn lime?

Barn lime is specifically designed for use in animal stalls and pens, where it helps to control odors, absorb moisture, and provide traction. Hydrated lime, on the other hand, has a variety of uses, including soil stabilization, water treatment, and pest control.