Home Garden and Landscape Plantings

• Section 4A: Home Garden and Landscape Plantings

  1. Acid Loving Shrubs

  2. Bermudagrass -- Zoysiagrass Lawns - Establishment

  3. Bermudagrass -- Zoysiagrass Lawns -- Maintanence

  4. Blueberries

  5. Bluegrass - Fescue - Ryegrass Lawns - Establishment

  6. Bluegrass - Fescue - Ryegrass Lawns - Maintanence

  7. Deciduous Shrubs

  8. Evergreen Shrubs and Trees

  9. Flowerbeds -- Annuals and Perennials

  10. Flowering Trees

  11. Fruit Trees (Apples, Cherries, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears and Plums)

  12. Groundcovers

  13. Herbs

  14. Roses

  15. Shade Trees

  16. Strawberries

  17. Vegetable Gardens

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  Calculating the Lime Recommendation

  To determine the lime requirement for a site, follow these steps:

  1. Select the appropriate lime table from the list below based upon the target pH of the crop as listed in the recommendation section.  Locate the value in the table where the Water pH row (shown along the left side of table) and the Buffer pH column (shown across the top of the table) intersect (see example). 
  2. Determine whether a lime credit is necessary. Lime credits are used to account for any lime that was applied in the past 18 months which has not had a chance to react. The equation for calculating the lime credit and an example can be obtained by clicking here.
  3. Determine the the type of lime recommended (e.g., calcitic or dolimitic) by clicking here.

  University of Delaware Lime Tables

  These tables are designed to be used with the Adams-Evans buffer pH. If the lime requirement test was performed by laboratory using a different buffer method, contact the laboratory for the appropriate lime tables.

  Target pH 5.2  -- Blueberries

  Target pH 5.6  -- Acid-loving shrubs; black high organic matter soils

  Target pH 6.0 -- Most home garden and landscape plantings

  Target pH 6.5  -- Athletic fields, industrial lawns and golf course turf,

  All Lime Tables -- This .pdf file contains copies of all five lime tables for home garden,  landscape and turf plantings as well as a table of target pH values used by the UD Soil Testing Program.

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  Home Garden and Landscape Soil Test Notes

  Soil Test Note 1: Explanation of Laboratory Tests

  Soil Test Note 8: Interpretation of the Soluble Salts Test

  Soil Test Note 9: Fertilizing Bluegrass and Fescus Lawns

  Soil Test Note 10: Fertilizing Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass Lawns

  Soil Test Note 11: Fertilizing Home Vegetable Gardens

  Soil Test Note 13: Fertilizing Ornamental Plantings