Although pulverized limestone is referred to as lime in general, there are other choices, each created for a specific purpose. We’ll quickly go over the many types of lime, such as fast lime and Ag lime, pelletized lime and loose powder, and which ones are appropriate for your purposes.
Caustic Lime
Caustic lime, also referred to as rapid lime, is more effective than regular limestone but can irritate both human and animal skin. While quick lime can quickly convert acidic soil to basic soil, it might not be the greatest choice for pet owners.
Quick lime is one type, and hydrated lime is quick lime with water added. In comparison to powdered and pelletized limes, hydrated lime has a higher risk of chemical burns and requires more frequent application. Also hydrated and fast limes can be messy and challenging to use, and they both carry a higher risk of causing rashes.
Non-Caustic Lime
While non-caustic limes, sometimes known as “ag limes,” are generally thought to be non-toxic to humans, pets, and passing wildlife, this does not mean that they are completely harmless. When a substance is described as non-toxic, it means that it won’t cause significant sickness or death.
Because of this, it’s not a good idea to distribute pellets and then let your dog run free, even though lime probably won’t make your dog really ill.
Before anyone—human or animal—uses the lawn, lime dust, in any form, should be completely incorporated into the soil to prevent lung, skin, and eye discomfort.
The key advantage of employing lime powder over lime pellets is the speed and accuracy with which nutrients are delivered. The drawback is that handling big amounts of awkward powder could ruin your yard by spreading dust and residue in spots your pet frequents.
Lime Pellets
The simplest and safest way to keep your grass immaculate and without having to worry about your pet’s safety is with lime pellets. For homeowners with modest yards who would prefer to spend little time concealing their tracks after application, lime pellets typically perform effectively.
The amount of product you apply to the region can be trickier to control when it’s in pellet form, but most people tend to find lime pellets to have more advantages than disadvantages.
Lime is it harmful to dogs?
- Lime peels contain oils that can poison dogs and give them stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and vomiting.
- Lethargy, low blood pressure, and sensitivity to light are signs of lime poisoning.
- Dogs can choke on the seeds and peels of limes.
Benefits of limes
Limes are bursting with vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that helps support healthy skin, the immune system, and an increase in iron absorption. Lime juice is also thought to have antifungal and antibacterial effects. Limes are a remarkably adaptable fruit, and almost all of its components—fruit, juice, peel, and zest—are utilized.
The same is not true for our dogs, even though similar advantages are applicable to humans. Your dog won’t need to eat additional fruits and vegetables to receive the nutrients he needs if you feed him a full and balanced dog diet. To share with your dog, choose something he’ll like more, like apples, carrots, or oranges, as many dogs prefer eating safe fruits and vegetables.
Hazards
Large quantities of limes, especially the peel, which contains essential oils, can seriously harm your dog. Consuming excessive amounts of essential oils via lime peels can result in poisoning, along with stomach distress, vomiting, and diarrhea. Lethargy, sensitivity to light, low blood pressure, loss of coordination, and liver failure are among the symptoms. If you believe your dog has consumed excessive quantities of lime fruit or lime peels, seek emergency veterinarian assistance right once.
Lime peels and seeds are poisonous, and they also present a risk of choking and internal blockage. Despite the fact that most dogs won’t intentionally seek out limes owing to their sour flavor, it’s advisable to keep limes and any leftovers out of curious dogs’ reach.
Do you have questions regarding what foods dogs may and cannot eat? For more details on “What Human Foods Dogs Can and Cannot Eat,” see our detailed guide.
Do pelletized lime products harm my dog?
Lime pellets are equally poisonous to humans and animals, but if your dog plays in the grass shortly after they are scattered, he will be exposed to more of them than you would. Due to their high alkalinity, lime pellets work to improve the pH of acidic soil; yet, because of this, they can irritate skin when in close contact with it. If at all possible, water the lawn well before letting your dog out on it or wait for a good rain to let the pellets dissolve into the soil. Wear personal protective equipment when opening and pouring from the bag and keep your pets away since lime pellets can be dangerous if dust from the pellets is breathed or if it gets into people’s or animals’ eyes. Even while lime pellets are generally not hazardous unless a significant amount is consumed, you should still prevent your dog from trying to lick them up.
Do canines enjoy lime?
No. One reason is that sour citrus fruits like limes and lemons don’t appeal to dogs. More critically, dogs cannot consume limes. Any part of the lime fruit or leaf, including the peel and leaves, can make you sick.
Can dog feces be dissolved by garden lime?
Garden lime is easily accessible at the majority of home and garden supply stores and is also extremely reasonably priced to fit most budgets. Its application is as simple as sprinkling water over the canine waste that has to be broken down. It’s crucial to realize that garden lime is a very corrosive substance that can burn both your skin and your dog’s paws. This is not a viable long-term solution for dissolving dog excrement across your entire yard because it can also be harmful if swallowed.
White Vinegar
Effortless use:
Safety:
The dog waste in your yard can be easily and cheaply removed using white vinegar. Even better, using it around pets is a relatively safe choice. Because vinegar can upset your dog’s stomach, especially in big amounts, you should prevent your dog from eating the poop or the nearby grass that has vinegar on it. Water should be used to dilute white vinegar in an equal ratio. So, to make the solution, you would add 2 cups of water if you wanted to use 2 cups of vinegar. In comparison to other methods, this one can take a little longer to dissolve excrement, but given enough time, it will work.
Enzymes
A commercially produced alternative for removing dog poop is to use enzyme-based cleaners and solutions designed exclusively for removing pet waste. They are typically designed to be secure for usage in locations where pets are present. Enzymatic waste cleaners are normally simple to locate, but those designed specifically to dissolve trash in an outdoor setting could be more challenging. The majority of the time, using these solutions is as simple as spraying them over the excrement. For maximum disintegration, you might need to repeat the process with different treatments.
We heartily recommend our favorite cleaner, the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray, if you’re looking for an enzyme cleaner that can handle everything.
Bleach
In many houses, bleach is a staple cleaning product that works well to remove dog excrement. For the best results, dilute bleach similarly to how you would dilute white vinegar. When handling bleach, exercise caution because it can irritate the skin, mucous membranes, and respiratory system. This affects some individuals and animals more than others. Be careful not to splash bleach on your clothes because it can fade the color from clothing.
Do limes deter snakes?
One of the many advantages of owning a home is having a yard. An outdoor tranquility spot might be a welcome respite from a busy week. However, if you see a movement in the grass that suggests anything other than an ant or a butterfly has visited, your state of zen could be easily disturbed. The worst-case situation can be that you have an unwanted visitor in the form of a rat, mouse, or even a snake.
When this occurs, you probably want a quick fix to prevent any snakes or rodents off your property. You may have a few inquiries while you consider your options: What do I have on hand that will prevent these animals from remaining? Will liming deter rodents? Do limes deter snakes? What else can I do to take advantage of my home without being concerned about these unforeseen encounters?
You may buy lime, often referred to as pelletized lime, which is a powder-like substance formed from limestone, at a home improvement store. When they want to raise the pH of their soil, gardeners use lime as a fertilizer. Due to its ability to make insects suffocate and dry up, lime has also demonstrated some efficiency as a natural insecticide. Unfortunately, lime kills all insects, including helpful ones, and if you use too much, it can also damage your plants.
Homeowners frequently ask if lime can deter larger pests like rodents and snakes since it is used to deter insects. Some individuals thought that the powerful stench would keep these creatures away. However, there is no proof to suggest that lime works to deter particular species of wildlife.
The dangers of applying lime to your yard and keeping pets are comparable to the risks of applying lime to these animals. Inhaling the powder may cause respiratory issues, and improper handling of some lime products may result in chemical burns. Apart from these possible issues, lime is typically thought to be rather non-toxic.
How much time does pelletized lime take to dissolve?
“Lime is a phrase that has been used to describe a variety of items made from limestone but has become relatively generic.
If certain circumstances are met, lime that has been pelletized is fast acting lime. To spread into the soil, the easily transportable and storable pellets need enough water to decompose their compressed form. Lime pelletization is sluggish acting without the right water, but it is quick acting with it.
Although the amount of lime in these products varies, their primary use is to control the pH of the soil.
Rainwater leaching, excessive nitrogen fertilizer use, and carbon dioxide produced by bacteria consuming organic matter are all factors that can cause soil acidity to increase. Plant roots, which frequently prefer moderate acidity/alkaline balances, find it harsh as a result.
Since limestone is naturally alkaline, incorporating it into the soil will help increase the pH levels there. Additionally, because it is widely accessible, manufacturers can afford to provide the ever-increasing demand for soil adjusters by using it (and its derivative products).
What Is Pelletized Lime?
We’ll talk about the characteristics of “rapid acting” lime later, but let’s look at the pellet form first. What gives pelletized lime its unique characteristics?
Ground-up limestone, commonly referred to as “powdered lime,” is the source of “pelletized lime. Lime powder is converted into pellets to help in transportation, storage, and coverage calculations. The only distinction between these two types of lime is one of shape only.
Powdered lime is the quickest approach to get the acid-countering advantages because it has the biggest surface area for dissolving.
However, there are several issues with powdered lime, particularly with shipment. Lime that has been ground up can likewise be tricky to estimate quantities for.
The existence of pelletizing is due to such issues. The conversion of lime powder into granular pellets substantially enhances handling and application calculations. Pouring powder into a disc granulator, a device used for pelletizing (or disc pelletizer). Up to 95% of powder can be turned into pellets with a granulator.
How Long Does It Take For Pelletized Lime To Start Working?
The wonderful thing about pelletizing is that you retain all of the advantages of lime powder. The pellets disintegrate quite quickly, particularly in water.
When water is added, the time it takes for pelletized lime to dissolve is comparable to that of lime in powder form. After adding pelletized lime, the soil takes around three months or ninety days to reach its maximum pH change. Smaller effects become seen much more quickly.
You can regulate the rate at which the lime changes the pH of the soil by regulating the moisture levels. Even though adding water would speed up the process, powder simply cannot provide you the same level of control.
In order to answer the original question, pelletized lime is fast-acting if the right circumstances are present. On the other hand, regardless of the state of the soil, lime powder works quickly.
If you want the best of both worlds, lime pellets are perfect. You might have patches where one needs a quick pH adjustment and another where a delayed release would be beneficial. Each patch’s moisture levels might be readily controlled to produce the results you want.
With pellets, you may also avoid waste because approximate amount predictions are considerably more precise.
You’ll find that the plants are stronger and more bright with effective application. This is brought on by both enhanced nutrient absorption and higher soil nutrient availability. In general, soil enzymes and microorganisms also like a pH that is slightly alkaline.
A successful soil adjustment will also cause nutrients to move deeper beneath. Larger and deeper root systems will serve as evidence for this. Additionally, these strengthened roots will lessen soil erosion, the development of soil crust, and assist hold dirt in place. In essence, the roots will aid in maintaining tilled soil.
Pennington Quick Acting Lime Soil Amendment is the best choice for the simplest “fast acting” lime, in my opinion. I would recommend Hoffman Pelletized Garden Lime for the easiest and most affordable pelletized version (Amazon linked for your convenience).
What should you do if your dog eats a lime?
You should call your veterinarian if you suspect that your dog consumed limes. They’ll quiz you about how much they consumed and what variety of limes they were. Then, your neighborhood vet might provide activated charcoal to make them vomit and get the toxins out of their system.
In order to generate a comprehensive blood count and choose the best course of action, they may, if necessary, create a blood chemistry profile.
