Does lavender need lime

If you are considering adding lime to your garden soil, you should first get a soil test. In most states and counties, this a free service provided by the state university extension service. Adding lime to the soil will not only increase the amount of calcium available, but raise the pH. Most plants need a slightly acid pH (lower than 7.0) to absorb nutrients from the soil around them. Plants use calcium in somewhat the same way that people do. While people use calcium to make their bones, plants use it to make the firm spaces in cell walls and the between cells. So the answer is: It depends. If the soil is poor in calcium and the pH is very low, the addition of lime will help. But lavender really likes well drained soil and plenty of sun. A dense, clay soil will not allow the lavender roots to "breathe" and it will drown. Again, a soil test is the first step in determining a plant's needs.