Q: I recently moved to a new home, and I thought the lawn looked like it needed some help, so I went to the store for some gypsum. Where I used to live, gypsum was added to the lawns all the time. I was told that in my new region, no one adds gypsum, but some people add limestone. What are gypsum and limestone used for? What can I do to make my lawn look better?
A: Gypsum is calcium sulfate, and limestone is calcium carbonate. There is a huge difference between the two and what they could do in your soil. Both break down into their components. The calcium portion in each one could add calcium to the soil if it is deficient in calcium, which the majority of soils in North America are not deficient in. Have your soil tested to see if it is deficient before adding either one for the calcium.
