Lawn & garden
Westland Garden Lime dupe
Why pay around £8.00 for Westland? The bulk active is Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime) — 70% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Westland Garden Lime
4 kg · £8.00 typical snapshot
Granulated limestone / dolomite fines
2 · Active
Calcium carbonate (with dolomite)
90% on the label
1317-65-3CaCO3
Bulk Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime)
3 · Mix
70 g/m² soil-improver handful band (Westland 2-handful rate)
£0.03 per working litre · 70% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Calcium carbonate (with dolomite)
- CAS
- 1317-65-3
- Dupe
- Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime)
- Saving
- 70% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Makes acidic soils less sour so nutrients unlock”
The chemical reality
Westland’s 4 kg box is agricultural lime: limestone calcium carbonate (CAS 1317-65-3) with dolomite (CAS 16389-88-1) — not hydrated lime, not ferrous sulphate, and not a weedkiller. A 25 kg ag-lime sack is the same pH-up salt. Test the soil first; keep it off rhododendrons.
Active vs filler
90% Calcium carbonate (with dolomite) · 10% carrier / filler — Granulated limestone / dolomite fines
- Typical retail
- £8.00
- 4 kg
- Estimated active cost
- £1.89
- Scaled from bulk £12.50 / 25 kg
- Indicative markup
- 4.2×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 4 kg pack of Westland Garden Lime typically retails around £8.00 in lawn & garden. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Makes acidic soils less sour so nutrients unlock; Calcium and magnesium for leaves and fruit; and Breaks down heavy clay.
The catch: Westland’s 4 kg box is agricultural lime: limestone calcium carbonate (CAS 1317-65-3) with dolomite (CAS 16389-88-1) — not hydrated lime, not ferrous sulphate, and not a weedkiller. A 25 kg ag-lime sack is the same pH-up salt. Test the soil first; keep it off rhododendrons.
- “Makes acidic soils less sour so nutrients unlock”
- “Calcium and magnesium for leaves and fruit”
- “Breaks down heavy clay”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Calcium carbonate (with dolomite) at 90%. Everything else in the pack is granulated limestone / dolomite fines.
Even when the pack is sold as “pure” or ready-to-use, the dose that actually does the work is Calcium carbonate (with dolomite). The rest is how they get it into a bottle you will pick up.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 95% Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime), mixed to 70 g/m² soil-improver handful band (Westland 2-handful rate).
- Labelled active
- Calcium carbonate (with dolomite)
- 90%
- Carrier
- Granulated limestone / dolomite fines
- Retail pack
- 4 kg · £8.00
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime) at 95% bulk. Indexed as CAS 1317-65-3, formula CaCO3. Buy it as 25 kg for around £12.50 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 70 g/m² soil-improver handful band (Westland 2-handful rate). Indicative cost £0.03 per diluted litre — 70% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Dust: gloves and an FFP2 mask on a still day. Lime is not a pesticide. Do not spread on ericaceous beds (rhododendron, camellia, blueberry) or where a pH test already reads 6.5–7.
- Soil improver / established plants: about 70 g/m² (two handfuls), forked in or watered. Westland also prints a 10 g/m² established-plant band for fine granules — weigh once and stick to the rate on the sack you hold.
- 25 kg at 70 g/m² covers about 360 m² — nine 4 kg boxes. Apply in autumn on bare or open soil; normal soils every two to three years.
- Do not tank-mix with ferrous sulphate, sequestered iron or sulphate of ammonia in the same pass. Keep off ponds.
- This is carbonate lime, not hydrated lime for Bordeaux and not a feed analysis. Store dry.
Dilution recipe
5 L sprayer
Working strength 70 g/m² soil-improver handful band (Westland 2-handful rate). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
7,000 grams
Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime)
Water
5 litres
Carrier / diluent
0% concentrate · 100% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedWestland | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Garden LimeAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Agricultural ground limestone (calcium carbonate / dolomite lime) |
| Pack / unit | 4 kg · £8.00 | 25 kg · £12.50 |
| Active | Calcium carbonate (with dolomite) at 90%Carrier: Granulated limestone / dolomite fines | 95% bulkCaCO3 |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 1317-65-3 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 70 g/m² soil-improver handful band (Westland 2-handful rate) |
| Cost per litre | £8.00 / pack | £0.03 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 70% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Respirator. Rated respirator for dusts or vapours as specified on the SDSVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is garden lime the same as hydrated lime in Bordeaux mixture?
Related calcium family, different salt. Garden lime is calcium carbonate / dolomite for soil pH. Bordeaux uses hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) reacted with copper sulphate on leaves. Do not swap them.
Will this kill moss or unlock iron for camellias?
No. Lime raises pH. Moss on a lawn is usually ferrous sulphate (Evergreen / Mo Bacter). Ericaceous yellowing wants a chelate or sulphate of iron — lime makes that worse. See the moss and sequestered-iron teardowns.
How do you mix the Garden Lime dupe stack?
Dust: gloves and an FFP2 mask on a still day. Lime is not a pesticide. Do not spread on ericaceous beds (rhododendron, camellia, blueberry) or where a pH test already reads 6.5–7. Soil improver / established plants: about 70 g/m² (two handfuls), forked in or watered. Westland also prints a 10 g/m² established-plant band for fine granules — weigh once and stick to the rate on the sack you hold. 25 kg at 70 g/m² covers about 360 m² — nine 4 kg boxes. Apply in autumn on bare or open soil; normal soils every two to three years. Do not tank-mix with ferrous sulphate, sequestered iron or sulphate of ammonia in the same pass. Keep off ponds. This is carbonate lime, not hydrated lime for Bordeaux and not a feed analysis. Store dry.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
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£22.00Save 70% / L
Indicative DIY stack