If you're planting in fertile, well-balanced pH soil.......... lime isn't all that important.
However, if you're planting in soil that's at all acidic- Lime is critical to the plot's success.
Liquid Lime can effectively adjust pH levels (upwards) in 30 days or less! I know- I've done it. In the middle of the woods, with soil whose pH levels initially tested at 4.7, I
Liquid Lime 'd the piss out of a 17 yard (in diameter) plot- in
ONE month, we re-tested the soil........... it was at
6.0. This was good enough to put down Whitetail Institute Extreme and Wintergreens. Now I have a perennial planting that I can build on next year. Clover & Alfalfa need 6.5 pH levels in the soil. If you really want to do it, you can. You just have to spend the time & money.
Rob