Fertilizer and lime... better to buy bulk and apply or hire it done?

[Dadnatron]

In your opinion... is buying bulk bagged fertilizer and lime and applying it yourself worth the effort?

I have 85ac, 50 or so in pasture and 20 in Alfalfa/orchard and 10 in Timothy. I know/suspect I will need to add fertilizer and lime at least yearly if not more often, depending on the crop. I DO NOT have a spreader at the moment, which is the crux of this post. I've been tossing around whether I should get one myself.

Last fall, I had Lime spread and I had rutts all over my pastures and fields from the weight of the truck. Another outfit in the area has a large truck, but with the balloon/floatation type tires. I would use them from now on, to avoid the rutts as much as possible. However, I am always at the mercy of their schedule. Now, for fertilizer and lime, timing is less critical I'd suspect, but even a week or two late could cause an issue, I'd think.

This is NOT my business... I am simply wanting excellent quality hay. I'd like to sell what I don't need for myself, but that is just gravy... I'm looking to have the best pastures and hay I can for my own horses.

So... do you think its worth looking for a spreader to do this work? I believe I can get the fertilizer bulk bagged at around 1K pounds (not sure on weight/bag). Or... is the better part of valor simply to hire it done and pay the additional cost each time? I'm ambivalent about this... typically I want to have control, but this one thing is less critical I believe. But, I'd like to save money... if it is truly worth the work.

If you WOULD recommend I spread it... what type of spreader do you think would be worthwhile. I'm not opposed to used (preferred) but I also don't want to get something which won't do both lime and fertilizer.

JD 5100e

easy rolling hills. Not flat but hills shouldn't be an issue.

 

[joeu235]

Around here the feed stores let you use their spreaders when you buy bulk fertilizer from them. You pick up the spreader, tow it to the fertilizer plant, spread it on your pasture, and return the spreader and pay for the fertilizer. Maybe its done the same in Kentucky.

 

[Dadnatron]

I've not specifically asked about that, but I don't think they have spreaders available. They are the one's who do the custom spreading in the area. There are likely others who do as well, but the 2 main feed stores do 90% I would guess.

 

[tow653]

That,spreader provided with purchase of fertilizer, is how it's done around here, but I don't think that those spreaders,mainly Wilmar,will work to spread lime.

 

[mattv1]

i buy fertilizer from a local co-op, they fill the spreader wagon and deliver it to me for a fee. when i'm done they pick it up. bagged fertilizer is WAY more expensive then having it delivered and spreading it myself.

 

[kthompson]

To me if you are not good at gaging where you in over lapping or meeting in where just spread and do not have gps, pay to have it spread. You don't want a few feet wide streaks missed nor wide over laps.

 

[rustyshakelford]

You can do a liquid foliar fertilizer like one from grasshopper fert. Comes out to around $17 per acre. It does nothing for the soil but typically lime takes a good amount of time to make any change. The foliar is absorbed thru the leaves. Can apply a herbicide at the same time to reduce trips across your place. Comes out of mt. Vernon Tx

Brett

 

[joeu235]

Around here, as soon as NOAA or the local conservative weatherman reports 80% chance of rain a couple days in advance, everyone with cattle is scrambling to get a fertilizer buggy reserved and waiting in line at the fertilizer plant. These "guaranteed" rain events might occur 3 times in the spring. Otherwise if it doesn't rain you have fertilizer on the grass and cattle can get nitrate poisoning. They like the salty taste of fertilizer. A pasture full of grass can be off limits for a month if things go wrong.

it's usually too risky here to rely on a custom applicator. But my limited understanding of Kentucky is that you have rain weekly so it's not that big a deal.

 

[Streetcar]

In southern Ohio , I paid to have lime applied. Local feed store sold bulk fertilizer with spreader rental included in price. Bagged fertilizer was significantly higher in price

 

[prichard]

You have done a soil test to determine supplements required, right?