how do you spread lime?

[BizDoc]

I have a 1/2 acre spot that requires 3 ton of lime. It used to be a strip minning drainage pond. I called the local feed store, they would only come out for 6 ton or more. But I found someone who has a spreader who will do it. We go to the feed store and they load bulk lime, a ton at a time in the back of a pickup, you shovel it off into the spreader and run around the area with a tractor. I'm supposed to use hydrated lime as opposed to the pellitized lime. the hydrated limes is very hot and reacts with the soil quickly so vegitation will grow quickly. the pellitized lime could take two months or longer to completely react with the soil, but as stated, the hydrated lime is very dusty and cloudy, and harder to spread. It all depends on your immediate needs.

 

[N80]

I have food plots that are all less than 1/2 acre. I currently use pelletized lime in a heavy duty push spreader....and it is a PITA. But it works. I'm getting where I need to with less than 1/2 ton per acre so I don't have to put out a lot. I hope to have a 3pt spreader next year. I'm sure it will handle the pelletized lime just fine, but I wonder if it will handle the lime dust. Lime dust is super cheap but it is a misery to mess with. For my modest needs I'll probably just stick with pelletized.

LoneCowboy, that is a pretty huge lime requirement for an area you describe as being already alkaline. You can get DIY soil tests cheap. I'd consider repeating it yourself. I did one on my place and was surprised that my soil was not as acid as I'd expected (after two years of liming). On the other hand, I was shocked at how low the nitrogen content was.

 

[VABlue]

To clarify...

Hydrated lime = lime dust = quick acting = big flippin' mess
Pelletized lime = granules = slow acting = much easier to handle and spread

Note that lime will also help break up compacted clay soils over time. The pelletized version can take up to a year, or more, to raise the ph sufficiently. Also, you can only put on so much at a time. The amounts you need should probably go on in two applications either way (dust or pellets), 6 months apart. The soil can only absorb so much at a time and you risk it running off with the next rain storm.

Where did you get the soil test done? As N80 said, you can get a cheap DIY kit to verify the acidic soil. Probably worth it if everyone else around you has alkaline soil.

As I continue to try to improve my VA yard everyone tells me to lime the snot out of it to break up the clay. But the soil test tells me that it's already slightly alkaline, so no way am I going to add lime!

 

[Richard]

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better,
Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning
Wouh wouh wouh wouh wouh

(Harry Nilsson lyrics)


Sorry...couldn't resist! I'll ban myself 10 minutes for that.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

To clarify...

Hydrated lime = lime dust = quick acting = big flippin' mess
Pelletized lime = granules = slow acting = much easier to handle and spread

Note that lime will also help break up compacted clay soils over time. The pelletized version can take up to a year, or more, to raise the ph sufficiently. Also, you can only put on so much at a time. The amounts you need should probably go on in two applications either way (dust or pellets), 6 months apart. The soil can only absorb so much at a time and you risk it running off with the next rain storm.

Where did you get the soil test done? As N80 said, you can get a cheap DIY kit to verify the acidic soil. Probably worth it if everyone else around you has alkaline soil.

As I continue to try to improve my VA yard everyone tells me to lime the snot out of it to break up the clay. But the soil test tells me that it's already slightly alkaline, so no way am I going to add lime!

Hydrated lime and quarry run lime dust are 2 different animals. Quarry run dust is actually small chips where hydrated lime is more like talcum powder. We use the quarry run dust here. It's cheap. It works. And it's not that bad for dust unless you're spreading in the driest of conditions.

 

[john_bud]

Best way for field ph adjustment is to spread 2/3 of the lime it needs and 1/3 of the fertilizer. Then till or disc it in real well. Then spread the remaining lime and fertilizer and seed. It seems to get the nutrients where the plants can use them faster that way.


YMMV

jb

 

[N80]

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,

Yep, my first thought was that I don't spread lime at all. I cut a slice and plop it intoa G&T or stuff it down the neck of a Corona.

 

[SkunkWerX]

I agree with NA80, for being west of the Miss, that sounds like a bunch of lime, even to us easterners. I would re-test to be certain.

If you are in hilly terrain, lime can washout in one rainstorm, depends on the porosity of your soil. It can also wash into a low spot, leaving the higher ground deficient and the lower areas more alkaline than you wanted.

Getting it down into the soil is the important part.
If you have hard packed soil, do yourself a favor and break ground, or, at best you are only liming the top 1/2" of ground.

I'd still do a self-test with an over the counter kit. Probably cost about $10 for the kit.

 

[jimg]

Since theres little call for lime in your area I suspect youll have some trouble getting it. I tryed to acidify soil in new england which is notorious for highly acid soils. I got all sorts of funny looks -- thankfully it was only a garden plot and I didnt need much. Anyway, call your ag coop or whatever you have out there thats equivalent and talk w/ them. Id let them deliver and spread it though.

Many states back here have ag lime law which set stds for quality and suitability. Even though they dont apply to you looking over them will give you an idea of what would work well. Granule size and density indicate how long it might take for ph changes in the soil.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Just to clarify
down here in the plains (5000/6000 feet) most of the soil is very alkaline.
But this customer is in the mountains.
All granite dust and such (it's barely soil) it makes sense that it's very acidic. (also crazy short in nitrogen, they want to add 105lbs/acre, that's HUGE)

How long do you have to keep grazing animals off after lime applications??????