lime

[barticus73]

I am doing a 1 acre food plot this year and my soil sample says it needs 5000#/A of lime. How would you guys go about applying this lime to just one acre? My other fields I just had Agway bring a truck and do it but that is not feasible for only one acre? I'm just trying to find some other alternatives that I haven't been able to think of myself.

Thanx,

Jerry

 

[HayDR]

Agricultural lime take 6 months to start reacting with the soil so if you use this it will not be usable in the soil this year. You will need to use hydrated or burnt lime at the rate of 500 Lbs hydrated lime = 2000 Lbs of Ag. lime.
Hydrated lime works immediately to change the PH of the soil.
Consult your local county agent to verify this.

 

[cowboydoc]

You can just call the quarry and then call a trucking comp. to go and pick you up a load. They will deliver and dump it. Then just get a cone fert. spreader and have at it.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Lime can be, well - difficult - to spread with some cone spreaders. It likes to clump up or 'bridge' in the spreader, esp if you drive & bounce around very far without spreading. For one acre, probably the way to go tho. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Can be spread with a manure spreader - not a very even job tho, and do _not_ fill the spreader as it is much harder on the spreader chain than manure. Maybe a 1/2 load, at best.

Lime is best if it's worked into the ground after spreading.

--->Paul

 

[cowboydoc]

The newer spreaders have a mixer in the bottom so it's not that big of a problem with them.

 

[JoeR]

This is how I spread lime:

I know this may not be an option for you, but I paid someone to do it while I relaxed... Way too much work to spread 5,000 pounds per acre!

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. I've found the hi-cal lime does its own thing. One thing though.. he needs to wear good goggles.. ones that seal around the eyes.. like BMX racing goggles... hi-cal lime can blind. An old timer bought a bag at the local last week seminoles, and while loading it into his pickup dropped the bag.. it burst and cloud engulfed him.

They washed his eyes and got him to the hospital. The doctor wasn't very hopefull about his eyes.. said it was 80/20 of whether he would be able to see when the gause comes off.

Also I reccomend a good dust mask.. or even one of the slightly more expensive throw away ones that provide more than just nuisance dust filtration.

be safe, have fun!

Soundguy

 

[micromike]

I've read about liquid lime used by the landscaping industry. Often used in hydroseeding new lawn installs. VERY concentrated. Just another option to look into if you have a sprayer or can rent one.

Mike

 

[Anonymous Poster]

#1,I doubt if you need to put that much lime on,put on some this year and put more on in a couple of years if what you plant does not want to grow well.#2,you should also add 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 as well, along with the lime,if you use yhe powder form of lime,go lightly and wear a dust mask.#3,unless you are disabled in some way,how about a bucket and your hand?#4,don't forget to mulch if you have tore up the ground much preparing it for planting.

 

[cowboydoc]

If the soil sample says it's needed that's the only way you're going to get it right. 5000#/acre is not a big amount. We've got hayfields that we've had to put up to 10k# per acre on.

 

[poorboy]

Same here Richard, in fact as low as some of the trucks can put it on is 3 tons a acre. While I am typing this tonight there is a truck in the bottom with a busted gear box on the blower and twenty tons on lime on it. It seems that this cold snap froze some and put too much strain on the gear box.

This is the year for lime on parts of the farm about 200 tons this year and the same next.

Patrick

 

[poorboy]

I would probably try to buy some of the pelletized lime and spread it with a cone. Maybe just have someone dump it from the quarry and then spead it with a cone.. My buddy spread a ton by hand the other day and it really turned into a chore but he had no choice and it did get done.

Good luck either way. And watch the wind /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Patrick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I spread pelletized lime on an acre of lawn with my four foot drop spreader. It works well. Pelletized lime is a lot mor expensive but it is much easier to work with.

John

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Well you learn something every day,if you can just remember what you've learned.He did say food plot?To me that means deer food.So........ I bet [unless this plot is in the desert],if he just went with less than half that amount of lime and added some 10-10-10he would get what he was after.Of course you got to stir up the ground some way or the other,plant things in a combination that has a reputation for growing[by combination I mean planting a cover crop along with the various mixture of crop seeds]He may not need to mulch unless he tills the plot up loosely.You take a pickup, a bucket,something to drink,a seeder[hand type],and you could have an acre seeded,limed,and fertilized in half a day,I guess it depends on what you brought to drink.

 

[Molerj]

I believe that by "food plot" he meant a garden that he will be growing vegetables in.

 

[IllMarty]

CCI, Where did you get that ratio of hydrated lime/ ag lime? Marty

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I guess that is possible.But let me tell you a one acre garden is a extra extra large size.Of course he could be selling sweet corn or planning to anyways.About 70 yards by 70 yards is an acre.I've never heard anyone call a vegitable patch a food plot for home or selling but I MAY as a result of this forum.

 

[HayDR]

When you have grown Tobacco, Sweet Corn, water melons, & tomatoes for 35 years you just pick up these things and prove them. Ag lime will only start reacting in the soil in 6 mos. but will continue there for 20 years if acidic fertilizers are not used. Nitrogen in the form of Urea & Ammonium nitrate will use up or counter the lime's base properties, its simple chemistry, acids and bases. Sodium nitrate is not as acidic as the afore mentioned nitrates and does not burn up the lime as fast in the soil. The PH of the soil is the key to healthy plants.

 

[Turfman]

Many of the ferts list the acid equivalency on the label to assist with this.

 

[BrettW]

Does regular fertilizer mess up the lime? like 10-10-10, thanks, bw