Lime Aid

dogghr

dogghr

Well-Known Member
Spread how you choose but I’ll take this way. 9 tons and $400. Do the math at 4-5$/40# bag. Haven’t had to do for 10 years w ph staying 6-7 for that period from a starting base of 5.5 when place was bought.
Crop rotation and plant selection helps maintain ph. With alfalfa involved I like to keep ph near 7. Pretty good effort for shallow , less than ideal soils.
Same guy did spreading as did 2009. Lost his wife to CA last year so we had an interesting conversation. Life changes.
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That’s the way to do it if you can. Unfortunately, many of my plots are small or narrow, and in hard to get to places. Bagged is the only way I can go for them. I think I put out about 12 bags last week on these small plots. I might have to lime here at home next year though, and I can buy the lime at my feed store and use the pull type buggy for free.
 
Ahhhh...the cheapest thing one can do to improve soil fertility, particularly down in these parts. I'll spend money on lime before money on fertilizer if soil tests indicate a deficiency. Last time I limed was in 2018. Time to lime again in 2021. Envy the guys with natural soil ph of 6 or higher.
 
Agreed about the importance of lime. Sadly, I can’t get the commercial spreaders to take on my plots. We started in the 4s 6 years ago. 60 tons later....we are optimal to go good enough. Most was ag lime spread with a fertilizer spreader.
 
I had planned to lime 2 years ago but weather and life got in the way. Hard to get in the tight plot I show there if it’s been wet. Rough slide down into creek!
And I listen to so many complain of weed invasion and often it is simply poor ph and a very cheap fix of problem and along w crop rotation and no monoculture plantings, saves money and time on chemical tx. Most nuisance weed for foodplotters are acid loving even tho there are some preferring basic phs. Lime is one farmer thing that is still nearly same price as 10 years ago.


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That's the best way by far the raise ph. You doing calcium or hi-mag lime? I never saw a lime truck either that was clean inside the cab.
 
it doesn't look like he has booms on that truck? Our lime spreaders all have 15' side auger booms on their trucks that they swing out hydraulicly when they start.
 
Timely post...I think I am going to rent the lime buggy from the coop this winter. I have a little road work to do with the dozer to get to the plot but that’s just a little time and diesel...
 
The best way to go for sure! I’m gonna try the trailer and leaf blower approach one of the years in our hard-to-reach spots.
 
Mennoniteman said:
it doesn't look like he has booms on that truck? Our lime spreaders all have 15' side auger booms on their trucks that they swing out hydraulicly when they start.
Click to expand...

It’s Cal lime from my feed store 20 min away. No boom on this truck. I usually have wait till they get clear of their large farms. I’m sure they much prefer doing few hundred acres as opposed to mine.

Always super nice people. I can’t say enough about supporting local. It may cost a little more for your seed/fert but they deserve it.

You would think w my limestone/shale soils that ph wouldn’t be a problem. But it’s percolation is poor not allowing retention of nutrients as well as some mid west soils. My soil tests are always VH on everything since I’ve managed the place. Loss of cattle management on it hurts as their urine/urea and manure are missing for soil nutrient and organism replenishing. Deer don’t provide much of that.

I imagine deer were mad messing up their evening meal but rains washed off plants last night.


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Our lime haulers are really nice guys too, but refuse to sell anything less than a full load, and a full load automatically means including the trail that they pull behind all the time, which adds up to around 20 tons for $1000. Three years ago it was $700. So sometimes when I'm helping someone establish a new food plot we've put as much as 20 tons on 3 acres without any adverse effects. Too much seed, too much fertilizer, or too much herbicide is a problem, but I've learned through experience that too much lime is just fine.
 
Wow. Maybe I better call and thank them again. 9-10 ton is their minimum w/o the trailer. I gave the guy a 50$ tip as it sure saves my back for efforts. They do have spreaders available for use but again I’d rather he roll his truck on my hillsides more so than me! Of course I kid.


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We just limed our plots this spring. Almost 15 tons. It was the first time we limed all the plots in one shot ever. I envy the guys who can get the buggy into their plots. Ours are to small, remote or blocked by ditches, springs, etc for a big buggy to get into. Our new goal is to lime every 3 or so years. Tbd if we'll need ag lime or can switch to pelletized and leverage our 3 point spreader. We sold the 10' lime/fertilizer spreader this summer. It was just too big and doesn't do great with slightly damp ag lime. We found a place we can rent a double paddle auger spreader so that's the future plan.
 
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