New member here looking for some advice on my property

[MarkDarvin]

Man, the new guy's cup runneth over with good advice. Good work all. One thought I'd add to all this before jumping to action...

I would get that soil test right away. You're far enough east, you may be in the old prevailing wind spray pattern from the dirty smoke stacks of yesteryear. You might be dealing with pH in the 4's if it's virgin ground. If that is the case, you'll want to know some pretty important info before you get to buying amendments. And this means getting a soil test that's gonna cost $25-$30, but they can save you thousands.

Be sure your test includes:

Base saturation tests of calcium, magnesium, hydrogen, sodium, and potassium.
CEC measurement
Soil pH
Buffer pH

Clay requires way more lime than sand for a given pH. Type of lime you get will determine which way your soil functions after application. Will it get a little better, or become a worse version of what it already was? I'm talking about sand getting dryer, or clay getting harder or more greasy.

If you're on the sandy side of the spectrum, you're in good shape. Tractor Supply pell (in the lime green plastic bag) will be a great product and not require much. If it's heavy smear clay, and in the 4's, that's a whole new ball of twine.

Knowing your buffer pH could be the difference between a pickup load of bags per acre, or a side dump of bulk.

 

[John D]

All good information gentlemen. Would it be a bad idea for me to seed and fertilize and spread the lime later? I'm just trying to get the jump on things. Maybe I could spread seed and starter fertilizer and wait for a soil test to see how much lime I need. It seems like I'm going to need a lot so spreading the lime in the summer months when The ground is hard would be ideal. Not sure this stuff will grow good without the lime. Or maybe do some lime now and do the bulk in the summer?

 

[Mennoniteman]

All good information gentlemen. Would it be a bad idea for me to seed and fertilize and spread the lime later? I'm just trying to get the jump on things. Maybe I could spread seed and starter fertilizer and wait for a soil test to see how much lime I need. It seems like I'm going to need a lot so spreading the lime in the summer months when The ground is hard would be ideal. Not sure this stuff will grow good without the lime. Or maybe do some lime now and do the bulk in the summer?

Any of the above is good, whatever you can get done, in whatever order. It takes lime months and years to start working so sooner is better than later. Fertilizer also can take weeks to start working. But getting something growing is also important in a new field, so if you are limited in time and funds, my choice would be first of all, at least get something planted. Plants alone do a lot for soil improvement and it's very important to get something growing before the spring planting season is over, it's almost impossible to get seeds growing in the middle of the summer. On the overall scale of things, the cost of seed is a small loss if it doesn't grow well. The organic matter that plants provide is crucial for soil health, and when ground lays fallow the organic matter is disappearing and erosion washes away nutrients. Once I have bare dirt on a new property I'm always desperate to get something growing asap. Cereal grains and brassica are my go to for a quick cover crop.

 

[John D]

A tiller on a skidloader is just fine. To do a perfect job on planting clover you till the soil, roll it to firm it up, broadcast the seed, then roll again to give the seeds good seed to soil contact. Clover seeds shouldn't be buried but need fresh soil contact. But clover grows in poor soil conditions and is like a weed that is pretty forgiving under less than ideal conditions. I'd plant clover with a nurse crop of brassicas or cereal grain, grass does not work as a nurse crop because it grows to thick and chokes the clover, grass isnt a good wildlife planting, and if you seed grass you will have to spend a lot of effort to terminate it again. I consider ryegrass as grass, it's totally different than cereal rye, which is a good wildlife planting. I'd pick to start oats, clover, and radishes, or clover and buckwheat and chicory this spring as soon as possible. Second choice is to seed the nurse crops without the clover and do clover in the fall. A soil test is needed at some point, but not necessarily to get started. I'd put all the lime and 10-10-10 fertilizer on that I can afford to get started, and test the soil in the fall.

My AG supplier carries 12-12-12 fertilizer. What do you think would be good to start with per acre for the fertilizer? I'm going to spread a half ton of lime per acre to start.

 

[KSQ2]

Like has been said, ag lime is better for the long run; but pell lime will go to work faster. I’ve never used ag lime, but I’ve never dealt with ground with a ph less than 6.2.

Your gonna love working that place, it is a learning process, but it sure is a lot of fun. Being on here will keep you from making all the mistakes I made before I found a similar forum years ago moderated, in part, by a genius and a super nice guy named Paul Knox.

 

[Mennoniteman]

My AG supplier carries 12-12-12 fertilizer. What do you think would be good to start with per acre for the fertilizer? I'm going to spread a half ton of lime per acre to start.

300-400 lb per acre is a nice starting point.

 

[Letmgrow]

My AG supplier carries 12-12-12 fertilizer. What do you think would be good to start with per acre for the fertilizer? I'm going to spread a half ton of lime per acre to start.

I would keep the first number low (Nitrogen) and go with a 19-19 for the last two numbers or thereabouts. Clover will provide it's own N and too much N will just feed the grass. You will already have enough grass competition the first couple years.
You could also contact your local county's Cooperative Extension Service. They could be a big help in providing soil maps of your area as well as handling the soil tests for you. They will go over the test results with you and make recommendations for applications of lime and fertilizer for your target crops. This can save you far more money than the cost of the tests from the Lab. The Extension services are free.
Lynn