# Lime?



## my-handyman (Nov 10, 2003)

Can you add to much lime?I want to lime a 1/4 acre with one bag of lime 40 or 50lb. To much? I know the soil is acidy, but have not tested the soil yet(soon). Also can I lime and fertalize at the same time?


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

Yes, you can add too much lime, depending on what you are trying to grow. Do a soil test as it will tell you how much to add to yr quarter acre to bring it up to neutral (ph 7.0)

Lime takes time to react with the soil and bring the ph up (several months). Fertilizer will have an immediate impact.Depending on what you are trying to grow, that soil test will tell you what kind of fertilizer to add and how much. Good luck.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

my-handyman

Typically speaking lime is measured in multiple tons per acre of lime. So you could be looking at 500#-2000# per 1/4 acre. I know it's a wide spread but without a test it's hard to tell.

The 40-50# you are talking about will not make much difference.

Do a search in this forum for lime, there's been lots of info on this subject discussed here.


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

Pelletized lime is an excellent source of high quality lime. Its use in agriculture has been limited due 
to the price. The recommended rate of pelletized lime should be based on the neutralizing value of the 
lime and will probably be about 75 to 80% of that for average-quality bulk ag lime. Contrary to popular 
belief, the speed of reaction of pelletized lime is no faster than that of bulk ag lime. Thus, when 
comparing the two materials, less pelletized lime is needed to raise the soil pH to the desired level, but the 
increase in pH is no faster than with ag lime if both are applied on the basis of their neutralizing values.

I ran across this info and thought it may be of interest to other food plotters.


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## ThumbBum (Oct 13, 2003)

Thank You MH! 
You just saved me 20-25% 
I am planning to use peletized lime on some smaller foodplots I have slated for a fall planting. I use the local co-ops big bulk spreader for my larger fileds, but trying to get that rig back into the tight spots would be really dangerous.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

I've found the pellatized lime to be as much as $200+ per ton.

On the other hand, I buy powdered lime at around $50 per ton. It is actually very easy to spread by just walking with a half opened bag on the bottom, and spreading with your arms. Depending upon how long your arms are, and how fast you walk, this should be about 4 tons per acre at a moderate pace. With 2 ATV's and a helper I'd guess you could spread at least 1 ton per hour, and much faster if you can get the bulk of the lime to the field at 1 time. I take 500#'s at a time on each ATV, and once we are to the field, it will take you less than 15 minutes to spread 500#'s each. Walk fast and spread far, and you can cut your rate per acre down to 2 tons per acre pretty fast. 

In the past 4 years I've probably spread about 6 tons with this method, and it really is not that bad at all. With 4-5 guys, trailers and ATV's, you could spread several tons in just a couple of hours.


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## Archer212 (Mar 15, 2004)

For us novices, liming can sometimes be very confusing. Based on our soil results from an area (1.5 arce) we were going to try and plant this year with brassicas but we are going to put that on hold until next spring. Our pH was 5.2. Considering it takes 4-6 months for ag. lime and other type to work, we feel we are too late to get the pH up to 6.5ish. I think the route we are going to take now is to keep the area sprayed with roundup until August, then lime with ag. lime (about 4 tons). We do however want to try and get something in the ground this year and we were thinking about some other areas we tested. Same pH, but the areas are small (80 yds x 20yds). Since these areas are remote, we can only use bagged lime or pelletized lime. We were thinking of putting down 1000 lbs of pelletized lime per 80x20 area and try to plant a crop of brassicas in late July. Do these two "game plans" seem to have merit?


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

Archer212, some companies are also selling liquid lime. I believe you can plant right away if you use the liquid.


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## Jeff Sturgis (Mar 28, 2002)

I have had great luck with soils in the low 4's, being created, limed, and sprayed in July, then planted 1 month later.

You could experience success on your 1.5 acre planting by spreading the lime right now, or wait a month if you are like me and still have 30" of snowpack in the woods. Herbacide a couple of times this summer, and then plant a brassica/clover combo in Mid-July with adequate moisture, or wait until the 1st of September and plant some type of rye,wheat, or oats combo, together with clover. You should do very well.

If your brassicas are all consumed before deer season, or the planting fails due to lack of moisture, just follow up with the September broadcasting of the cereal grain mix. That can greatly offset any lack of productivity from an early planting, still giving you your hunting season draw, with a clover base for the following year. 

The lime may take 6 months to fully react, but it starts reacting as soon as you put it into the soil. Using a tractor mounted tiller is about the best way to disperse the lime into the soil and maximize your reaction time.

There is absolutely no need to wait until next year.


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## ThumbBum (Oct 13, 2003)

Hey Archer212
Check out the Biologic website, under the Products section they list a product called "PH fertilizer"

Its designed for guys in your situation who need to correct PH quickly. Of course theres a tradeoff, it doesnt correct PH in the long term like lime does, but it will get you going this year.


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## mike hartges (Jun 9, 2003)

My-handyman, to answer your last question, yes you can lime and fertilize at the same time. That's exactly what I plan to do this year.


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

Thumbbum~ FYI You can get ag lime for free at the sugar company in Caro. (You-haul)

Neal


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## ThumbBum (Oct 13, 2003)

Wow, thanks for the information Neal
Now I need to buy a bigger truck


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## SalmonSlayer (Jan 18, 2000)

Anybody have contact info for the Caro sugar company?

How far is it from Berrien County? Is it worth hauling a truckload?
Would it be worth hauling 5 yards?

thanks,


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

Thumb-You may want to contact them first. They will need info, such as name, address, parcel #, etc. I just pulled in with my trailer, they dumped a couple scoops with the end loader and I was on my way.

Salmon, All I have is their address: 725 S Almer, Caro

I would contact someone locally first, and get some prices.....it's really cheap to have them come out and spread it for you. Unfortunately my plot is not accessable for them to do so.

Neal


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Neal,
Did you know that the Caro police were looking for a guy who got some lime from Caro Sugar Co. and drove off without paying for it ?  
I'm curious, why would they be giving this away....why do they have it there to begin with ?
Pellitized lime is about $110 a ton from the elevator in my area. Which is about 1/2 the price of buying it by the bag. One scoop is about 500 lbs.

L & O


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## Neal (Mar 20, 2001)

> Did you know that the Caro police were looking for a guy who got some lime from Caro Sugar Co. and drove off without paying for it ?


Yeah, it worked at the gas station too 



> I'm curious, why would they be giving this away....why do they have it there to begin with ?


I Imagine the sugar company, provides it for the beet farmers. All I know Is I contacted a guy named George Lajoie, of a lime spreading company called 6-L's. I wanted to know if he could drop some lime at my place......At the time he was too busy to deal with the little volume I needed and told me that the sugar company would give me some for free......and they did.

Neal


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## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

Archer 212
I would not wait a year. Plant a brasisca mix this fall )late July Early Aug. Maybe add a few more pounds of clover with it also for next spring. Try to get 3 tons of lime down this spring/summer prepare your seed bed and plant!!! By all means! You are planting for deer your not trying to make a living off it. You may be VERY suprised at how well it grows. I know the brassica mixes with turnips and rape are very drought hardy and mine grew well in soil that was not up to snuff yet. The clover crop is still waiting to be evaluated for we are losing the last of the snow as we speak. Next spring throw on the rest of the lime you need and watch it grow while your eating some venison stew (and the cycle of life will continue)LOL
Good luck


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## brokenarrow (Oct 6, 2003)

North Jeff
I have a back that comes and goes at will, so walking with 50# bags is a recipe for disaster for me. I can do some work like that but I need to watch how much of that kind of stuff I do. I hope you dont mind but I think I am going to steal a part of your trick, and add a twist to it. I have a 1 1/2 acre field that is first on the list to lime this spring. I dont plan on getting the truck since I can only get this truck in a full load (too much lime for what I need) I plan on using the ATV and place the bags strategically in the field. put one on the back rack and drive slowly while having the kid spread with his hands. When the bag is done hopefully we will be by the next bag lift cut and spread again.
The other option would be to open up alot of bags and dump in the FEL. drive backwards with the kid walking behind me spreading the lime by hand out of the bucket. I think both ways may be a version of your idea that will work for me. Thanks for your idea!!!! 
Tom


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## twodogsphil (Apr 16, 2002)

Anyone putting fertilizer down on low pH soils should be aware that a lot of it goes to waste. This months issue of D&DH has an article by C.J. Alsheimer that includes a graphic showing fertilizer utilization at various pH levels. At a 4.5 pH, N & K wastage/non-utilization is about 70% and P wastage is about 80%. At a 5.5 pH, N & K wastage/non-utilization is about 50% and P wastage is about 65%. And even though at a 6.0 pH, N & K wastage/non-utilization is only about 10% and 0%, respectively, P wastage is still about 50%.

The bottom line is that your wasting a lot of your expensive seed and fertilizer money if your soil pH level is low.


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