Ive got a problem, last year I made a new food plot on our farm, about 1 acre on an oak ridge all the way in the back of the farm. I didnt have time for a soil test last fall, so I just guessed and put 1100 lbs of pellitized lime on it and planted biologic, and added a little fertilizer. Early this spring I took a soil test and it says I need SIX TONS OF LIME PER ACRE!!!! I cant even get a lime truck to it. Its about a mile back in and the road is barely big enough for the tractor. If I use the bagged /pellitized lime it will cost me about 4oo.oo, versus 115.oo for the regular ag lime. Ayone have any suggestions as to what to do, bite the bullet, and spread it by hand from bags, or plant something else, and what to plant. Any help is appreciated, also I made another this year about the same size, but closer, possible to get a lime truck to it, what should I do there? Thanks
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I bought a small spreader that fits on the tractor hitch & PTO. It will hold about 300 lbs. Cost was about $200. You can always have them dump the lime in a pile as close as he can get and then take it back with the tractor. If you want the plot, you will find a way. Some work on that lane could be a future project, which could also be planted in spots.
Russ
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if you have a big or small pickup, you can go to the quarry and get 1 or .5 tons of lime at a time. around here in kansas there is a quarry about every 30 miles. lime is $6/ton.
to spread it, have some drive around your plot and you sit in back and blow it out with a gas powered leaf blower. it took me about 15 minutes to spread .5 a ton with this method. it's easier than you think, especially if you're the one driving the truck.
That would be fun to watch, blow it out with a leaf blower? Why not hire someone to shovel it out or put it in a drop spreader, I would use pulverized, it is cheaper and quicker, your pellet might not all be obsorbed yet, it takes a long time for it to break down.
The soil tests are usually to obtain Optimum Ph (6.5-7.0).
If your Ph is 5.5-6.0 you meay only need a portion of the lime suggested to obtain a very decent crop. Sounds like your soil is heavy, maybe clay/loam to need that much lime added.
If you have no other choices - you may have to look at cereal grains over clovers in the short run.
my test showed mt ph to be 3.7 the guy working at the co-op said he hadnt ever seen on that low. I guess Ill load it in my truck and shovel it out by hand, Ive got an HD truck so I can probaby haul a ton at a time. I would like to have imperial whitetail or something similar, to draw deer from the neighbors place. Hes got two new food plots with clover and alfalfa in them and the deer are hitting them hard, but he had a dozer come in and build roads when they built the plots, so I guess he limed his. Thanks for the info.
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Have you considered liquid lime? If you have an atv sprayer and boom, I understand it works pretty good. Liquid lime does have it's disadvantages, it does not last as long as powder or pellets. It does, however start working faster. Just an idea...
I know around here you can get a spreder trailer from the co-op so if you can get your truck or tractor back into where you want the lime it should not be that big of a deal
cant get lime to it
