Doug; you can just spread the lime but it won't work as well as working it in. The lime doesn't dissolve like urea or potash. It takes contact between the lime and soil acids for the neutralizing reaction to take place. It's actually good that the limestone doesn't just dissolve or limestone escarpments like Niagara Falls wouldn't exist. The same is true of phosphorus fertilizer. People spread it on top of their grass not realizing that it takes about 6+ years of fertilizing to work it's way down 6". The good thing is that it doesn't leach out of the soil.

Dan O.