spreading lime


Guest MarylandQDMA

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Guest MarylandQDMA

ok so after my post about lime (types), I am going to use powered lime. some one stated that I need to spread lime sooner then latter. do you think I should lime now for the summer? we have some snow on the ground now and was wondering if I could spread it on the snow if it would make much differance then if I wate and add it after the snow melts (in between snow falls). also can I spread it onto frozen ground?

I would think it might et added to the ground quicker if spread on the snow, reasion, snow melts, lime is asorbed inthe water and is asorbed into the ground.

help!

Frank

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Re: spreading lime

You're exactly right, as the snow melts it will help draw the lime into the ground (assuming the area doesn't have excessive runoff). Many farmers sew clover seed when snow is on the ground so the melting snow will help draw it into the ground. My only concern would be if the snow would be too deep for the wheels on your spreader to properly work. Having not seen your spreader and not knowing how deep your snow is, it's hard to say, but you should be able to make that judgement call.

As stated in another thread, it takes approx. 6 months for lime to do its desired job, so better to spread it now than to wait.

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Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

ya a dust mask is a good idea. I learned the hard way last time around.

ok another question for ya, is there a point where you can have to much lime?

Frank

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Re: spreading lime

[ QUOTE ]

is there a point where you can have to much lime?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but it woud take quite a bit to make it so alkaline that the clovers/trefoil would not do well. There are some ph testers out there pretty reasonable or you could take a soil sample to know how much you need.

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Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

never got the lime frown.gif turns out it was for the good cause I would never would have made it up into the woods with a truck full of lime this weekend (the access road was a bit slopy). any how I cleaned up the spreder and got it in good working condation. this weekend it is going to be cold so I'm hoping the ground will be firm so I can get up there.

F

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

well after having a run in with the commom cold, I was finily able to get out and spread some lime. I borrowed my friends stake body truck and headed to the quary sat. morning. picked up a ton (sure did not look it) and droped it in the field. got the tractor out and the spreader, and darnet, the spreader would not work! not cause it was broken but cause the lime was a bit damp so it packed into the spreder making it usless. well the only other way was by hand at this point. ended up spreading it all by hand. was not to bad, only took a few hours. I went back and took a few photos two days latter after a rain. going to hold off developing them untill I finish the roll (when planting the soybeans & oats).

Frank

forgot to add you should see the deer prints in the field allredy, I can't wate till I am sitting over it watching them eat the greens.

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Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

dogdoc with out you helping me get the ball rolling I would be looking at weeds again this fall. I would have not been doing what I am with out your driection.

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I'm mired in one huge gumbo nation of slop here in Ohio. frown.gif

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I got lucky! we have been holding at about 40 deg. so most was slop (if fact I am glas I got sick caust I would not have goten teh truck into the woods). any how it droped down in to the high teens thurs & fri. night so I went for it sat. in hopes the ground would be frozen for the day. turns out I was right. got it done as the ground started to thaw out.

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That shows real determination (or a bad case of cabin fever which I can relate to).

[/ QUOTE ]

lol guess I can say a bit of both for me.

Frank

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Re: spreading lime

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

and tried to tell you that would happen if it got at all damp

[/ QUOTE ]

William--you sound just like my Dad--"I told you that would happen" grin.gifgrin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, not trying to say I told you so really grin.gif.

Just tried to help. Like I said before I learned my lesson the hard way too.

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Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

you can say I told you so! all I know is it was worth it for 8 bucks (and some change). so it took 3 hours of hard labor. big deal smile.gif

so can any one explaine the prosses that happens that makes lime rase the ph of soil?

Frank

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Re: spreading lime

I don't know if I can explain it well, but I can try. Think back to chemistry class in school. Acids are low on the ph scale and bases are high. When you have an even amount of acid vs. base you have a ph of 7.

Fertilizers as a rule are acidic and give the soil a low ph. At the same time the nutrients that leach out of soil because of rain fall also work to give the soil a low ph. Lime works as a base to bring the ph back up.

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Re: spreading lime

If you have any experience with water(swimming pools), lime essentially does the same thing as adding ph plus(sodium bicarbonate) does to your pool, but instead of getting in the water it gets in the soil as it breaks down. The lime is alkaline, and will raise the ph by neutralizing the acidity of the soil. The amount of lime you need depends on how high the level of aciidity of the soil is.

Been a long time since I took chemistry back in college, but basically the lime in plain english works to neutralize the acid.

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Guest MarylandQDMA

Re: spreading lime

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the lime binds to free hydrogen ions in the soil thus making in more alkaline!

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I new we would get the profesors answer grin.gif

thanks guys.

F

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