In this video Bill is saying that 200 pounds of pelletized lime is the equivalent to a ton of crushed ag lime. If that's the case, we've put 30 tons on our fields and the pH didn't get the memo. What do the experts say?
Several years ago, after a soil test, I put 900 pounds of pelleted lime on a .6 acre plot. A year later I soil tested again and there was no change in the numbers. That is the only time I have used it.
You must have received some bad lime. Pelletized lime is always good. It's not 200 lbs to a ton good, but good. Usually has a higher CCE, which means you can get by with less.
the truth of the matter is that if you put pelletized lime out every fall until your soil got the right ph, it would be worth doing that over fertilizing.
To understand how much less pelletized lime you can buy, consider this - according to the good folks at Auburn, their soil test recommendations are based on ground limestone that is 63% CCE. this is similar to other states, so here's a piece from the University of Kentucky on pelletized equivalents. You can look at your pellet lime CCE and do your own math.
Bulk ag lime sold in Kentucky has an average neutralizing value of 67% when averaged for all quarries. All lime recommendations in Kentucky are based on this value. Therefore, if the neutralizing value of pelletized lime is substantially higher than 67%, then the recommendation should be lower. The information to calculate the neutralizing value should be on the pelletized lime bag, and the method to calculate the neutralizing value can be found in publication AGR-106,University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. For example, a high quality pelletized lime source may have a neutralizing value of 85. If this is the case, the lime rate can be reduced to 78% of what would be recommended for bulk ag lime. This is calculated by dividing the average neutralizing value of ag lime by the neutralizing value of the pelletized lime being used (67 ”85= 0.78). In this case, 1560 lbs/ac of pelletized would be required to equal one ton of ag lime. If less than this amount of pelletized lime is used, the expected soil pH change will probably not be obtained. As can be seen from this example, the recommended rates of pelletized lime cannot be greatly reduced as compared to bulk ag lime.
Several products in the lawn care world that will save u time over pelletized lime. 450lbs per acre is the average of what it takes to bring it up one point. $13-15 a bag. It’s not cheap but it’s less work than using pelletized lime. Aqua-cap makes a great one that I use a lot
Something to think about is that pelletized lime, while convenient, is roughly 4x the cost of bulk AG lime even when you take into account the higher CCE of the pelletized. Basically $30-$35/acre on the AG and roughly $125/acre on the pelletized lime assuming your soil test calls for 2000lb of AG lime/acre.
Something to think about is that pelletized lime, while convenient, is roughly 4x the cost of bulk AG lime even when you take into account the higher CCE of the pelletized. Basically $30-$35/acre on the AG and roughly $125/acre on the pelletized lime assuming your soil test calls for 2000lb of AG lime/acre.
True, but lots of folks won't touch delivering a couple tons of bulk lime to small properties/fields.
Something to think about is that pelletized lime, while convenient, is roughly 4x the cost of bulk AG lime even when you take into account the higher CCE of the pelletized. Basically $30-$35/acre on the AG and roughly $125/acre on the pelletized lime assuming your soil test calls for 2000lb of AG lime/acre.
True, but lots of folks won't touch delivering a couple tons of bulk lime to small properties/fields.
Yea, unless you have a lot of plots co-op wont even come out and then your roads have to be wide and in great shape or they bitch about it.
There are studies that I have found which equate a 1:10 ratio of pelletized lime to agricultural lime for short-term purposes......Here's a link from the University of Missouri for what it's worth:
There are studies that I have found which equate a 1:10 ratio of pelletized lime to agricultural lime for short-term purposes......Here's a link from the University of Missouri for what it's worth:
I would think the difference between the two is that the rapid release lime is said to be even more potent than the average pelletized lime, thus covering more ground with less lime. Here's an article which might help:
There are studies that I have found which equate a 1:10 ratio of pelletized lime to agricultural lime for short-term purposes......Here's a link from the University of Missouri for what it's worth:
Maybe I read that wrong, but it seemed to me that they determined that the 1:10 ratio that was often used was just a waste of money.
Pelletized lime may be a little more effective than ag lime, but I don't think it's anywhere close to ten times more. I just bought 12 bags to put on a 1/4 acre plot, and I know I am skimping.
Yeah, I'm not sure either. here is what they said about corn:
Each pelletized lime rate was 1/10 of a corresponding agricultural lime treatment. Corn with agricultural lime increased in yield 20 to 45 bushels per acre. Yields from pelletized lime were averaged less than 5 bushels greater than untreated checks.
So, if you are growing corn (a nitrogen-hungry crop), then the theory of 1:10 doesn't work. Wheat is fairly nitrogen hungry.
It's all about mesh size and soil type. The smaller the particle the quicker it will dissolve and the faster it will raise your ph. Clay soils take longer for the ph to rise. Sandier soils have a quicker response to lime, but don't last as long. Ag lime has varing particle sizes, which dissolve at different rates therefore lasting longer. Biggest problem, for most folks they just don't have enough plots to justify the co-op bringing it out. I add pelleted lime a little bit each season.
It's all about mesh size and soil type. The smaller the particle the quicker it will dissolve and the faster it will raise your ph. Clay soils take longer for the ph to rise. Sandier soils have a quicker response to lime, but don't last as long. Ag lime has varing particle sizes, which dissolve at different rates therefore lasting longer. Biggest problem, for most folks they just don't have enough plots to justify the co-op bringing it out. I add pelleted lime a little bit each season.
I put out 12 ton (3 buggies at 4 ton each) from the Hamilton Co-op two weeks ago, going to pull a soil test this fall and see how much it helped. Pretty good deal from them buy the lime and they let you use their pull behind buggy, 4 tons is a a lot with a 1500 truck but it worked out ok I was able to get to most of my plots without hooking it to the tractor.
I hauled 24 tons of Ag lime out to my club last fall, using a 2 ton dump trailer. One of the things I learned is a ton of ag lime isn't very much. I need to soil test this summer and see where I am. It was to damp to run through my 3 pt spreader too.
There is a bag lime called pro-cal that is about $15 a bag. 4 bags are enough to raise the PH on an acre 1 full point from what I have been told. However, the effects don't last as long as ag lime. So its an every year kind of deal.
I have started moving away from disking and getting on a rotation of planting cereal grains and brassica's in the fall, and beans and pea's in the spring. In the fall, I just broadcast into the standing beans, in the spring, I broadcast into the standing cereal grains, and then go over it with a flail mower. The flail mower drops the "mulch" out the back on top of the seed and it has a big roller back there which acts like a cultipacker. So far it looks like it works pretty well. Hoping if I can get the dirt PH in the good range, that I don't have to lime as much.
I hauled 24 tons of Ag lime out to my club last fall, using a 2 ton dump trailer. One of the things I learned is a ton of ag lime isn't very much. I need to soil test this summer and see where I am. It was to damp to run through my 3 pt spreader too.
There is a bag lime called pro-cal that is about $15 a bag. 4 bags are enough to raise the PH on an acre 1 full point from what I have been told. However, the effects don't last as long as ag lime. So its an every year kind of deal.
I have started moving away from disking and getting on a rotation of planting cereal grains and brassica's in the fall, and beans and pea's in the spring. In the fall, I just broadcast into the standing beans, in the spring, I broadcast into the standing cereal grains, and then go over it with a flail mower. The flail mower drops the "mulch" out the back on top of the seed and it has a big roller back there which acts like a cultipacker. So far it looks like it works pretty well. Hoping if I can get the dirt PH in the good range, that I don't have to lime as much.
I'd love to see that explained in chemical terms. Every magic bullet I've ever seen advertised or stated was pure bull doo doo. Calcium is calcium and you can't exceed 100%. Even if it is pure, you can't turn 200 lbs into a ton that's 65-90%. CCE. That's alchemy, lets just turn straw into gold, then we've really got something
A plant tissue test would give you a better idea of what is really going on......That tells you what is actually making it into the plant....Research shows that a plant's uptake of nutrients is heavily tied to the microbial activity in the soil.....Plants dont actually suck up nutrients like drinking from a straw.....The are fed the nutrients by soil microbes in a symbiotic exchange......So what may be in the soil may not be the same as what actually makes it into the plant. In the future there will be much more focus on promoting soil life for the sake of the microbes role in mining nutrients and feeding plants.
I put out 12 ton (3 buggies at 4 ton each) from the Hamilton Co-op two weeks ago, going to pull a soil test this fall and see how much it helped. Pretty good deal from them buy the lime and they let you use their pull behind buggy, 4 tons is a a lot with a 1500 truck but it worked out ok I was able to get to most of my plots without hooking it to the tractor.
I don't figure you'll see much of a difference. Usually takes about 90 days for lime to take hold right?
Well, i will say the best visible results i've ever gotten was using ag lime. I've pelletized lime most of my fields for as long as I can remember and finally last year got enough land that I needed a truck to come in. Put 10 tons on and not only did my fields all look better, grow better and such but it was obvious the forage was much more palatable to the deer as they hit my fields harder than ever. We can calculate CCE and wazoo this and that but , that right there was all the evidence I needed.
I put out 12 ton (3 buggies at 4 ton each) from the Hamilton Co-op two weeks ago, going to pull a soil test this fall and see how much it helped. Pretty good deal from them buy the lime and they let you use their pull behind buggy, 4 tons is a a lot with a 1500 truck but it worked out ok I was able to get to most of my plots without hooking it to the tractor.
I don't figure you'll see much of a difference. Usually takes about 90 days for lime to take hold right?
Pelletized lime works immediately id you incorporate it into the soil.
I hauled 24 tons of Ag lime out to my club last fall, using a 2 ton dump trailer. One of the things I learned is a ton of ag lime isn't very much. I need to soil test this summer and see where I am. It was to damp to run through my 3 pt spreader too.
There is a bag lime called pro-cal that is about $15 a bag. 4 bags are enough to raise the PH on an acre 1 full point from what I have been told. However, the effects don't last as long as ag lime. So its an every year kind of deal.
I have started moving away from disking and getting on a rotation of planting cereal grains and brassica's in the fall, and beans and pea's in the spring. In the fall, I just broadcast into the standing beans, in the spring, I broadcast into the standing cereal grains, and then go over it with a flail mower. The flail mower drops the "mulch" out the back on top of the seed and it has a big roller back there which acts like a cultipacker. So far it looks like it works pretty well. Hoping if I can get the dirt PH in the good range, that I don't have to lime as much.
I'd love to see that explained in chemical terms. Every magic bullet I've ever seen advertised or stated was pure bull doo doo. Calcium is calcium and you can't exceed 100%. Even if it is pure, you can't turn 200 lbs into a ton that's 65-90%. CCE. That's alchemy, lets just turn straw into gold, then we've really got something
It's called Cal-pro Chelated Calcium if you want to look at it. All I know is that's what the place I get it from told me about it. They said alot of their hunting clubs are using it. I have tried the spray lime too. Wasn't impressed with it at all. My soil tests from last summer said I needed between 2 and 2.5 tons of ag lime per acre. My extension agent friend said he wouldn't put more than about 1.5 tons on at a time. My PH was from 4.6 to 5.2. And one of the lowest fields was one I sprayed lime on. Go figure.
I did put out 1600 pounds of pelletized lime on a greenfield a couple weeks ago. It took about 45 minutes with a 3pt spreader. But its just sitting on the surface. I don't plan to disk the field, so we shall see how that does.
I think my coop will put out lime with their spreader truck for $30/ton. They can't get that into all my spots though. I want one of those nicer drop spreaders, but that is $$$$.