Need some recommendations on who does lime spreading for
Monkeytown County.

Also, what is going/fair price for spreading lime these
days per ton?

Thanks hombres.

Co-op would be my first call. I think $25/ton spread, is a respectable price. Though some folks pay $50.

It's been tough for me to even find someone to spread

Not a Co op in Montgomery. I have used the Elmore Co Co op several times and have been pleased. I request the old man (about 90 yo) because he knows my land, where to go, and where not to go. Last week I paid $35/ton at the Dallas Co. Co op UNSPREAD. Depends on where your land is, Casey's out of Lowndes Co may be an option

We used the troy coop last summer. Spread about 75 tons. They spread about 50 tons with spreader truck and we spread 25 tons with their lime buggy. It was about $30/ton field dumped and spread on our place

$33/ton spread in Geneva co

Call the Co-op in Elmore County or the one in Notasulga. They have buggies you can rent as well if they're really backed up or something.

Rent the buggy do it your self

The best way is to pay a spreader truck. Their equipment and liability. Second is the buggy. If you are going back and forth to lime source. Cost and liability go up. Last year I had 1 field I needed 4 tons and wouldn't ask the spreader driver to go to it. I could get it with a buggy. Lime, buggy rental, and new rear window I had over $100/ton. Then there is the seed spreader behind a tractor. Cheap but VERY labor intensive. I did 3.16 tons last week. Just me and my shovel. I don't recommend it.

Liquid calcium is $15.00/ gallon. Recommended 2 to 4 gallons per acre sprayed on dirt or the plants. Put it out with a sprayer on a four wheeler. Get a 25 gallon sprayer from Tractor Supply. You will be surprised at how often you will use the sprayer.

A couple of questions about the liquid calcium. How well does it mix with water, does it require agitation? If you spray it on plants would a surfactant help? Would you wait till the fall food plots are 4 or so inches tall before spraying or would it be better to spray on the old stubble of the plots planted in Oct 2016?

WmHunter,

Just went through this myself and found a couple different folks that would do it. I am in Montgomery County near Sikes and Kohns. Pike County CO-OP does it for 60/ton (crazy high). Goshen Farmer's CO-OP also works our area and will do it for 34/ton for a "field dump" on your place and then they will spread it or 40/ton for "off the yard" meaning they load their spreader truck at CO-OP and then spread on your place. They charge more because they may have to do multiple trips depending on how many tons you need.

If you are getting 20 tons or more "field dump" is the way to go IMHO.

Hope this helps.

Most of our lime cost is freight getting it here in this area. $40/ton spread isn't a bad price and the one I'd choose if the terrain allowed it. Just me and what I prefer.

One good thing is you shouldn't get stuck as dry as it is. Bad thing is you're gonna need rain to make the lime work once your get it out which may be tough this summer.

Lot of good replies here.
Thanks guys.
I am definitely going to have to have it delivered and spread.
No other way for me to do it.

Later on I may do the liquid calcium thing with 4 wheeler, but for now I need a major doctoring up of things lime wise.

About 30 tons at least.
So that means field dump.
So does that mean that field dump = they deliver AND spread for X dollars per ton or that they deliver and dump for X/ton and then spread for an addition Y/ton?

Field dump.means they deliver it in a truck that holds about 25 tons. Then they drive their spreader truck to your property. You need a tractor with a loader to load lime into their spreader truck

We paid $40/ton to have it delivered and spread. It was not the powder, but more of a pelletized lime that didn't blow away (it was windy when they spread it).

You probably just got a little larger mesh size lime with a little moisture in it. As longer as it spread the moisture doesn't matter. Pelletized lime is WAY more expensive than $40/ton or someone screwed up bad.

I wasn't the one that bought it so I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was not wet powdered lime. It wasn't the round pellets either. IDK???

We will have them come back and spread rainbow fertilizer this fall. I don't remember what that will cost, but I do remember it will be cheaper than us buying bags and putting it out ourselves.

"Rainbow" and "cheap" doesn't belong in the same sentence. With them spreading it they should be able to give you the exact ratio you need. I too will be using Rainbow this year. I have been meaning to for years and laziness has gotten the best of me.

Haha, you are right. I should have said "less expensive". We had soil test done after the season and yes, we do plain to get the ratio we need. I'm looking forward to seeing how well it works.