Food Plots School Me on Lime

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Spurhunter

Spurhunter

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Munford, TN
I just got my soil sample results back from Whitetail Institute. They say I need 2700# of lime on my four 1/4 acre plots. How do I achieve this? How expensive will it be? All I've ever done is put out Triple 13 or Triple 15. I know nothing about lime.
 
What does your access look like? I'd wager to say a co-op truck won't come out to spread that little amount. You could see if they have a buggy you could rent. They can mix your fertilizer in with the lime also (however I've never done that).

Ag lime starts working in the soil after about 6 months and lasts much longer than pelletized lime. Pelletized lime takes less time to get activated in the soil (about 3 months) but doesn't last as long.

We got ag lime spread earlier this spring and it was $34 a ton, but that's in bulk - we had many new fields made. I'd say call at least 2 co-op's in your area and see if they rent out a buggy and get a price for what you need.
 
What was the pH of the soil?

I know it sounds crazy, but in acidic soils, lime is FAR more important than fertilizer. In fact, in VERY acidic soils I won't even add fertilizer until the pH gets in the mid 5s. When soil is acidic, the nutrients of fertilizer become ionically bound to the soil particles, and even if they are in the ground in abundance, plants can't utilize them. Only after the soil is neutralized will those nutrients be released for plant usage. Bottom line is, if the soil is very acidic, adding fertilizer is flushing money down the drain. Always lime first until the pH is somewhere in the 5.3 to 5.5 range, then start adding fertilizer.
 
I would say google "Nutrien Ag" for the one nearest where you need the lime but 2700# isn't even a full buggy so doubt they'd bite. Tractor supply generally has what's known as barn lime (not the pelletized) $3-4 per 50. Assuming about 60 bags per pallet that's 3000lb.

Not sure what kinda truck you got but have'em set the whole pallet in the bed and you're good to go. Drive right to your plots and scatter away. You'll look like Casper the Friendly Ghost when you get done but it's do-able.
 
Boll Weevil said:
Not sure what kinda truck you got but have'em set the whole pallet in the bed and you're good to go. Drive right to your plots and scatter away. You'll look like Casper the Friendly Ghost when you get done but it's do-able.
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But if you do this, wear a mask. Inhaling lime dust can permanently burn your lungs. VERY caustic. Ask me how I know...
 
Spurhunter said:
Active soil pH on the 4 plots was 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, and 5.6. Desired pH for what I want to plant is 6.5.
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Really, that's not terrible. I've seen a LOT worse. A little fertilizer will help at those pH levels, but I would still spend the majority of my budget on lime until I got all the fields up to at least 5.5
 
you can check to see if your local coop has a product called calcium enhancer. a 50# bag will equal roughly 200# of pelletized lime and start taking effect in about 6 weeks. also you can not mix ag lime and fertilizer in the same, they will spread different.
 
I'm trying liquid calcium this year for the first time. Instead of adding pelletized lime via a truck months ahead of time, the liquid calcium can be applied at the time of planting via ATV sprayer and absorbs immediately. The product I'm using is DeerGro PlotStart:

https://www.deergro.com/what-is-plotstart/
I'm in no way affiliated with them and have never used the product. However, if this works, it'll be the only way I add "lime" to my food plot in the future.
 
You can buy pelletized lime by the pallet, 50 40# bags, and get a price break at most farm centers. It isn't the cheapest solution, but you can easily spread it yourself with a tractor or pull behind spreader on your own convenient time schedule. Ag lime requires a special spreader. We hired a guy with a lime buggy to spread our food plots about 15 yrs ago. He brought the lime in a dump truck and it was wet. I remember him climbing into the buggy multiple times and pushing the lime down to the belt with his feet. Better him than me, I remember thinking.

You are smart getting a soil test and amending your soil. It makes a huge difference in your food plot success. You will want to tailor your fertilizer mix to match your soil requirements. It may call for mixing 6-12-12 with 15-15-15 or others to get the nutrients you need.
 
Spurhunter said:
I just got my soil sample results back from Whitetail Institute. They say I need 2700# of lime on my four 1/4 acre plots. How do I achieve this? How expensive will it be? All I've ever done is put out Triple 13 or Triple 15. I know nothing about lime.
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Is that 2,700 per plot (1/4 acre) or all plots (1 acre)??

I spread 1,480 lbs last year of 40 lb bags with a Echo push spreader on my 5 plots. Sucked big time but it's all i had. Didn't have ATV or tractor to use. Had to carry the bags 30-60 yards from the truck, then spread it. Seemed to help big time, all my plots were 6.8-7.4 this spring when I did the soil test.
 
I remember when Biologic sold a mixture of 20-20-20 and quicklime. A tad expensive, but that stuff would get a food plot in shape quick!
 
Shooter77 said:
Is that 2,700 per plot (1/4 acre) or all plots (1 acre)??

I spread 1,480 lbs last year of 40 lb bags with a Echo push spreader on my 5 plots. Sucked big time but it's all i had. Didn't have ATV or tractor to use. Had to carry the bags 30-60 yards from the truck, then spread it. Seemed to help big time, all my plots were 6.8-7.4 this spring when I did the soil test.
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I did 4,000# in 40 lb bags both this spring and last fall. Really sucked, but at least I had a UTV spreader. But that's a lot of bags to carry by yourself. And each one from the loading dock to the truck, then from the truck to the ground, then from the ground into the UTV bed, then from the UTV into the spreader. No wonder I now have back problems. 🤬
 
Spurhunter said:
2700# total for all 4 plots
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shew thats a lot of lime for 1 acre. I thought spreading 1480lbs sucked...lol if you can get a buggy from coop to these plots do that, if not, your going to need lots of 40lb bags with some type of hand or ATV spreader. Like someone else said, you can get discounts on pallets of it. I was buying it at TSC for 3 for 9 but them days are over. it's 5.99 a bag last time i was there.
 
BSK said:
I did 4,000# in 40 lb bags both this spring and last fall. Really sucked, but at least I had a UTV spreader. But that's a lot of bags to carry by yourself. And each one from the loading dock to the truck, then from the truck to the ground, then from the ground into the UTV bed, then from the UTV into the spreader. No wonder I now have back problems. 🤬
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I was happy when they COOP boys rolled up with a pallet and stuck it in my truck. it sucked unloading it all at the farm and spreading it. I ended up going to physical therapy for my shoulder about 2 months later...lol
 
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Shooter77 said:
I was happen when they COOP boys rolled up with a pallet and stuck it in my truck. it sucked unloading it all at the farm and spreading it. I ended up going to physical therapy for my shoulder about 2 months later...lol
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All my adult life I've watched people struggle with back problems and thought, I'm so glad that's not me. Now I've got something going on with my lower back. Hoping it's not a disk. Keeps me up at night. Jolt of pain every time I twist to roll over.

Getting old sucks. Playing at being a farmer is even worse.
 
^^^ I have a physical job ^^^^ but the less I do in actual working the less lean and mean I've gotten. I spend a lot of time estimating now as opposed to working. Started working out again and jogging 3 months ago and starting to see small results . I spread 800 lbs of 15-15-15 by hand 2 weeks ago in an ol shoulder strap spreader. I wasn't trying to be efficient, just get a workout . I was throwing 50 lbs on each shoulder and walking into the field and dropping them in different locations. I hurt all over my body for two days afterwards. Muscles and fat I forgot I had ached. 10 years ago this would have been no problem, getting older is not for sissies.
 
TNTreeman said:
^^^ I have a physical job ^^^^ but the less I do in actual working the less lean and mean I've gotten. I spend a lot of time estimating now as opposed to working. Started working out again and jogging 3 months ago and starting to see small results . I spread 800 lbs of 15-15-15 by hand 2 weeks ago in an ol shoulder strap spreader. I wasn't trying to be efficient, just get a workout . I was throwing 50 lbs on each shoulder and walking into the field and dropping them in different locations. I hurt all over my body for two days afterwards. Muscles and fat I forgot I had ached. 10 years ago this would have been no problem, getting older is not for sissies.
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Ain't that the truth. I'm still going strong and there are very few things I can't do. However, the older I get, the longer the aches and pains stay with me. Used to be none, then a day or 2. Now, it's 3-4 days. I can deal through that, for now at least. I've found that what gets me the most that I used to be able to tolerate, is the sun and heat. Being out in the elements for 12 hours doing farm work, or heck just sitting on the tractor for that long, completely drains me. It's a different kind of feeling, and that feeling typically sticks with me for about 4 days. It hits me bad.
 
Shooter77 said:
I was happy when they COOP boys rolled up with a pallet and stuck it in my truck. it sucked unloading it all at the farm and spreading it. I ended up going to physical therapy for my shoulder about 2 months later...lol
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I think that's where the liquid lime shines. 2.5 gal of solution per acre. Just add 10-15 gallons of water.
 
JCDEERMAN said:
I've found that what gets me the most that I used to be able to tolerate, is the sun and heat. Being out in the elements for 12 hours doing farm work, or heck just sitting on the tractor for that long, completely drains me. It's a different kind of feeling, and that feeling typically sticks with me for about 4 days. It hits me bad.
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Last year, I talked my brothers into coming to TN to help move tree stands in August. We worked for almost a week in Heat Indexes over 100 every day. Put up 4 tower blinds and moved 24 ladder stands, most being big 2-person ladders. Both of my brothers are in excellent shape. One lives a mile high in the Southwestern desert and runs and plays tennis almost every day. The other lives at 9,000 feet in the Rockies and regularly mountain bikes over 30 miles above tree-line. Yet after about the fourth day in a row of working all day in heavy clothes in our heat and humidity, they admitted they were wiped out. By the 5th day, we were all physical wrecks by lunchtime. Everyone said they felt like crap for the next week.
 
Two of my boys are ( 24 and 18) they work hard everyday for me then exercise and work second jobs. Tomorrow after work they are running 27 miles. They run 20 all the time but haven't run that far yet. My 18 yr old isn't as good of a runner but he is strong, benches 260 only weighing 150. He takes jujitsu and won several matches just because the others ran out of juice and he didn't . He would hold off the more skilled guys and win in the end because they were outta steam. I tell them all the time to enjoy their youth and energy, it won't be there forever .
 

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