Can You spread Powdered Lime From Fertiliser Spreader

mikefoxo

Got a quote for the lime but we're too far away for their fella to come and spread it. Don't know of anyone around here who has a proper lime spreader. Could I just spread with our fertiliser spreader? It's about 40 years old but does the job. The fertiliser comes through little slits in the bottom of the hopper out onto the plate. There's also a "thing" you can bolt onto it, a tube with spikes on it, that agitates whatevers in it. Would that help?

Also, is lime damp when it's delivered, or bone dry? Would this be an issue when spreading?

IH784man

No you can't unless I'm mistaken you can buy gran lime which I think is the same stuff only it is in the shape of normal fertiliser.

Username John

Ah - I dunno if you can't, I think I remember the father doing it with a vicon with that special agitator yoke years ago... But I'd say it's a bit of a balls of a job, I dunno how far would the soreader throw it, and you'd be killed from shovelling it in...
Better off with the granlime as previous poster said.

Bullocks

We've done it but I had to sit in the spreader poking it down the odd time . It's a balls of a job really.
It should be dry delivered or it will get clumpy .
Have you much for doing , there must be someone that will travel to spread it if you have a decent bit for spreading , if not maybe the gran lime is worth thinking about

rangler1

mikefoxo wrote: »

Got a quote for the lime but we're too far away for their fella to come and spread it. Don't know of anyone around here who has a proper lime spreader. Could I just spread with our fertiliser spreader? It's about 40 years old but does the job. The fertiliser comes through little slits in the bottom of the hopper out onto the plate. There's also a "thing" you can bolt onto it, a tube with spikes on it, that agitates whatevers in it. Would that help?

Also, is lime damp when it's delivered, or bone dry? Would this be an issue when spreading?

I've heard of guys spreading it with muckspreaders (side spreaders). you'd need the wind the right side of you if you wanted to be able to see out of the tractor after the first load

Cow Porter

Seen it spread with a rear discharge dung spreader at start of the year

mikefoxo

By rights I could do with spreading about 100 tons but that ain't gonna happen. I don't think there's been lime spread on the whole farm in about 40 years:eek:

The father wants to get rid of some ferns in a meadow he cuts year after year:rolleyes: He was pricing up spray to kill them - was working out at about €150 for stuff that would do 1 and 3/4 acres!!!!! And we don't have the best record when it comes to spraying. So I rang up the nearest lime supplier. 20 tons min. at €20/ton. Thought why not give it a go myself. As for the granulated stuff, was quoted about €140/ton - daylight robbery.

Username John

mikefoxo wrote: »

By rights I could do with spreading about 100 tons but that ain't gonna happen. I don't think there's been lime spread on the whole farm in about 40 years:eek:

The father wants to get rid of some ferns in a meadow he cuts year after year:rolleyes: He was pricing up spray to kill them - was working out at about €150 for stuff that would do 1 and 3/4 acres!!!!! And we don't have the best record when it comes to spraying. So I rang up the nearest lime supplier. 20 tons min. at €20/ton. Thought why not give it a go myself. As for the granulated stuff, was quoted about €140/ton - daylight robbery.

Whats the connection with ferns and lime? Liming won't get rid of the ferns I don't think?

IH784man

mikefoxo wrote: »

So I rang up the nearest lime supplier. 20 tons min. at €20/ton. Thought why not give it a go myself. As for the granulated stuff, was quoted about €140/ton - daylight robbery.

But it's no good if you can't get it spread.

mikefoxo

Username John wrote: »

Whats the connection with ferns and lime? Liming won't get rid of the ferns I don't think?

Lime increases soil pH - can't ferns only grow in soils with a low pH?

raypallas

mikefoxo wrote:

The father wants to get rid of some ferns in a meadow he cuts year after year He was pricing up spray to kill them - was working out at about €150 for stuff that would do 1 and 3/4 acres!!!!! And we don't have the best record when it comes to spraying. So I rang up the nearest lime supplier. 20 tons min. at €20/ton. Thought why not give it a go myself. As for the granulated stuff, was quoted about €140/ton - daylight robbery.

Is the granular lime not a lot more concentrated so a ton covers more ground? Not fully sure as we normally spread ground lime.

9935452

Username John wrote: »

Ah - I dunno if you can't, I think I remember the father doing it with a vicon with that special agitator yoke years ago... But I'd say it's a bit of a balls of a job, I dunno how far would the soreader throw it, and you'd be killed from shovelling it in...
Better off with the granlime as previous poster said.

The father used to do the same but found if the draw was long the lime would compact and harden from vibrations. so he used to put a centre of a roll of wrap straight up and pull it out just before he started spreading

Greengrass1

mikefoxo wrote: »

By rights I could do with spreading about 100 tons but that ain't gonna happen. I don't think there's been lime spread on the whole farm in about 40 years:eek:

The father wants to get rid of some ferns in a meadow he cuts year after year:rolleyes: He was pricing up spray to kill them - was working out at about €150 for stuff that would do 1 and 3/4 acres!!!!! And we don't have the best record when it comes to spraying. So I rang up the nearest lime supplier. 20 tons min. at €20/ton. Thought why not give it a go myself. As for the granulated stuff, was quoted about €140/ton - daylight robbery.

Gran lime is more concentrated.
Basicly 50kg has same effect as 1t of ground lime.
You would do 20ac/tonne of gran lime works out at 7/ac but needs to e spread each yr

rangler1

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Gran lime is more concentrated.
Basicly 50kg has same effect as 1t of ground lime.
You would do 20ac/tonne of gran lime works out at 7/ac but needs to e spread each yr

50kg/ac granlime is only a maintenance application, you'd need 100 kg/acre/yr to raise ph and then 50kg/acre to maintain it when you get it to where you want it

Greengrass1

rangler1 wrote: »

50kg/ac granlime is only a maintenance application, you'd need 100 kg/acre/yr to raise ph and then 50kg/acre to maintain it when you get it to where you want it

That's what I mean. 1 t of ground lime is only a maintenance dressing toi

Bullocks

Username John wrote: »

Whats the connection with ferns and lime? Liming won't get rid of the ferns I don't think?

I don't know about lime but the father reckoned spreading slag on rough ground years ago used to clear out ferns and grow nice grass after

orm0nd

Greengrass1 wrote: »

That's what I mean. 1 t of ground lime is only a maintenance dressing toi

but it will last longer than 1 year


@OP when you buy groundlimestone you are supposed to get a mix of very small granular and fine powder , the theory being that the powdery stuff will act fairly quickly & the granular will break down over a period of time

we spread some here on very high ground where the trailed spreader wouldn't travel & it was hardship , only spreader that worked any way was a twin disc amazone

Username John

mikefoxo wrote: »

Lime increases soil pH - can't ferns only grow in soils with a low pH?

They might prefer a lower Ph, but I dunno if lime / higher ph will get rid of them entirely? It would help, but you'd still need to spray as well probably...

Wikipedia lists (although Wikipedia wouldn't the most reliable source at times)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken

It is a prolific and abundant plant in the moorlands of Great Britain, where is limited to altitudes of below 600 metres. It does not like poorly drained marshes or fen. It has been observed growing in soils from pH 2.8 to 8.6. Exposure to cold or high pH inhibits its growth. It causes such a problem of invading pastureland that at one time the British government had an eradication programme.

mikefoxo

Username John wrote: »

They might prefer a lower Ph, but I dunno if lime / higher ph will get rid of them entirely? It would help, but you'd still need to spray as well probably...

Wikipedia lists (although Wikipedia wouldn't the most reliable source at times)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken

I was reading that myself last night too. I found this aswell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern

"Many ferns only grow within specific pH ranges; for instance, the climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum) of eastern North America will only grow in moist, intensely acid soils, while the bulblet bladder fern (Cystopteris bulbifera), with an overlapping range, is only found on limestone."



I'm going to admit I didn't actually know gran lime was stronger than powdered - I thought they were just charging a fortune for the hell of it!

Sam Kade

orm0nd wrote: »

but it will last longer than 1 year


@OP when you buy groundlimestone you are supposed to get a mix of very small granular and fine powder , the theory being that the powdery stuff will act fairly quickly & the granular will break down over a period of time

we spread some here on very high ground where the trailed spreader wouldn't travel & it was hardship , only spreader that worked any way was a twin disc amazone

Isn't it the other way round? The granular works immediately where as ground limestone spread this year won't start working until next year.

Username John

Sam Kade wrote: »

Isn't it the other way round? The granular works immediately where as ground limestone spread this year won't start working until next year.

I think ye are both right

Granular - as in bagged lime works immediately.

But ground limestone is made up of very fine dust, which is supposed to work immediately (although I think the bagged is still a bit quicker). And bigger more 'granular' particles, which take longer to break down and so the ground line works for longer...

*I think* anyways

orm0nd

Sam Kade wrote: »

Isn't it the other way round? The granular works immediately where as ground limestone spread this year won't start working until next year.

I'm referring to ground limestone only ,

orm0nd

Username John wrote: »

I think ye are both right

Granular - as in bagged lime works immediately.

But ground limestone is made up of very fine dust, which is supposed to work immediately (although I think the bagged is still a bit quicker). And bigger more 'granular' particles, which take longer to break down and so the ground line works for longer...

*I think* anyways

your're on the ball










I think !

Bscan86

Don't do it!!!!!!
I made the mistake of trying that years ago and ended up having to shovel it all back out coz it packed!!!! We've used both ground and granular. Ground lime generally lasts 5 years I think. The granular lime I have found thins out rushes and also causes grass to blow up around the rushes, was very happy with it but it needs to be reapplied every year.

Green farmer

I know a contractor that has a lot of expensive equipment. Whilst doing my silage I mentioned that I'll be applying lime once the crop was gone from field. I asked if they spread lime. Told me they have a rear discharge muck spreader and have applied it before, however even they get in the specialist lime spreading lads to do their land, as the lime lads are more accurate in spreading lime with sat navs and for what they'd burn on diesal, it's just as cheap to leave it to the specialists. I think it costs about €5-€7 a tonne to have it spread.