Where to buy lime?

[Farmer Wally]

Give it a year or two. It may well be cheaper in year one, but give it time.

Several of my customers have tried it. They have all come back except one. He has retired. I now lime his farm for someone else.

Most people believe the standard way of dealing with PH levels is good farming practice..?

So

Year 1 you arrive and spread on a low Ph
Year 2 levels have risen
Year 3 levels have peaked and maybe started to fall
Year 4 ph levels falling
Year 5 farmer thinks I better get some lime on next year..

So you only have a couple of years at a good PH level

A lot of the time this is standard farming practice for lime and PH levels because it is forgotten about

Poor ph levels can result in poor crop growth due to more toxins unlocked ie: aluminiums and leads released in the soil that poison the plants, so poorer yields, locked up nutrients, break down of expensive residual chemicals because of acidic soils also some weeds thrive on acidic soils

But
If you use the granular lime you can drip feed it to keep your ph levels at there optimum to help protect your investment in the ground
Plus you can spread when you want and go down the tramlines in a growing crop.
and no big spreaders compacting your land thus resulting in higher cultivation costs.

So when it comes down to the cost you speak of Pete
It comes back to the return you get on the investment you have made

Tin hat is on ..! xx

 

[Paddington]

We are limited to using granular as small fields and small gateways are not contractor friendly, I think Pete's big A would be too big to even get up the drive! We only tested for pH as our hay yield has fallen off in the last few years, otherwise I think we wouldn't have bothered. I guess arable /mixed farms test more for pH than livestock?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Most people believe the standard way of dealing with PH levels is good farming practice..?

So

Year 1 you arrive and spread on a low Ph
Year 2 levels have risen
Year 3 levels have peaked and maybe started to fall
Year 4 ph levels falling
Year 5 farmer thinks I better get some lime on next year..

So you only have a couple of years at a good PH level

A lot of the time this is standard farming practice for lime and PH levels because it is forgotten about

Poor ph levels can result in poor crop growth due to more toxins unlocked ie: aluminiums and leads released in the soil that poison the plants, so poorer yields, locked up nutrients, break down of expensive residual chemicals because of acidic soils also some weeds thrive on acidic soils

But
If you use the granular lime you can drip feed it to keep your ph levels at there optimum to help protect your investment in the ground
Plus you can spread when you want and go down the tramlines in a growing crop.
and no big spreaders compacting your land thus resulting in higher cultivation costs.

So when it comes down to the cost you speak of Pete
It comes back to the return you get on the investment you have made

Tin hat is on ..! xx

No need for a tin hat. If it works for you, then great.

Drip feeding is the key. Most just don't do that. Nothing to do with me, just down to the farmer. From my point of view, the best way to use ground lime is to put 1-1.5 t/acre on regularly. I take no pleasure in telling farmers they have a pH of 5.2 or worse. They are less even pleased than me!! But don't shoot the messenger...........it's not my fault it's that low!!

 

[chickens and wheat]

John E Coning 01347-838563 travels all over the York area.
http://www.wnif.co.uk/articles/705/1/Mercedes-Benz-Unimog-U500-fertiliser-conversion/Page1.html

 

[neilo]

. I guess arable /mixed farms test more for pH than livestock?

But why? Grass (& clover!) production is surely every bit as important to stock farms as corn is to arable farmers? If pH is too low in grassland, it will lock up phosphates and more or less wipe out clover growth. It will also drastically reduce the response to any fert applied and lock up several essential trace elements. I'm guessing the promised bung from @Cab-over Pete won't turn up again, but lime is probably the best value input for any farm that has a very low pH, livestock or arable.

 

[Farmer Wally]

No need for a tin hat. If it works for you, then great.

Drip feeding is the key. Most just don't do that. Nothing to do with me, just down to the farmer. From my point of view, the best way to use ground lime is to put 1-1.5 t/acre on regularly. I take no pleasure in telling farmers they have a pH of 5.2 or worse. They are less even pleased than me!! But don't shoot the messenger...........it's not my fault it's that low!!

I never said it was your fault Pete.

But even if the farmer did put 1-1.5t/acre of ground lime on, on a regular basis
You are both relying on the land being clear and for weather to be right in a maybe a small application window when everything else is going on.
But
Drip feed granular lime through your fert spreader upto 36m when you want, in a growing crop, in a tramline
It's a far better and more useful product than what it is given credit for.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

As said before Wally, granular will work in the right situation. I have always said that and never said it doesn't work at all. What grates with me is the way it is sold and promoted as some new wonder product that will cure all your problems when it is exactly the same stuff.

I'm well aware that service is everything in the lime spreading business. I don't need two big spreaders for the amount I spread in a year, it's just that most if it is in 6 weeks about now!! The last thing I need is a catchy September...........just as we have now!

I was sheeting up some lime on a farm yesterday and noticed he had some granular. He will use it to top up a couple of patches of outlying land rather than me cart some all the way along there. I asked genuinely if he thought it pays and he said no, but it works in some places. Just as I have always said.

If it works on your farm, get it done, but please don't let pH slip too low. otherwise you will have a big job on your hands and only one product stacks up then, and that's ground lime.

 

[Mounty]

Some people like the granular because of the reduced dust. Doesn't look particularly dust free. Guessing these prills are turning to dust the second the spinner hits them. Would like to see a tray test.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I have some lime tipped on a farm next to SuperJohn, my spreader driver. Several years ago , we couldn't get to him on time for whatever reason, so he bought some prilled lime.

The farmer is well known for his colourful language and made me chuckle when he said that, although he thought it should be dust free, he remarked "Dust!!! Dust!!!! I should think aliens could see me spreading it from outer f*****g space!!"

 

[Farmer Wally]

More granular lime hate propaganda

From people who don't spread it

All products have dust but
Get a decent spreader that releases it from the centre so it can centrifugal itself to the outside instead of dropping it on the outer part of the disc and smashing it with the vane like the bat and ball affect..!

Get back to work lime spreader boys time is of the essence for you contractors.

 

[Mounty]

More granular lime hate propaganda

From people who don't spread it

All products have dust but
Get a decent spreader that releases it from the centre so it can centrifugal itself to the outside instead of dropping it on the outer part of the disc and smashing it with the vane like the bat and ball affect..!

Get back to work lime spreader boys time is of the essence for you contractors.

Ahh, no ones mentioned that its only suitable for certain spreaders, must add that to the anti list.

We'd gladly be at work today but 27mm has given us the weekend off, and its a bit windy

 

[Farmer Wally]

Ahh, no ones mentioned that its only suitable for certain spreaders, must add that to the anti list.

We'd gladly be at work today but 27mm has given us the weekend off, and its a bit windy

Lol
Can't believe you left yourself open for a response by saying its to wet and windy for you ..!
One for the anti list..!

If you cant keep up Best get some granular lime in stock to apply after the crops are drilled.!

Enjoy your time off.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

But surely it's too wet and windy for granular too!.

Thanks Wally for the advice on how to run my business. It's very much appreciated. I'll get back out there in this 30 mph gusty weather and let the neighbours have most of it. But then, that's par for the course, I suppose. I'm sure the driver of the tractor spreading the prills will be thankful for you putting him right too. I really am genuinely glad it works for you. IT HAS ITS PLACE.

At least if I was out there, I wouldn't be wasting my time on here!! I really wish at these times that I was talking face to face with folks about this subject. I don't get wound up about it at all and just put my point across calmly. If you read past posts on the subject, you will see that a lot of what I write comes from past users and information from both prilled lime websites and the excellent (and totally independent) Agricultural Lime Producers website which covers all liming products.

Time really IS of the essence for us, because we are inundated with work. Thankfully the vast majority of farmers know which product gives them the best return year in, year out, so we are flat out and wishing the phone would stop ringing. I can't think why I spend my time putting this point across. Granular lime has not affected my business one bit, neither do I expect it to. As I said though, please don't let pH values slide. You WILL have a big expense on your hands then.

Thanks for the banter. I'm out.

 

[Mounty]

Lol
Can't believe you left yourself open for a response by saying its to wet and windy for you ..!
One for the anti list..!

If you cant keep up Best get some granular lime in stock to apply after the crops are drilled.!

Enjoy your time off.

Ha, thought you might pick up on that, it was deliberate hence the whistling emo. Can't keep up? Well we have done. Had one of our busiest spells in many years and our aim this week was to make sure all our jobs were completed before the weather turned. We managed it too. Come and have a go at managing this sort of job and see how you get on. It was a difficult week with windy weather and wheat being drilled right behind us. On Thursday alone we delivered 3217 tonnes. This was all spread by close of play Friday. It does all get pretty stressful but a lot of people rely on us doing the job in the right weather conditions and when they need it. The fact we've been on some of these farms for decades tends to speak volumes. Thats why a few bags of granular will never be too much concern.

 

[Farmer Wally]

Ha, thought you might pick up on that, it was deliberate hence the whistling emo. Can't keep up? Well we have done. Had one of our busiest spells in many years and our aim this week was to make sure all our jobs were completed before the weather turned. We managed it too. Come and have a go at managing this sort of job and see how you get on. It was a difficult week with windy weather and wheat being drilled right behind us. On Thursday alone we delivered 3217 tonnes. This was all spread by close of play Friday. It does all get pretty stressful but a lot of people rely on us doing the job in the right weather conditions and when they need it. The fact we've been on some of these farms for decades tends to speak volumes. Thats why a few bags of granular will never be too much concern.

Can't believe you've lowered yourself to bragging how much you do and how difficult your job is and no one else could it

Get over yourself ..!

 

[Mounty]

I was just giving a few facts about what we'd been up to with our work, not bragging. Thought that was quite common on this forum? As for saying no one else could do it? Where exactly did I say that, point it out for me!!
Don't think I've lowered myself, well not to your level anyhow.

As Pete said above, I'M OUT !!