Calcium vs. Mag Lime Based on Soil Test

[Sid]

Yes I agree, that field has had nothing bar lime between the tests as we reseeded it and it rained for 2 months solid after so could not get anything on

How much limex did you put on?

 

[Princess Pooper]

Lots of good advice as always so thanks again. All of it makes complete sense.

On the face of it I have a mag test result that is twice as high as it should be and a calcium year result that is half as high as it should be. Based on that alone it should be pretty obvious that calcium lime is needed to address the balance (or at least avoid worsening it).

The only other argument for mag rather than calcium seems to be it’s more forgiving in wind/rain but if it’s not the right stuff then maybe pissing in the wind regardless.

I’ll need to do some numbers, might not be completely out of the question to do it all with 2t calcium this year. If it takes the majority of a year to get working (as I’ve read elsewhere) I’d rather not wait any longer than needed to fix the problem. I’ve still a big potash deficiency to fix once the pH is on the right track too!

Muck or slurry is the quickest way to get some potash in if you can fit it into the husbandry, we put ours on mainly in autumn and don't get any staggers problems. We are usually wet for too long in the spring to get it on without contaminating the next crop.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Derrick, granular lime, prilled lime is no more available than good quality ground lime. The ground line will have AT LEAST 40% of dust just as fine as the prills are made from.

The prills are not more available or faster acting. It CANNOT and WILL NOT work any faster, it is EXACTLY the same stuff.

Over a period of years, say a decade, you will need to put the same weight of prills on to do the same job as good quality ground lime. Because it’s EXACTLY the same stuff.

Did I not ever mention that before?[emoji1]

I agree to a degree and in no advocate of prilled lime due to cost. But my point was that if its a fine dust then its all available well a lot more of it , ground limestone will never be all available no matter how good it is , if that makes any sense
But having tried all these products and yapped on and on about it I have never found anything to match the lime we had from Huntsman. Quick acting and lasts

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The R Value on Granulated lime would be 98 % R Value NV 54

Breedon Lime Cotswolds
50% NV
R Value 70%

 

[whitefox]

Definitely a good way to look at it. I’m definitely aware the 5.3 is not a great place to be and am keen to do something about it as soon as possible now I have a bit of security.

With a big rent payment due in June as well as other costs due before any income later in year, I think I’ll have to go for either 1.5t calcium or 2t mag as a maximum. With such a low pH at the moment I can see the contractors argument for 2t mag but will sleep on it I think. Many thanks for your input folks

why dont you get the landlord to contribute,if your paying a big rent already for deficient ground on a short term lease?,does the landlord collect the sfp?

 

[whitefox]

Definitely a good way to look at it. I’m definitely aware the 5.3 is not a great place to be and am keen to do something about it as soon as possible now I have a bit of security.

With a big rent payment due in June as well as other costs due before any income later in year, I think I’ll have to go for either 1.5t calcium or 2t mag as a maximum. With such a low pH at the moment I can see the contractors argument for 2t mag but will sleep on it I think. Many thanks for your input folks

why dont you get the landlord to contribute,if your paying a big rent already for deficient ground on a short term lease?,does the landlord collect the sfp?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The R Value on Granulated lime would be 98 % R Value NV 54

Breedon Lime Cotswolds
50% NV
R Value 70%

Can you amalgamate your last two posts, this one and the one where you state you’ve never used a better product than the Breedon Huntsmans lime, despite the above figures suggesting the granules to somehow better.

I source more than 90% of my lime from Huntsmans and it is the product I recommend to all of my customers.

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best product I supply.

I agree to a degree and in no advocate of prilled lime due to cost. But my point was that if its a fine dust then its all available well a lot more of it , ground limestone will never be all available no matter how good it is , if that makes any sense
But having tried all these products and yapped on and on about it I have never found anything to match the lime we had from Huntsman. Quick acting and lasts

 

[Gibbybox]

Muck or slurry is the quickest way to get some potash in if you can fit it into the husbandry, we put ours on mainly in autumn and don't get any staggers problems. We are usually wet for too long in the spring to get it on without contaminating the next crop.

Totally correct and a good suggestion. Only problem is the cows are housed elsewhere over winter so limited muck available. I have put on hen pen in the past and we now put some well broken down court dung onto the silage fields only, but they are really needing blackened not just a token gesture they are currently getting. Thinking of an application of MoP this summer after cutting silage.

why dont you get the landlord to contribute,if your paying a big rent already for deficient ground on a short term lease?,does the landlord collect the sfp?

Definitely a good idea whitefox. Part of the reason for asking this question is to get my head around what I need and costs associated to then negotiate with landlord. Nothing is signed as yet but on the right track with this, difficulty is that the landlord is non-farming background so doesn’t appreciate the need for healthy nutrient and pH levels quite the same.

As always with rented ground, it’s a balance between firing the inputs on and making sure there is a return (in terms of increased stock, or better performance due to increased forage quality) that can be realised within the lease period. Would be a different story if the place was owned obviously.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Aede1

Can you amalgamate your last two posts, this one and the one where you state you’ve never used a better product than the Breedon Huntsmans lime, despite the above figures suggesting the granules to somehow better.

I source more than 90% of my lime from Huntsmans and it is the product I recommend to all of my customers.

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best product I supply.

Like I said with Hunsman you have a lime thats quick acting and last . Not a flash in the pan
I limed some fields 8 years ago . 5.5 . Tested the same fields this spring , still over 6

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The potash is dreadfully low like some of mine
You need murate of potash on . No way muck on its own will lift that enough.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

You could try Fibrophos 0-5-20 for the potash. 100 acres would make good use of a load.

Otherwise to that, a new product named Juniper.

 

[PSQ]

Great to hear your take on it @Cab-over Pete. I’m based in South Lanarkshire and previously have had calcium lime sourced from Tata which is supposed to be very good. The contractor being used this time gets it from Thompsons of Proudhoe. I haven’t had it tested (not sure if that would be usual/recommended) so relying on their word for consistency/adherence to spec.

Right, don’t tell anyone I said this, but you can buy the lime direct from Tata at Shap (or whoever owns ‘British Steel’ this week), and for Haulage up the M6/M74 (?) speak to James at Bullmans, who hauls in 10 loads of Shap lime for me every few years and he can’t be faulted. I don’t know your distance from Shap, but we’re 105 miles and still buy it after sieve testing the alternatives.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

How much is Shap lime ex works?

 

[Gibbybox]

Finally able to give an update on the lime story. Weeks and months of catchy (mainly wet) weather put a stop to getting it on earlier but patience finally paid off.

7 artics of Prudhoe calcium lime delivered late last week and spread today. Great conditions for it and very relieved to have it on at last after much back and forth on the various options. I was flying about dipping sheep in between moving stock away from the spreader so never got an action shot unfortunately. Looking forward to assessing the difference!

 

[Bob]

What is Prudhoe Calcium Lime?

 

[Gibbybox]

What is Prudhoe Calcium Lime?

Supplied by Thompsons of Prudhoe

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Finally got my Cotswold Lime back, 70% reactivity

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Proper stuff

 

[Derrick Hughes]

70% reactivity

 

[Cab-over Pete]

And where was that from?