Granulated Lime

[DairyNerd]

Always had ground limestone spread before. Anyone used granulated lime? What are the pro's and cons? I guess it is a more expensive product but surely there is a gain in being able to spread yourself when you want and ease of handling.

 

[benny6910]

Always had ground limestone spread before. Anyone used granulated lime? What are the pro's and cons? I guess it is a more expensive product but surely there is a gain in being able to spread yourself when you want and ease of handling.

I’ve used it for patch treating areas. It’s fine for small areas but I wouldn’t want to do 50 acres at 1 ton acre. It’s a slow job trying to get a decent rate on.

 

[Dave6170]

@Cab-over Pete is good at explaining it.

 

[sidjon]

Granular lime is short lived, get your lime from castle hill would be the best stuff

 

[davidroberts30]

its 10x more expensive!!!

 

[Chae1]

It's fine for a little and often approach. We've some land we apply it to annually.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Waste of time and you're conning yourself if you think it's any better. Why not just apply 1 tonne a year via contractor and have the same fuzzy warm feeling? It'll be cheaper. There is no way 250kg of granulates has the same poke has 1 tonne of the real deal.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It has its place and can work in certain circumstances.

First of all, where are you @DairyNerd ?

 

[john432]

You've had a busy hard day..and you're thirsty... You're offered either a tot of whiskey, or a big mug of tea.. that's my comparison...

 

[davidroberts30]

You've had a busy hard day..and you're thirsty... You're offered either a tot of whiskey, or a big mug of tea.. that's my comparison...

i like

 

[Jackov Altraids]

i like

Whiskey?

 

[DairyNerd]

It has its place and can work in certain circumstances.

First of all, where are you @DairyNerd ?

East Devon.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I don’t know for certain, but I would have thought there were several sources of lime or chalk a reasonable distance from you, so that the haulage didn’t make bulk products too expensive.

In certain areas of the country it could be 150 miles to a bulk lime quarry, so granular can work in such situations. Also , if your pH values are very seldom off the mark, it can be easy to maintain them with granular.

However, if your ground needs lime every few years, it’s highly unlikely that granular will stack up financially.

Granular lime is made up of 100% 150 micron dust. If you use a good quality ground lime (not screened lime) it must, by law, be made up of AT LEAST 40% 150 micron dust, thereby working quickly and efficiently in your soil, whilst the rest of the sample gives longevity.

Granular lime cannot, and will not work any better or faster than a good quality ground lime. It is made from exactly the same stuff.

Be wary of any sales talk to the contrary and dismiss entirely the notion that the totally made up figure of TNV (total neutralizing value) is of any use whatsoever. It isn’t.

 

[deleted user 837354]

East Devon.

Castle Hill quarry be your best bet then.

 

[deleted user 837354]

You've had a busy hard day..and you're thirsty... You're offered either a tot of whiskey, or a big mug of tea.. that's my comparison...

They are both tea. There is no chemical nor physical difference between lime and granulated lime. It's exactly the same fudging stuff.

The idea that 250kg/acre of some wunderdust is going to make a jot of difference to pH is a lark.

 

[davidroberts30]

Whiskey?

whiskey and the analogy

 

[davidroberts30]

They are both tea. There is no chemical nor physical difference between lime and granulated lime. It's exactly the same fudging stuff.

The idea that 250kg/acre of some wunderdust is going to make a jot of difference to pH is a lark.

if 250kgs of prilled could match 2000kgs of ground it would be so alkali it would caustic burn you

 

[deleted user 837354]

if 250kgs of prilled could match 2000kgs of ground it would be so alkali it would caustic burn you

Look at what Pete said- if you want the same effect then apply 500kg/acre of normal lime and you'd be getting similar amounts of 150 micron dust as you would from granules- and it would be cheaper to buy in the first place.

 

[Wisconsonian]

...Be wary of any sales talk to the contrary and dismiss entirely the notion that the totally made up figure of TNV (total neutralizing value) is of any use whatsoever. It isn’t.

I'll take the blame for that, as TNV is one of the tests done on lime here in the US. It's just the total neutralizing capacity of the material, if it all eventually breaks down and reacts. Especially for a coarse lime, it will be higher than the Effective Neutralizing Power which estimates the first year change. 3" crushed lime would have the same TNV as the powdered product, but virtually 0 EFN.

I suspect that's not the way it's being used to promote granulated lime (pelleted lime). So be extra wary.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Thank you @Wisconsonian for explaining that. I have often wondered where that figure came from.

Those that sell granular lime often compare their TNV figure to the NV figure more commonly used in the UK. It obviously makes their product look twice as “good”, whereas in reality it’s no different.

Granular lime will not, and can not, work better, faster or longer than good quality ground lime. They are exactly the same base product.