Which is best, lime dust or lime granules

Wondering is there any difference between lime dust from a quarry or lime granules putting it onto grazing pasture
Granules would seem better as its dust free at application time.
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
All about Neutralising Value (NV) and persistence

Granular lime is easy for a farmer to spread with his own tackle, has a good NV but is not especially persistent and runs out of steam after 2 years or so
Buxton ground lime has a similar NV, is more persistent but needs to be spread by a lime spreader (although a rear discharge muck spreader could do a job at a push)

@Cab-over Pete
 
Wondering is there any difference between lime dust from a quarry or lime granules putting it onto grazing pasture
Granules would seem better as its dust free at application time.

Might take a bit of finding, but this subject was done to death on a previous occasion.

I am on a small acreage now and never need to spread more than 2 tonnes at a time, but I use a small cone shaped spreader with a rotating plate on the bottom. I mix it with prilled fertiliser to help the flow. It is still slow and I would not do it on a bigger acreage, I would employ a contractor.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Granular lime is ace.

You pay shiploads more for a product where you apply 1/8th of the actual stuff.




Why lime has to be so complicated I will never know.

Take soil samples.

Apply ground lime using a contractor with the right equipment.

Profit.
This
And if any small producer wants to use proper ground as recomend by the Lime King Pete , there is always some in my yard ,my mate will spread a small amout for you I'm sure . Like a lot of lime contractor do
 
I just do not understand why you would need to mess with granules. They are incredibly expensive for what they are. 'A short term fix'- surely people are soil testing ahead of the next crop anyway?

Lime is dirt cheap around here, there are quarries locally, why you want to fudge about with granules or trying to spread any yourself I have no idea.

The dust would not bother me for toffee. Get the stuff on.
 

digger64

Member
ollie9898won't post: 6963237 said:
I just do not understand why you would need to mess with granules. They are incredibly expensive for what they are. 'A short term fix'- surely people are soil testing ahead of the next crop anyway?

Lime is dirt cheap around here, there are quarries locally, why you want to fudge about with granules or trying to spread any yourself I have no idea.

The dust would not bother me for toffee. Get the stuff on.
10 ton spreaders wont travel/float or get in everywhere nor come for less than 20 ton tipped ,I have used granulated to go round after the flashing light s have gone for the more challenging spots , which if left appear to get bigger over time if not much grows on it or wants to eat it . Its not cheap or as good but it has a place I expect it's handy in sugar beet sometimes to .
 
10 ton spreaders wont travel/float or get in everywhere nor come for less than 20 ton tipped ,I have used granulated to go round after the flashing light s have gone for the more challenging spots , which if left appear to get bigger over time if not much grows on it or wants to eat it . Its not cheap or as good but it has a place I expect it's handy in sugar beet sometimes to .

You don't need to carry 10 tonnes everywhere. Pay the man spreading it appropriately and I am sure he won't mind carrying a part load.

20 tonnes of lime is enough to coat 10 acres at the maximum dose. You can always get rid of the stuff by spreading it thinly elsewhere, it won't do any harm.
 

digger64

Member
You don't need to carry 10 tonnes everywhere. Pay the man spreading it appropriately and I am sure he won't mind carrying a part load.

20 tonnes of lime is enough to coat 10 acres at the maximum dose. You can always get rid of the stuff by spreading it thinly elsewhere, it won't do any harm.
You don't need to carry 10 tonnes everywhere. Pay the man spreading it appropriately and I am sure he won't mind carrying a part load.

20 tonnes of lime is enough to coat 10 acres at the maximum dose. You can always get rid of the stuff by spreading it thinly elsewhere, it won't do any harm.
If only it was so simple ,
 

Dave6170

Member
I just do not understand why you would need to mess with granules. They are incredibly expensive for what they are. 'A short term fix'- surely people are soil testing ahead of the next crop anyway?

Lime is dirt cheap around here, there are quarries locally, why you want to fudge about with granules or trying to spread any yourself I have no idea.

The dust would not bother me for toffee. Get the stuff on.
Lime is around 32/t here and i still consider it cheap for what it does
 
The contractor that used to do ours has passed away and the only other one in the area flat refuses to do the steep ground ( don't blame him really). Is there a mounted fert spreader that will spread ground limestone? If not it's granules or nothing ☹️
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
It’s the same stuff, just one is made into prills to go through a fert spreader. Chemically, it will need exactly the same quantity to neutralise the same level of acidity for the same length of time, because it is the same stuff.

The price for the convenience of having it in prills quadruples the cost, and that’s comparing ‘delivered & Spread’ price locally with ‘delivered only’ for the prills.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top