Which is best, lime dust or lime granules

[Derrick Hughes]

Used to easy do 20 acres a day with two men on the back of a trailer with a shovel each, driving up wind
If you suggested that today you would get some right funny looks
But that's how it was all done before the latter day machines took over . Now it's my machine is to big to do that
Bit of manual work will do some of you bum sitters the world of good
Like the Crewe Boxing team that used to come and split our logs with axes for free

 

[Cab-over Pete]

This. Unfortunately we're not all blessed with good contractors. And, let's be honest, contractors don't really want 10 acre jobs anyway.

I’ve done plenty of one lorry load jobs. You never know what it might lead to in the future.
The problem I have is I’m not proactive enough. I don’t “do sales”. Most people like that. I send an old fashioned letter out twice a year, which most like because it’s an actual, physical thing that hangs around reminding them to call, but some have got a bit arsey about it over the years because they think I’m not bothered about their work enough to go and see them.
Which is unfortunate, because I most certainly am.

 

[Zebbedee]

No, it’s not always that simple.

I have one field in continuous spring barley.
Field floods completely 3-4 times every winter anytime between October & April. Never ploughed until just before it’s sown as I don’t want topsoil washed away or debris all over the seedbed rather than stubble.
Doesn't give much of a window for contractor to get lime on so it gets granules every year once crop through the ground.

Expensive for what it does but certainly has its place for some situations.

Pick the dry spring and spread ground lime on top of crop most spreaders will not leave a mark, we have a few customers will not do it any other way

 

[Zebbedee]

back in the sixties we got ground limestone from ullapool. presume the quarry is closed? it was hauled across on 18ton flats with 18" sides. shovel job to empty.

Ullapool quarry still open, well it normally is but on lockdown just now??

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Pick the dry spring and spread ground lime on top of crop most spreaders will not leave a mark, we have a few customers will not do it any other way

Problem Is around here PH is so low 5.5 and lower . If you did not put lime in the seed bed would it effect the crop . I only see about 10% of farms spreading lime now . A lot of big dairy farms I never see using it . They on the same type of soil as we are so their PH must be dreadfull

 

[Zebbedee]

Problem Is around here PH is so low 5.5 and lower . If you did not put lime in the seed bed would it effect the crop . I only see about 10% of farms spreading lime now . A lot of big dairy farms I never see using it . They on the same type of soil as we are so their PH must be dreadfull

Yea I was kinda replying to the poster who said he had no window before drilling to do it so suggesting on top is still a do-able option if dry it certainly is do-able here anyway ??

 

[upnortheast]

Its good stuff wherever it comes from

You would not expect anything else from NE England

 

[Farmer Fin]

I’ve done plenty of one lorry load jobs. You never know what it might lead to in the future.
The problem I have is I’m not proactive enough. I don’t “do sales”. Most people like that. I send an old fashioned letter out twice a year, which most like because it’s an actual, physical thing that hangs around reminding them to call, but some have got a bit arsey about it over the years because they think I’m not bothered about their work enough to go and see them.
Which is unfortunate, because I most certainly am.

Like your approach. Can’t be doing with being pestered by folk. We see our lime man once a year. His number is in my phone, he comes and does a good job. That’s all we need.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The last time I had that criticism was a bloke that said I “hadn’t set one f***ing foot on his f***ing farm for three f***ing years.”

I sent him a copy of an invoice for work done only two years previously but he didn’t relent or apologise, opting instead for getting another company to do his work and slagging me off to his farming cousin and neighbours.

Nothing lost, I already have an arsehole of my own, I don’t need another one bothering me.

 

[ollie989898]

I’ve done plenty of one lorry load jobs. You never know what it might lead to in the future.
The problem I have is I’m not proactive enough. I don’t “do sales”. Most people like that. I send an old fashioned letter out twice a year, which most like because it’s an actual, physical thing that hangs around reminding them to call, but some have got a bit arsey about it over the years because they think I’m not bothered about their work enough to go and see them.
Which is unfortunate, because I most certainly am.

I reckon you should probably spend 2 days going out in the truck and seeing as many folk as you can. Do it before harvest is underway. How you do it is up to you but give out a note book and pen at the least. Just tell them all you are making an effort this year to go out and see present or former customers because a few customers moaned you don't see them often enough. Then go and see them in the dead of winter, too.

 

[ollie989898]

Pick the dry spring and spread ground lime on top of crop most spreaders will not leave a mark, we have a few customers will not do it any other way

This is what I would do.

Every other liming thread on TFF seems to end up with at least 3 people telling us all why they won't do conventional liming. It's mind boggling to me in all honesty. You make what, two phone calls? A man tips the stuff up somewhere and another comes and spreads it. I could do that sat in bed if I had to.

 

[Hilly]

Had 60 tonne Calcium Lime spread this spring £23 / tonne. Quarry is about 25 miles away

Which quarry do you get it from ?

 

[upnortheast]

Which quarry do you get it from ?

Marsden, South Shields

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The cost is haulage. Lime is relatively cheap ,so if you live near a quarry it will be a lot cheaper than mine that's hauled 150 miles

 

[Cab-over Pete]

This is what I would do.

Every other liming thread on TFF seems to end up with at least 3 people telling us all why they won't do conventional liming. It's mind boggling to me in all honesty. You make what, two phone calls? A man tips the stuff up somewhere and another comes and spreads it. I could do that sat in bed if I had to.

Most of my customers don’t even ask for a quote. A good chunk of them don’t even call me. Many of them just say turn up when you like, sample the land you think wants doing, get the job done. One chap rang once and said he thought it was about time I sampled a block of land a couple of miles from home. I told him I had sampled it a month ago and spread the lime in the last week! Being clairvoyant is all part of the service.
The only thing they have to do is pay me, and many of those do within a week of receiving an invoice.

 

[digger64]

Can you explain why so?

I used to get lime spread in all kinds of places, if the land is too steep to lime that is one thing, but I don't know how it can be made complicated?

Most of the contractors round here are used to working for large arable estates etc and the gear they have and price they quote suits it , they are assigned the job by the lime Co . and paid per ton spread for the season , these places have put most of their challenging land in schemes and watch it go desolate whilst being paid , these tractor operators do not experience on a regular basis bogs , rushes ,, ditches , flood drains, cattle , electric fences small yards , narrow gates reclaimed bits with stumps etc in , slopes and driftways . Some winge,some flatly refuse ,Some really can't deal with it ( but not all ) and some are really good ( I remember one who would lift the gate post out with his grab bucket then put it back after he had finished and nail the wire back on .)
Just filling up a full load then driving round the outside then following an AB line on the screen up and down really can literally drop you in it literally .If they do get bogged it's serious with that weight and the spreading plates /platform can get bent that's expensive .
They also don't like moving between jobs loaded as they say that is haulage and illegal on red on the other hand tipping a lorry nearby isn't always straight forward either .
The stock also have to be somewhere and spreading in winter just isn't on . So no its not that simple but it's still worth doing and hence doing say 5-10% with granules that go 24 metres is handy at a later date as an option .

 

[JohnGalway]

It's a fudging bargain at that money!

I do not understand why anyone would pay circa £100/tonne for granules, apply 250kg of the stuff and ever do the job again. You would think the sore head from doing it would deter people from doing it.

Back in 2013 Teagasc were recommending it's use, best thing since sliced bread. I protested at a discussion group meeting that it's madness to use granulated lime anywhere ground lime can be spread. I was rounded on by all including the facilitator.

Skip forward 4/5 years, same group largely, same facilitator comes out with "New research now says gran lime isn't as effective as previously thought and could be quite expensive". Told him what I thought and left the "Send your money to town" group ?‍

 

[Cab-over Pete]

The whole granular lime thing is nothing but a profiteering scam. It’s waste lime dust made into something useful (which normally I would have no problem with) but then charged an absolute fortune for. Most of its cost is trucking the waste to plants so it can be prilled, so buyers are paying for 3-4 lots of haulage before it gets on farm.

It’s an absolute rip off.

I really ought to keep my mouth shut about it because the more expensive it is the better it is for farmers who recognise the benefits of good quality ground lime. And the better that is for me too.

 

[wr.]

@Cab-over Pete Have you used the Cotswold Lime? Nobody else seems to have used it. Our man is using it this year and I wondered what it's going to be like.

 

[Steevo]

Love this:

I’ve done plenty of one lorry load jobs. You never know what it might lead to in the future.
The problem I have is I’m not proactive enough. I don’t “do sales”. Most people like that. I send an old fashioned letter out twice a year, which most like because it’s an actual, physical thing that hangs around reminding them to call, but some have got a bit arsey about it over the years because they think I’m not bothered about their work enough to go and see them.
Which is unfortunate, because I most certainly am.

And this:

Most of my customers don’t even ask for a quote. A good chunk of them don’t even call me. Many of them just say turn up when you like, sample the land you think wants doing, get the job done. One chap rang once and said he thought it was about time I sampled a block of land a couple of miles from home. I told him I had sampled it a month ago and spread the lime in the last week! Being clairvoyant is all part of the service.
The only thing they have to do is pay me, and many of those do within a week of receiving an invoice.

Service like that is invaluable! I wish I had someone like that who made it their business to care about my business.

I haven’t seen a lime man for 5+ years. Probably should ask someone to come test but last time almost nothing needed doing and I feel bad for wasting their time. Sampling costs them, yet they do it FOC.