First time spreading lime by hand

[Natty Bumppo]

Hey guys....I've got a small hidey hole plot going about one third of an acre out in the back 40. My soil test last year came back abysmally low..4.7 pH. My brother and I are going to get some lime down by hand this weekend and I was just wondering if anybody has any tips and/or mistakes to avoid. Never done anything like this. My ag dealer has 50 pound bags of pulverized lime...I can get a ton delivered on a pallet for about $200.

Thought about loading up my DR versa trailer (it can hold a ton) with the lime and just driving slowly around the plot while we throw shovels full. I know this isn't rocket science. Am I missing anything?

 

[wiscwhip]

Wear a dust mask!

 

[shawnv]

I always wish I had wore a back brace after running lime bags for hours.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Wear a mask and do it on a day without wind.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

Spreading thousands of pounds of lime by hand is going to suck, but it could be worse. Keep the wind at your back or you'll end up with lime dust in your eyes and nose or go with a dust mask as wischship recommends. The best way to spread lime by hand is have someone else do it while you drive the ATV. Some areas will have more lime than others, but that's OK. When I spread lime by hand I would run over the area with a drag after the lime was spread just to even things out a bit.

 

[bueller]

The bags of pulverized lime are terribly dry and dusty. If you have a road ready trailer and a place where you can buy ag lime, have them dump 1500 lbs on the trailer. The moisture in the ag lime keeps the dust WAY down compwred to the bagged stuff. Shovel and throw will have it spread in under one hour.

 

[Terrific_tom]

I would also check to see if you could get pelletized lime, it would be easier to spread in my opinion. Menards has pelletized lime and has 11% rebate going on if you have one in your area.

 

[SD51555]

Do you know how much lime you need? Could vary quite a bit depending on your buffer pH.

 

[wiscwhip]

Do you know how much lime you need? Could vary quite a bit depending on your buffer pH.

And the CCE of the lime you are using!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Do you know how much lime you need? Could vary quite a bit depending on your buffer pH.

The soil test called for 14000 pounds per acre. It recommended applying 8,000 lbs. per acre this year and retesting next. Thought I'd try a ton on my little plot and retest next year.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

And the CCE of the lime you are using!

Now here's where I think I can learn something. What's CCE and what do I need to know?

Thanks.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Now here's where I think I can learn something. What's CCE and what do I need to know?

Thanks.

Quoting myself…just check out my bags of lime and I see the CCE is calcium carbonate equivalent. The bags I have are 103%. What does that tell me?

Thanks for everybody's input and suggestions. Dust mask is a good tip I would not have thought of.

 

[wiscwhip]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner Natty. Grandbabies! The CCE is just a measurement of how effective the lime is compared to pure calcium carbonate which is considered 100%, so with 103% you will be just fine to add the recommended amount. The problem would be if your lime was like 80%, then you would have to add much more than what was recommended.

 

[Peeps]

I spread bags of pell lime by hand earlier this spring after my spreader broke on my first pass. I held a 50 lb bag in one arm and threw the lime with my other hand. It was a good workout to say the least.

 

[foggy]

My wife and I spread two tons of bagged lime "by hand" our first year. Was a hot, horrible experience.....and my wife insisted that I buy a lime spreader if I wanted more lime put down. :D I took her advice and the job goes smoothly now - with ag-lime. ;)

 

[tooln]

My first year was with a trailer and shovel, NEVER AGAIN I told myself and found an old drop spreader and sectioned it to be 6' wide. Thanks to the help from Foggy.

Before


After

 

[foggy]

Tooln: We should go into the Custom Ag-Lime spreading Biz. .......Kinda like the rain dance biz that Sandbur and I used to operate. But this time I will collect the fees......and you do the work. Deal? :)

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Thanks guys. All good advice…especially the part about having my brother shovel while I drive the ATV. ;) Sounds like it is going to be an unpleasant, but essential job.

I actually bought a small 4 foot lime spreader a few years ago to restore. Looking forward to fixing it up and getting it in use now that I actually have my own land.

 

[sandbur]

Tooln: We should go into the Custom Ag-Lime spreading Biz. .......Kinda like the rain dance biz that Sandbur and I used to operate. But this time I will collect the fees......and you do the work. Deal? :)

Tom-You are beginning to catch on.

 

[sandbur]

My wife and I spread two tons of bagged lime "by hand" our first year. Was a hot, horrible experience.....and my wife insisted that I buy a lime spreader if I wanted more lime put down. :D I took her advice and the job goes smoothly now - with ag-lime. ;)

This kind of sounds like Tom Sawyer painting the fence.