liming timing?

[Derek Reese 29]

I have seen it said on this forum that the "best time to plant a tree or lime a field was yesterday," but I was wondering if spreading pelletized lime on semi-frozen to mostly frozen ground is a waste of time?
I will have a few hours free soon and need to get some lime on a small (~0.4 acre) field below my house. It was at a pH of 5.7 before I added 6 bags last year. I was thinking of doing 6 more bags and then testing next fall.
Don't want to waste the money and effort if it is just going to go to waste. This field is not too sloped (it is a little, but not bad) and it is fairly wet (not too bad at the moment). Also we are supposed to get a half inch of rain and warmer temps later this week so I didn't know if this would help incorporate it into the soil. I know it takes a few months for the pelletized lime to work so I wanted to get it in ASAP. I am also battling Reed Canary Grass so I am hoping that getting the pH better will help with that.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Here is a previous thread on this: https://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/lime-on-frozen-ground.8331/

I wouldn't worry about it if your fields are flat.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Here is a previous thread on this: https://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/lime-on-frozen-ground.8331/

I wouldn't worry about it if your fields are flat.

well flat might be an understatement...there's a slope but its pretty gradual.....thanks for the thread

 

[yoderjac]

well flat might be an understatement...there's a slope but its pretty gradual.....thanks for the thread

Soil does make a little difference. With my heavy clay, it takes a long time for lime to move through the soil. I need between 3 and 4 tons/ac to amend a new field, but It can be a number of years before I need to add 1 ton/ac of maintenance lime. I know folks with very sandy soil that say they have to add lime at planting time twice a year to get any benefit. The lime moves very rapidly through the clay.

It is a common practice for me to spread lime on frozen ground. I use a lime buggy with balloon type tires, but even with that, with 3 tons of of lime in the buggy can be problematic if the soil is wet. Our spring can be wet, and fall it hunting season, so I either spready lime when ground is frozen or in the summer time. I usually have too many other things going on during summer, so I frequently spread on frozen ground.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[trapperm]

I know this is cliche but the best time to lime is anytime.

I feel like when I wait on stuff like that it usually ends up being - “I should have done that sooner. “

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I know this is cliche but the best time to lime is anytime.

I feel like when I wait on stuff like that it usually ends up being - “I should have done that sooner. “

I am the same way and right now I got the lime and I got the time. Was gonna spread it after work today, but will probably wait until the weekend after the storm goes through.

 

[MRBB]

just asking, but isn't there any farmers near buy that can do bulk lime for you, its way cheaper and faster to get things done, and if ground is frozen hard, most are not scared of softer ground, knowing its frozen! its really worth finding a bulk lime company or farmer if you need a bunch of lime down!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

just asking, but isn't there any farmers near buy that can do bulk lime for you, its way cheaper and faster to get things done, and if ground is frozen hard, most are not scared of softer ground, knowing its frozen! its really worth finding a bulk lime company or farmer if you need a bunch of lime down!

I probably could get a farmer to do it, but its only a 0.4 acre field and I have a pull-behind spreader and want to spread pelletized lime. It is pretty wet on about 1/3 of the field and after a rain like what is forecast no truck would even try it. Doing it with my 4 wheeler might even be a little iffy.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Derek -
My sons and I spread pelletized lime on a long-neglected field at camp some years ago. We broadcast-spread it on top of about 8 inches of snow - ground frozen. In June of the following summer, we noticed volunteer clover sprouting in that field. No clover had YET been planted there, so it must have been in the seed bank or it was dropped by deer eating in other fields. Before spreading that lime, the only thing growing in that field was some sort of grayish, wire-y grass & some moss. The winter liming on top of the snow must have seeped down into the soil as the snow melted. New forbs sprouted as well as the volunteer clover, so the soil pH had to have improved from the snow-top liming. That field also had a slight slope.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Derek -
My sons and I spread pelletized lime on a long-neglected field at camp some years ago. We broadcast-spread it on top of about 8 inches of snow - ground frozen. In June of the following summer, we noticed volunteer clover sprouting in that field. No clover had YET been planted there, so it must have been in the seed bank or it was dropped by deer eating in other fields. Before spreading that lime, the only thing growing in that field was some sort of grayish, wire-y grass & some moss. The winter liming on top of the snow must have seeped down into the soil as the snow melted. New forbs sprouted as well as the volunteer clover, so the soil pH had to have improved from the snow-top liming. That field also had a slight slope.

Thanks for that note! This field currently has lots of rye and thistles and a little bit of RCG that survived last year's burn and spraying in it. I am debating whether or not to frost seed clover or wait and spray before adding some alsike and MRC and oats later this spring. It started out at a pH of 5.7 and I added ~250 lbs of lime last year and will add 320 lbs more soon. Hoping this gets the soil pH up higher and will help make the undesirable plants a bit less viable.

 

[yoderjac]

I know this is cliche but the best time to lime is anytime.

I feel like when I wait on stuff like that it usually ends up being - “I should have done that sooner. “

But when I do some stuff, like my early years with a 2-bottom plow, it often ends up "Crap! I wish I hadn't done that!"

 

[MRBB]

I probably could get a farmer to do it, but its only a 0.4 acre field and I have a pull-behind spreader and want to spread pelletized lime. It is pretty wet on about 1/3 of the field and after a rain like what is forecast no truck would even try it. Doing it with my 4 wheeler might even be a little iffy.

OK at that size, maybe not worth having a bulk guy come in, but something you might want to keep an eye out for is a good pulverized lime drop spreader!
there is a big different in price between pulverized lime and pelletized, hits the wallet harder when doing larger plots, but hey, always nice to save a few bucks, and a good drop spreader can last a LONG time
I have bought fixed and sold many from the 60-70's and there still kicking today, and been priceless additions to food plot tools at many remote camps I am a part of and you'd be surprised how many are sitting on old farms behind or in barns, no longer in use, that can be had for a few bucks if you stop and ask LOL

 

[Telemark]

If you won't tear up the field I would just go ahead and spread it. Perfect timing is great if you can swing it, but for me I do things when I can.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

If you won't tear up the field I would just go ahead and spread it. Perfect timing is great if you can swing it, but for me I do things when I can.

tearing up that field (at least to a small degree) might be a foregone conclusion, but at least there is some rye in it instead of just bare ground

 

[Telemark]

tearing up that field (at least to a small degree) might be a foregone conclusion, but at least there is some rye in it instead of just bare ground

I hear ya. If that's the way it has to be, then that's the way it is.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I hear ya. If that's the way it has to be, then that's the way it is.

I think it might even be frozen after a big temp swing...that would be the best for the spreading..

 

[Bowman]

I would lime now. The snow, rain, moisture will help with the coating. I would suggest taking soil tests at the same time of year. I do not know what your plans for the field are but frost seeding now can work. I am not a spray guy as I would rather help the micro-organisms, Read the link where I describe what happened to my drop spreader. You will have options for a Spring / Summer planting.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I would lime now. The snow, rain, moisture will help with the coating. I would suggest taking soil tests at the same time of year. I do not know what your plans for the field are but frost seeding now can work. I am not a spray guy as I would rather help the micro-organisms, Read the link where I describe what happened to my drop spreader. You will have options for a Spring / Summer planting.

I am hesitant to frost seed due to the RCG and other weeds like thistle that I know are still in the field. My only hope that it might work alright would be the thick cover of rye which just got revealed by the snow melting. I do have some MRC and alsike which I might try to put in after spraying with some oats but that would have to be a bit later in the spring for that.

 

[Bowman]

Can I talk you out of spraying herbicides? Do not underestimate your "thick cover of rye". When you get the results of the soil test, consider high calcium or high magnesium lime. I made that mistake. I needed more calcium than magnesium. Use gypsum for calcium if your pH is Ok.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Can I talk you out of spraying herbicides? Do not underestimate your "thick cover of rye". When you get the results of the soil test, consider high calcium or high magnesium lime. I made that mistake. I needed more calcium than magnesium. Use gypsum for calcium if your pH is Ok.

I guess I could just go with the frost seeding and let the rye do it's work, then use the spraying as a fall back (or even do some spot spraying on the worst areas) to make this a fall plot if the weeds are too much. I believe I put at least 100 lbs of rye down in the slightly less than half acre so it should be thick enough. I may even sneak a soil test in, as the last one I took was in November 2020. (pH was 5.7 then).