Pelletized Lime Timing

[MojoRisin]

I know that optimally people want to disc/till in lime. I will be doing that in a couple of small areas this spring where I plan to till the plot for OM and then plant a summer plot (buckwheat and clover) to be tilled under again (for the OM) for a fall plot.

However, I have a fall plot now in the LC mix that I was hoping to keep going until next July when I will till it under. I want the deer to benefit from the WR and clover in the spring and early summer. I would prefer to amend the PH early in the year to gain some benefit for the fall planting.

Can lime be laid in the late winter while the ground is still frozen/hard prior to the WR and clover coming back? I would think that a freeze/thaw cycle with pelletized lime would not hurt anything. Is this a reasonable approach?

 

[bbcoach]

If you can, spread it on top of the soil now and let it work through the winter and spring. It normally takes at least 6 months to have full effect anyway.

 

[yoderjac]

First, let me challenge your underlying assumption since you mentioned sandy soil in another thread. Lime moves very quickly through sandy soil and very slowly through heavy clay. Many folks with sandy soil simply surface broadcast lime and don't till it in. Folks with heavier soil will often till in lime to change the pH faster. I have heavy clay and I've done that. I find that even with low pH, I can grow good Buckwheat and WR crops which are great for deer. So, now I just surface broadcast lime and cycle Buckwheat and WR until the pH is better and then add more sensitive crops.

Liming in the winter won't hurt a thing, but whether that plan makes sense depends on your soil. Some folks with very sandy soil, the lime moves so quickly they have to lime when they plant and lime heavily multiple times a year. Me with heavy clay, I need a lot of lime to initially amend the soil, but I don't need to add maintenance lime for quite a few years.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[D Hunter]

bbcoach is right on. "D"

 

[tooln]

There's an old saying. Any time's a good time for lime.

 

[MojoRisin]

I actually have a mix of soils, depending on my location, with some sandy, some sandy loam, and some mostly dirt (don't know the technical term other than it is not clay). The following pic is a small plot I created this year in the woods that I cleared best I could and tilled in 520# of lime and 200# of triple 19. I planted Grandpa Ray's Soil Builder and added additional Alsike clover and it came it very well. This is one area that is "dirt". I have since broadcast in Grandpa Ray's Fall Draw and added some WR and red clover for next spring.

Given what I read here, I think I will lime whenever I plant in the sandy areas and early in the year where I have better soils. I need to get new soil samples next spring to see how my amendments did this year.

 

[bueller]

That for sure is one "shady" plot. What is in those Grandpa Ray's blends you planted?

 

[MojoRisin]

That for sure is one "shady" plot. What is in those Grandpa Ray's blends you planted?

It does get a "fair" amount of sun from the direction not in the picture that is more open. I plan to remove more cedars next year to open it up a little more. This is my 1st plot ever. I went from 0..4 this year in my dumpy cedar swamp in the UP. I've had some decent success in 3 of 4 with the 4th being a beach that I planted without timing around a rain.

Grandpa Ray's Soil Builder
20% Triticale
20% Oats
20% Buckwheat
20% Peas
10% Crimson Clover
10% Berseem Clover

Grandpa Ray's Fall Draw
25% Berseem Clover
25% Crimson Clover
10% Daikon Radish
10% Rutabaga
10% Forage Turnip
10% Ethiopian Cabbage
10% Winfred Brassica

This was initially planted in May to get something going and suppress weeds. The deer really worked it over all summer.

Here is the pre-planting pic after my son and I cleared some trees, debri, and leaves and before I tilled in the lime and fertilizer.

 

[bueller]

Nice work. It sure looks green enough to attract hungry deer. I was wondering if the grass was possibly ryegrass but since neither of the mixes you planted had it I guess it's not. That's good. It's must be the triticale and oats. Good idea planting a variety of stuff. Pay attention to what does well on your land and you can increase the % of those seeds in the future.

 

[MojoRisin]

John from Grandpa Rays told me that was the oats and triticale coming up. I sent him a couple of pics because I had no idea on what I was seeing being a newbie :). The pic was taken in mid-June. I had a closeup that showed some peas and clovers too. He recommended I broadcast in Fall Draw in July. It's dang green and lush right now too and the deer are really hammering it. I'm hoping it will be a kill plot this fall. Thanks for all the advice so far.