Pro-Line

Our farm is about as remote as it gets. I called the nearest town about lime, and they have it in bags only...$71/ton if I spread it. The nearest bulk lime is 75 miles away. (WV) If I put 2 tons/acre...that's about $700 for the fields that I'm looking at, and I'm not doing that.

I'd like to plant something in some fields that I have. I've gone through the process of liming before, but it is not cost efficient, and the chance of summer drought is pretty high. One year I limed, fertilized and planted 4 acres of rape. It did wonderful until the rain stopped in July and it all died....

I'm assuming that lime/fertilizer (potash) are the only ways of raising the Ph of a soil. I'm going to do a test this weekend to see if my liming last year changed anything...but I doubt it.

My question...Can anyone suggest anything that I can plant on slightly acidic ground that will attract/feed deer? I've thought about corn...and I've done that before, but the mess comes next spring when I need to replant and all the stalks are still there.

I do have access to equipment...


Thanks

Dan O.

The following link should help:

http://www.eos.nasa.gov/globe/soil_pH/fieldcrp.htm

Dan O.

Pro-Line

Thanks Dan...Funny, I already have that link bookmarked! LOL

I think I may fill my pickup with lime in Ohio and haul it down with me. I can haul about a ton. If I do it a few times it should do the trick and will only cost me a few dollars. Lime is about $5/ton here if you haul it.

I may even look for a friend with a dump truck...

Anybody have any feeling about deer and oats? Are they nutritious? Will they eat them?

Thanks again...

sawbill

I'm going to assume you've had your soil tested and know its chemistry? What is the ph? If its neutral or only slightly acidic, you really shouldn't need to blow all that money on lime. I'm not sure where you live either, but there must be some crops that are suitable for your land w/o all that extra labor you're pouring into it. Can you check with your local DNR people or a university about your soil issue?

Pro-Line

I tested it and it is slightly acidic for what I want to plant.

psandhu

i have spread several tons of lime from the back of a pickup before. it was a small truck, and could only hold about half a ton, the quarry was about 15 miles away.

the "shovel it out the back" method works, but gets to be a pain. in my experience, the lime ends up not being spread evenly. you have clumps and patches of it everywhere, like polka dots.

for me, the best method for spreading lime out the back of a pickup was to have someone else drive it around the field very slowly while i was in the back with a gas powered leaf blower. it spread evenly (i couldn't see any clumps of it), it was fast (20 minutes or less for half a ton), it was easy (no shovel, no explanation necessary). the downside is that it requires 2 people.

Pro-Line

Thanks PS...another good use for a leaf blower...LOL

lunchbucket

Do you have access to a tractor? $700.00 is a lot BUT if it increases the usability of the soil then it may be your best choice for the long run. After the initial liming you should be able to maintain the soil pH with liquid lime. Liming should last 2-5 years or more depending on soil composition. Liquid lime should double or triple the times in between liming. Do the lime people have lime mules you could haul?
Yes, the leaf blower out the back of the pickem' up truck does work, nasty job but does work... and fairly cheap, considering. If the soil is frozen now is the time to lime.
This is farming... and the reason farmers can't buy new Aston Martins every year...