Soil test results

[Sligh1]

Just got these this am. These are some plots I’ve kept up on “pretty well”. Common theme across my area…. Low on sulfur, boron & low PH. My PH is “low” on some but I’ve kept up on it reasonably well. Some folks in my area have done nothing & have PH in the 4’s!!!! Which is insane acidity where things struggle to grow. This is gonna save some $ for sure on P&K where folks without soil tests would keep applying far more than needed.
Took me 3 hours to pull these, package & send in. Very worth while!!

 

[Bassattackr]

You have great calcium base saturations! T-1, P-1 only locations under 60%. Lime an easy fix of course for these..

Gypsum a dirt cheap + easy source of sulfur since you're over 60% Ca BS in most fields. (I assume you don't use AMS because of the manure add for N source?)

Surprised they don't show any Mg additions on area B-2. Would raise your pH as well since your Ca is sufficient.

Nothing you don't know already Skip, thanks for sharing!

I'll post mine in early May, and you can poke fun at my high Mg soils

 

[Sligh1]

You have great calcium base saturations! T-1, P-1 only locations under 60%. Lime an easy fix of course for these..

Gypsum a dirt cheap + easy source of sulfur since you're over 60% Ca BS in most fields. (I assume you don't use AMS because of the manure add for N source?)

Surprised they don't show any Mg additions on area B-2. Would raise your pH as well since your Ca is sufficient.

Nothing you don't know already Skip, thanks for sharing!

I'll post mine in early May, and you can poke fun at my high Mg soils

I do run ams in my herbicide. Maybe I’ll do some ams as a part of the N application. Or I sure could get a cart & add everything I need with the cart. When I do AG lime- which is going on now- I still will add a bit of pelletized lime if I run other things through a cart. We can get granular sulfur added to a cart. Or how are u using ams to correct sulfur deficiencies?

 

[Bassattackr]

I've been buying time with pelletized lime also, at least until one of my neighbors can get a "big" tractor to spread Ag lime for me.. Local Agri supply will give me a pallet discount so that helps. Also fills the gap until the ag lime does its thing.

Our 50 HP tractor has a drawbar max of about 6.5k lbs so that would be a lot of trips trying to add even 1 ton / acre to a 5 acre field considering the spreader alone is about 3800 lbs empty.

I only use AMS when I need nitrogen - milo or brassicas most commonly. At 21-0-024S analysis, it's a decent dose of sulfur in a very useable form (not sure what the liquid form analysis is?). But if I don't need nitrogen (clovers, cereals for example), then I just use Gypsum for sulfur. Much cheaper at $6 or so a bag.. Most are around 22% Ca + 17% S.

I'll also be using S to drive the magnesium out of my soils but a moot point until the Ca saturation is corrected.

 

[Sligh1]

Ya- that’s the bugger for AG lime!!! Only way I get it done for plots is when I do AG fields at same time. That’s a huge tractor & spreader made for it.
For guys with smaller tractors …. I have wondered if there’s any scenario AG lime could run through a fertilizer cart if it were dry enough. I have not tried it but sure would be nice if get it to flow through even if had to make several passes.
Pelletized is nice & easy but exactly…. Band aid & so expensive!! It would not be a band aid if a guy put it down at the called for rates. Imagine paying for 4,000 lbs of pelletized lime though.

 

[Slick]

Looks like it can be done might not want to do it on a windy day or your timber will have a great PH



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[Bassattackr]

Spreading Ag lime with a standard cone spreader or a fertilizer cart is a great way to destroy a piece of machinery.

 

[mswaldo]

I use an old drop spreader 5 or 6 feet long. (1960 ish drop fertilizer/ lime spreader) and put a 3 or 4" bolt on each of the knives on the inside. That keeps it mixing and it stays loose enough to drop. It puts the lime where you want it.

 

[smithhunter1975]

I tried one of those cone shaped three point spreaders once with lime and i had to shovel it back out by hand! Would not waste time with that. I have been looking for a narrow drop seeder to apply lime to remote plots.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Spreading Ag lime with a standard cone spreader or a fertilizer cart is a great way to destroy a piece of machinery.

What are your thoughts on quarry lime?

 

[Bassattackr]

What are your thoughts on quarry lime?

To me they are one in the same. Most Ag lime is sourced from local quarries, at least around here..

The powdery content is what destroys gear boxes, not made for spreading that material. Other issues - Fertilizer spreaders not meant to spread tons, only pounds. Spreader will be limited width as powder doesn't "sling" as far, so lots of passes to work..

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

To me they are one in the same. Most Ag lime is sourced from local quarries, at least around here..

The powdery content is what destroys gear boxes, not made for spreading that material. Other issues - Fertilizer spreaders not meant to spread tons, only pounds. Spreader will be limited width as powder doesn't "sling" as far, so lots of passes to work..

10-4. For the foodplot guy, I can find trucking companies that will spread quarry lime with a spreader truck. The Co Op just laughs when you talk to them about doing Ag lime on foodplots.

 

[Sligh1]

Most farmers & coops laugh at deer hunters doing what we do for deer no matter what it is!! .

AG lime from a quarry is just fine. The only issue in most of the areas - at least where I’m at …. The quarry lime has high magnesium levels. As u see on my soil test- I’m way too high as it is. Long story short- high Mag causes issues!!! Adding more isn’t ideal. BUT bottom line- using quarry lime with high mag is vastly superior to doing nothing & id use it if I couldn’t get the water plant lime that has zero Mag.
On a plot…. Non issue in reality. Id get any form of AG lime applied u can find.
Last tiny side note- quarry lime will take longest to break down. So before winter or during winter is ideal. Another solution to fix it is to add some pelletized lime year 1 until AG lime starts working.