Help/Questions about acidic soil and plots

[fatback]

Here is my current food plot situation and I am looking for some help/guidance. I have pretty acidic soil with a ph right around 5. I know I need lots of lime. I have been unable to get the local farm supply place to come in with their spreader truck due to them being too busy and my food plots not really a priority for them, which I understand. So now I am going to have to get some bagged lime and spread it with my tractor. I won't be able to get the recommended 3 tons to the acre with my fall planting due to feed store not having that much available right now. I will probably be able to do half that with my initial planting. My soil test also recommends 1500 lbs of 13-13-13 per acre. Since I am not going to be able to meet the initial lime requirements, how does this affect the fertilizer recommendations, if at all? What can I plant that might have a reasonable chance at some type of success this fall without having meet the lime requirements? Based on what I have been able to find, oats, wheat and rye all might have a chance of making it. Does anybody else have experience with a similar situation? If so, what worked for you? I know that for the long term success of my plots that I will have to continue to apply the lime until I get the ph up to 7, which is fine and what I plan on doing. Any input would be appreciated as I want to try and get something to grow a little for this fall but I don't want to just be wasting money if it is a lost cause with my soil conditions. What do the food plot experts of the campfire have to say? Thanks in advance

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Any lime you put out now will have no affect on whatever you plant this fall. It will next year, but lime takes time to act. About the only hope for lime helping you now would be to use quick lime or a liquid lime.

a ph of 5.0 is going to lock up a lot of your nutrients and not allow the plant to use what is there in the ground now.

 

[Gaswamp]

get as much lime down as u can. don't worry about putting out so much fertilizer till you get your ph up. Plant winter rye grain does the best in acidic soil

 

[fatback]

get as much lime down as u can. don't worry about putting out so much fertilizer till you get your ph up. Plant winter rye grain does the best in acidic soil

Should I add any fertilizer?

 

[fatback]

Any lime you put out now will have no affect on whatever you plant this fall. It will next year, but lime takes time to act. About the only hope for lime helping you now would be to use quick lime or a liquid lime.

a ph of 5.0 is going to lock up a lot of your nutrients and not allow the plant to use what is there in the ground now.

Could I use some quick lime in addition to whatever other lime I am able to add now?

 

[SakoL61R]

get as much lime down as u can. don't worry about putting out so much fertilizer till you get your ph up. Plant winter rye grain does the best in acidic soil

Concur on ryegrain. Oats will do ok in acidic soil as well. Not much else.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Could I use some quick lime in addition to whatever other lime I am able to add now?

sure, but it is messy stuff. It is ground into a fine powder and will compact around most mechanical means of spreading it, so there may be a lot of tossing it out by hand in your future.

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

Does the ag lime place have a lime spreader for rent?

We pull their spreader with the tractor.

In your situation, I would go with Rye Grain and 200 lb acre of 19-19-19, you can always spoon feed another 200lb mid way through the season if things start to yellow.

 

[fatback]

Does the ag lime place have a lime spreader for rent?

We pull their spreader with the tractor.

Unfortunately not.

 

[fishfryer]

sure, but it is messy stuff. It is ground into a fine powder and will compact around most mechanical means of spreading it, so there may be a lot of tossing it out by hand in your future.

Even regular ag limestone won’t flow through a centrifugal spreader if it has any moisture on it at all. The agitator will wallow out a hollow,but the rest won’t turn loose and fall onto the bottom. I spread a few tons one time by shovel because of that.

 

[Canuck5]

Wheat, oats, cereal rye, and I would give Dwarf Essex rape and crimson clover a try. Spend your money on pelletized lime first and get as much of it down that you can. Check Tractor Supply too.

 

[fatback]

Concur on ryegrain. Oats will do ok in acidic soil as well. Not much else.

Would winter wheat have a chance of being successful?

 

[fatback]

Wheat, oats, cereal rye, and I would give Dwarf Essex rape and crimson clover a try. Spend your money on pelletized lime first and get as much of it down that you can. Check Tractor Supply too.


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I’ll get all the pelletized lime they have I also get some of the quick acting like as well. With that in mind, what would you recommend on fertilizer, if any? Based on the feedback I’m getting, I’m thinking 50% rye grain, 25% oats and 25% winter wheat. How does that sound to everybody?

 

[SakoL61R]

I'd probably go with 50/50 ryegrain-oats. On the fertilizer, I'd go with the 1500 (or as much as affordable) per the soil test. Can't hurt and will promote more growth (and sightings during the season).

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Who did you try to get to spread lime that was busy this time of the year?

 

[fatback]

Who did you try to get to spread lime that was busy this time of the year?

One of the local farm/ag supply places. Been trying to get them out for a month and a half but it’s been too wet until recently and then they have been too busy to get to me. I completely understand but I’ve got to make another plan now. I just got the property in late July so I’ve been pushed for time with everything for this fall but I figured that would be the case and I am in it for the long haul and I’m sure they will be a good resource in the future.

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

You would be better off spoon feeding smaller amounts of fert over time, vs throwing 1500lb down at once. With low Ph and no organic matter, little will be available for use and you won't have anything to hold on to the nutrients and they will just leach out. Three 400lb/ac feedings would be much better than one 1500lb/ac IMO.

We have started doing this in an effort to build organic matter in the soil and it's been working better than an all at once strategy.

 

[fatback]

You would be better off spoon feeding smaller amounts of fert over time, vs throwing 1500lb down at once. With low Ph and no organic matter, little will be available for use and you won't have anything to hold on to the nutrients and they will just leach out. Three 400lb/ac feedings would be much better than one 1500lb/ac IMO.

We have started doing this in an effort to build organic matter in the soil and it's been working better than an all at once strategy.

That makes sense. How much time between fertilizer applications?

 

[NE GA Pappy]

plant some legumes in the spring, and plow them under when they are mature. that green manure will do a world of good for your soil

 

[UFG8RMIKE]

That makes sense. How much time between fertilizer applications?

I usually spoon feed once a month. Nitrogen leaches quickly. We have a lot of down time in between am and pm hunts so this is a super easy task.