Liming options?

Do I have to wrestle the damn little bags of lime and spread them on my yard? Is it possible to purchase the stuff in a big spreader like at an ag supply place and pull it around my yard with my jeep?

Reply to
Oscar_Lives
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Yes, you should be able to buy lime in bulk at an ag supply. I doubt that they sell it in a ready made spreader, I figure that you would need to purchase a spreader seperatly. Something along the line of a trailer mounted spreader that you tow with a tractor, unsure if you could pull it with a jeep. If you do pull a spreader around with a jeep, take lots of photos.... I'd love to see them!

Reply to
Timothy

You don't describe your yard nor do you include the number or size of damn little bags of lime.

If you don't mind tire ruts and possible turf damage from turning the jeep, use it. It would likely take less time and money to purchase a push-type drop spreader and do it yourself or hire a local kid to do it for you.

Reply to
- Tom -

First, be certain you buy real lime rather than pelletized limestone. Second, I heard recently there is a new liquid lime becoming available in garden centers this year. Take a look.

Reply to
Stubby

What is wrong with pelletized limestone? that is what the garden center sells.

Reply to
Oscar_Lives

I think his point was that since the OP was concerned about too many bags, there are other forms of lime available that are more concentrated. Of course, with that also comes the risk of burning the lawn if it;s not applied correctly, the need to keep it off your body, etc. That's why limestone is the most common.

Reply to
trader4

'good' mushroom compost has a ph of 6.5 or there abouts. It is advised not to use it around acid loving plants so it will sweeten the soil, albeit perhaps not as rapidly as lime. The local mushroom compost I get comes in bags however I can easily get a trailer load from them if I want. This may vary from supplier to supplier. I source it straight from a local mushroom farm and it is dirt (or compost) cheap as it is a waste product for them (but a resource for me). It costs about 1/8th of even the cheapest store bought compost and that stuff is cheap and nasty. Admittedly the cheap store compost probably does have a higher nutrient level than the mushroom compost but that is only a guess.

rob

Reply to
George.com

wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...

I don't know how acidic the guys soil is. Using the correct amounts of mushroom compost WILL reduce soil acidity. Hence the advice, do not use it with plants that like acid soils. Do I know what I am talking about? Yes.

"Spent mushroom compost is the residual compost waste generated by the mushroom production industry. It is easily available, and its formulation consists of a combination of wheat straw, dried blood, horse manure and ground chalk, composted together. It is an excellent source of humus, although much of its nitrogen content will have been used up by the growing mushrooms. It remains, however, a good source of general nutrients (0.7% N,

0.3% P, 0.3% K plus a full range of trace elements), as well as a useful soil conditioner. However, due to its chalk content, it is highly alkaline, and should not be used on acid-loving plants, nor should it be applied too frequently, as it will overly raise the soil's pH levels."
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"One word of warning - some mushroom composts can be very alkaline (a high pH) which can affect the growth of some plants. If you are only using small amounts of the compost you shouldn't have too many problems, but if you are using larger amounts then it is worthwhile checking the pH of the compost using a simple testing kit readily obtained from your local nursery or garden supplies, and adjusting the pH if necessary. Alternatively only grow plants in it that like an alkaline growing media."
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Mushroom Compost This is one of the few types of organic matter to have a slightly alkaline effect on the soil. It is therefore good for soils that need both composition improvement and raising of the pH level, or soils at the right pH level that would become too acid if peat or manure were to be used. It is a waste product of the mushroom growing industry and usually quite inexpensive (to find some, try "Mushroom growers" in your local yellow pages phone book - or possibly a search engine) It makes an ideal mulch, although it can be dug in at any time.
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USES: · For mixing with existing garden soils, especially annual, rose and vegetable gardens. · As a component of other soil mixes. · Note: Never to be used with acid-loving plants.
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Most probably tens of millions of people, possibly hundreds. About 150,000 around where I live. The stuff is widely used here, widely used.

These buggers ship it through out the US

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Reply to
George.com

rather than Lime have you considered using spent mushroom compost. It will sweeten your soil as well as add other trace nutrients. Get the compost dry, or dry it yourself it damp, and spread it acorss the lawn and water in like you would lime. It has a ph around 6.5-6.8 which is what lawn likes. If you are not sure of the ph of the compost get a little and put it through a standard ph test.

rob

Reply to
George.com

He's already complaining about how many bags of lime he needs to apply and trying to reduce the work. How much of this stuff does it take to do the equivalent? It's hard to believe mushrooms have anywhere near the alkalinity that limestone does. Not to mention I've never seen this stuff anywhere.

Reply to
trader4

Do you even have a clue about what you're talking about? A PH of 6.5 is acidic, 7.0 is neutral PH, so this crap ain't gonna sweeten anything. The guy is looking for something more effective that limestone to raise the PH of his lawn, and you recommend this? LOL

The local mushroom compost I get comes in

Gee, that's great, now how many of us have mushroom farms nearby?

Reply to
trader4

you claimed, does it? Do you even understand the concept of PH?

Reply to
trader4

I think I'd give george.com the benefit of the doubt , perhaps he meant 7.5 instead of 6.5. I find the concept of pH ( little p since it is a symbol of Log) to be fairly confusing. Well not actually the concept. I'm learning disabled and the fact that 1 is suppose to be high acidity and 14 is suppose to be basic - well that is something that has never stuck with me. I remember something about buffers and a sigmoid curve when trying to change the pH or even the pOH ( kind of the anti-pH). So, if you have an acidic soil and you add lime, do you change the pH dramatically and permanently or just for a little while? If anything in the soil is acting as a buffer ( and I don't know what would do that except maybe limestone - I don' t know what would help it remain acidic) but you'd have to add a great deal of something to change the pH a very little, until you reach a point where you add just a little more then you get an enormous change in pH. I know it is difficult to relay "Tone" when you post, and I don't like emotion icons, but I'm just asking for info on pH related to soil, not trying to troll or be an ass. What would make soil acidic or alkaline and what additives would you use to change it? And why can't you apply lime and fertilizer at the same time?

Thank R o n

Reply to
Ronn Cliiborn

where the fk did this post resurrect itself from? If I remember correctly it was about lawns and I made a suggestion about using mushroom compost as a soil amendment but warned it could raise ph levels. Some wanker obviously misinterpreted that, didn't seem to get that i meant that 6.5 is a perfect setting for grass to grow in, nor did he seem to realise spent mushroom compost contains lime (at least the stuff I use does) which will raise the ph of soil. I think I have read somewhere that 2 or 3 times the smount of mushroom compost as to lime will have the same effect on raising soil ph. I guess mushroom compost could be chucked on to lawn (when dry) or could be used as a top dressing, haven't tried it myself mind.

rob

Reply to
George.com

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