Maintaining the health and fertility of the soil in food plots is paramount in ensuring the optimal performance of the crop. The soil pH in food plots is often a factor that is neglected, and soils gradually become more acidic over time.
To maintain the optimal soil pH, apply 1 to 3 tons of lime per acre of food plot every second year. Lime is added to food plots to increase the soil pH, making it more alkaline. Perform a soil analysis to find the rate at which you should apply lime to your food plot.
Doing a soil test is so easy, and the benefits of amending your food plot’s soils with the correct amount of lime are immense! This article discusses those benefits, how to test your soil, and how to go about finding the right application rates for lime in your food plots.
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The Benefits of Applying Lime to Food Plots
(No, we aren’t talking about that kind of lime!)
As plants grow in soil and nitrogen fertilizers are used, the pH of the soil decreases slowly but steadily. Soils become more acidic over time.
Food plot crops grow optimally in soils with a pH of between 6.2 and 7.0. When soils are too acidic, plants cannot take up nutrients like nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium as efficiently.
Lime, or calcium carbonate, is a mineral that is highly alkaline. When it is added to acidic soils, it reduces the pH of the soil.
Whether you are starting a new food plot or maintaining an existing one, one should do soil pH tests and amend the soil with lime on a regular basis.
Adding lime to the soil in your food plots has the following benefits:
- Increases the water infiltration capacity of the soil by reducing soil compaction.
- More calcium in the soil improves plant health as they are able to take up more nutrients from the soil.
- Lime encourages a healthy microbiome in the soil, supporting plant health.
- Plants are more resilient to pests and diseases.
- Lushness of food plots is improved, providing better grazing for deer and other wildlife.
- Food plots are able to withstand more grazing pressure and attract a greater number of deer.
- More nutritious forage helps the buck to develop larger antlers.
Different Types of Lime for Food Plots
There are two different types of liming agents available to buy: dolomitic lime and calcitic lime. Calcitic lime contains mostly calcium carbonate, whereas dolomitic lime contains calcium carbonate as well as high levels of magnesium.
A soil test will reveal which type you need to use. If your soil is deficient in magnesium and has a low pH, use dolomitic lime. If your soil has a high enough magnesium level, add calcitic lime.
One can buy lime in powdered or pelleted form. Depending on the area of your food plot, it may be better to look for a place in your area that you can buy lime in bulk. For large food plots, buying 50-pound bags of lime is impractical and more expensive.
Powdered, or agricultural lime, varies in quality. The finer ground it is, the faster it will break down in the soil. Cheap, low-grade agricultural lime contains inconsistent particle sizes that take much longer to break down in the soil.
The benefit of agricultural lime is that it is cheaper to buy in bulk quantities, so you can save if you have large areas of food plot to prepare. It is readily available from farming supply stores.
However, powdered lime is difficult to handle, transport, and apply. Applying it by hand is a dusty mess! You will need an agricultural spreader to apply powdered lime.
Pelletized lime was created to solve the issues that came with powdered lime. It is much easier to handle, transport, and apply, is fast-acting, and contains a higher concentration of calcium carbonate, so a smaller quantity is required.
Application Rates for Lime Per Acre of Food Plot
The quantity of lime that needs to be added to soil depends on the characteristics of the soil in your area. Different geographical areas have distinct soil properties due to their unique underlying lithologies.
The amount of lime and the type of lime you should use depend on the results of basic soil analysis. Generally, in most of North America, 1 to 3 tons of lime is required per acre of a food plot.
Test The Soil pH Before Applying Lime to Food Plots
Doing a soil test will tell you the soil pH and the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. Based on the results, you will know exactly how much lime you should amend your food plots’ soil with.
Soil tests are inexpensive, around $20, and often big farming supply stores offer them free of charge. They are a cheap way to make a massive difference to the productivity of your food plots.
One can apply for a test online and will be sent a soil sampling kit. To collect soil samples, use a spade or trowel and a bucket.
Visit at least 20 different sites within your food plot, and do the following:
- Scrape the top layer of vegetation and plant material from the soil surface.
- Use the trowel to make a 3- to 4-inch-deep hole in the soil.
- Using the trowel, slice an inch-wide layer of soil from inside the hole and place it into the bucket.
Once you have taken samples at all 20 or more sites, mix the soil together in the bucket thoroughly. Pour the soil out onto a large, flat, clean surface. Leave it to air-dry overnight.
Fill the sample bag with your soil sample. Usually, about a pint of soil is required for analysis. Write down all the information required on the sample bag.
Then simply send your sample off for analysis! You will get the results back in a week or two.
Wrapping Up
An affordable way to drastically boost the productivity of your food plots is to amend the soil with the correct amount of lime. It improves the soil’s water infiltration capacity and increases the amount of nitrogen that plants are able to take up.
Generally, 1 to 3 tons of lime is applied per acre of a food plot. Adding too little will not increase the pH of the soil sufficiently, and adding too much is also detrimental to plant growth.To ensure you use the right application rate for lime, collect a few soil samples and send them off for a soil analysis. This process is cheap, easy, and guaranteed to give you excellent results.
Kevin is the owner of Land Lawn & Garden. In addition to taking a lot of pride in his lawn at home, he also helps manage the family land. You can find more about him here.