[Taliesin]

A quick search revealed this:
https://www.housemakers.co.uk/agri-fab-85lb-tow-spreader.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwlcXXBRBhEiwApfHGTRi14J1_kMgx9ISvgzBZlaieFA6pIsGxO_zZIrz3zbeBQhOdScYaRRoCSAIQAvD_BwE#product_tabs_description

which is a small towable spreader and not expensive.  I know nothing more about it, but perhaps something like this might suit?

Thanks, looks interesting though too small for us.

[Taliesin]

Have you had you fields tested to know how much to put on.

Up here on Skye our analysis was very different across the various fields on our croft. With 1 field at ph5.1 needing 10.8t/ha and another at ph5.5 needing 6.8t/ha of ground limestone spread 50/50 over 2 years before retesting to asses results. Amount of Limestone also effected byu soil type and cropping plans

It is quite a big job spreading it and i would definitely do it with ground rather than pelleted as once its done its done.

I have a wee tractor towing an old trailer which can handle about 700kgs - luckily I have a mini digger to load the trailer with which saves handling the lime with a shovel twice. OH drives very slowly and i spread with a shovel and a fast swing to get a good spread - can do about 0.7 tons in 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes coughing and spluttering because of the effort of keeping up with the tractor and 20 mins to re load. Have spread about 12 tons like this taking maybe 2 days all in... so definitely doable with a 4x4 and trailer..

Have fun

Cheers, for the solid advice. This fits with my thoughts and it's great to hear from someone who has gone through the process and it works suffice to recommend to others. We shall use our old 4 x4 and a 10 x 6' for williams trailer with the tailgate down. That should do the trick. Was thinking best to cut grass before spreading the ground limestone. Anything else you learned which may others using this method?

[westcoastcroft]

Start at the up wind edge of the field.
Work out the size of the field and how much lime you need and how many passes it will be - go very easy on the first pass as you may well find you are spreading a fair bit more then you anticipated. I found it very useful to calculate the weight by volume as it gives an easy way to visualise it. Lime weighs a lot, for example in out polytunnel which is about 240 m2 we only needed 9 12.5 ltr buckets full each year appying at the rate of 6.8t/ha.

Don't over do it you can always add more based on the analysis after 2 years but you can't take it off again ever! Keep records.

It's a very satisfying job I am about 50% through doing our croft with some fields having had 2 doses and ready for retesting this winter and others still needing second dose over winter.

What are your plans for the land?
H

[Taliesin]

Start at the up wind edge of the field.
Work out the size of the field and how much lime you need and how many passes it will be - go very easy on the first pass as you may well find you are spreading a fair bit more then you anticipated. I found it very useful to calculate the weight by volume as it gives an easy way to visualise it. Lime weighs a lot, for example in out polytunnel which is about 240 m2 we only needed 9 12.5 ltr buckets full each year appying at the rate of 6.8t/ha.

Don't over do it you can always add more based on the analysis after 2 years but you can't take it off again ever! Keep records.

It's a very satisfying job I am about 50% through doing our croft with some fields having had 2 doses and ready for retesting this winter and others still needing second dose over winter.

What are your plans for the land?
H

Thanks, I'm planting orchard this Autumn, ultimately to produce apple juice and a drop of cider. I was thinking of a one off ploughing of the pasture followed immediately with seeding red clover and some hardy grasses and then liming. Time is right now given the good weather. We have about a foot or so of loamy soil over a heavy clay so compaction is an issue leading to wet ground. In future we shall just mow using a lightweight quad/topper or similar. Have you put the plough to pasture mixed with soft rush?

[westcoastcroft]

Remember to tell who ever does your analysis that you are planting Orchard. Think apple trees would need a lower ph than pasture..but then on the other hand the rushes will also like the lower ph

 I haven't ploughed yet and probably won't on my rushy fields. They drop a lot of seed. A crofter local to me, who is just getting back into his croft in retirement, sprayed then ploughed and reseeded a few years ago. In the first year he had a bumper crop of silage but now the rushes are going ape with all the ground disturbance and coming back thick and fast.

In our rushy fields, which I am.trying to bring back to better pasture, I plan to cut them back and then use a weed wiper (once or at most twice - primarily organic here) on the regrowth before grazing, overseeding and then immedietly grazing again (sheep) that and drainage.
If anybody is reading and wants for share them, I would be interested to hear any comments/experiences re this plan to get a relatively dry, but very rushy field back into good shape...