Resources/FAQs
Resource 1
As we’ve grown and changed over the years, the business has too. In the early days, we knew we had to help farmers protect their soil. Most of what we did back then was spread limestone.
Today, we’re Eastern Ontario’s largest supplier of Agricultural Lime, serving clients from Renfrew to Kingston and east to Quebec. We’ve expanded our range of naturally sourced products to serve your soil.
All the years, the research, the conversations, and the energy has gone into finding effective and sustainable solutions to boost your soil’s health and productivity, and enhance your soil’s future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Agricultural Lime?
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How often does limestone need to be applied?
The frequency that limestone needs to be applied all depends on the farming practice. In the case of conventional agriculture that uses chemical fertilizers, spraying and GMO crops that contribute to soil acidity, the soil requires more frequent limestone application. On average every 2 to 3 years.
In the case of organic farming, limestone is spread less often due to good sustainable practices such as more crop rotation. Therefore an application every 5 to 10 years is typically sufficient.
What is the price of Limestone?
Before recommending a price for limestone, we always start with the soil analysis. It’s the key step before we start the process. Not all limestones are the same since they come from difference sources.
Determining the Agricultural Index (Ag Index) and Neutralizing Value (NV) is an essential part of choosing the right limestone for your soil. You can find these on the Limestone Analysis. In other words the Ag index determines the limestone efficiency and the Neutralizing value determines how fast the limestone will dissolve and be integrated into the soil. Therefore, higher the NV and AG INDEX, the higher the quality of the lime you get. Different grades, different price.
The other thing to look for is the pacing. This determines the size of the lime. The finer it is the better it is — it also affects the neutralizing value. These work together.
What is the moisture content in Lime?
This is the second most asked question about lime.
100% dry lime is borderline unspreadable. Its consistency is like fine flour, almost like soup. It is very hard to handle and extremely dusty and there is no such thing as a day without wind. Let’s face it, nobody wants to pay for limestone if the neighbour gets most of it.
The best moisture ratio that our 30 years of spreading has taught us is around 20% moisture. This ratio is so that no excess water is hauled and it spread very well in all conditions.
How do you determine your application rate?
The ratio is determined by the density of lime.
The spreading rate is recommended by the agronomist based on the soil analysis. The agronomist takes into consideration the rate of application of fertilizer, the crop that they are going to plant the following year, and other nutrient additives. Those are all factors that they take in to consideration when making a recommendation.
Is a GPS used for your application?
Yes we do use a GPS for our limestone application.
Actually, there are two ways to apply lime, the GPS way and the old fashion way, both practices are good.
The old fashion way has its benefits because it take into account the wind factor at different time of the day, so you need to offset your track for equal spreading at any time.
Where is the limestone stored?
We have a quarry located in St-Isidore off highway 417 at Exit 51 where we stockpile the limestone.
This is an ideal location for us to be able to deliver more quickly during the Spring seeding and fall crop harvest periods. The other advantage is that we ALWAYS have limestone available.
When is the best time to apply limestone?
The best time to apply limestone is Spring, Fall and summer!
The truth is that it all depends on the crop rotation and activities that you have underway in your fields.
The Ministry of Agriculture has establish guidelines that affect the spreading of limestone in the winter in order to avoid runoff.
Why is Spread-X a leader in limestone spreading industry in Ontario and Quebec?
The maximum application is 4MT/acre in one single application. You can go up to 7-8MT/acre if a second application will be conducted in the season.
It’s recommended to wait the following year. The Ministry of Agriculture regulations state that the land is not apt to assimilate more than the recommended amount.
Why is Spread-X a leader in limestone spreading industry in Ontario and Quebec?
Spread-X has high standards when it comes to it serving its clients.
We use a series of efficient and innovative ways to respond to the high demand for service we receive in a short timeframe. We provide only quality, naturally-sourced products and we work closely with our clients.
We also have the product ready for our clients and all the machinery required to quickly serve our clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is limestone used in agricultural soil?
Limestone is used to increase soil pH in acidic soil (the higher the pH the less acidic the soil). In other words, soil acidity is reduced and alkalinity increased.
In today’s farming practices, many chemical fertilizers and spraying techniques are used to supply the plant with more nutrients and to control pests. Unfortunately, this often contributes to increased soil acidity. Also, high efficiency crops like corn and soya that are GMO take up a lot of the soil mineral nutrients leaving the soil depleted and acidic. To rebalance the soil structure a good source of calcium and magnesium is required. This also improves water penetration and facilitates the intake of major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Other forms of lime have common applications in agriculture and gardening, including dolomitic lime and hydrated lime. Dolomitic lime may be used as a soil input to provide similar effects as agricultural lime, while supplying magnesium in addition to calcium.
In livestock farming, hydrated lime can be used as a disinfectant measure, producing a dry and alkaline environment in which bacteria do not readily multiply.
In horticultural farming it can be used as an insect repellent, without causing harm to the pest or plant.
Why do you have different types of lime?
We have different kinds of lime because they are effective at accomplishing different kinds of outcomes. For example:
- Calcitic Ag Lime is calcium based and is the one limestone that is used most commonly.
- Dolomitic Ag Lime is calcium and magnesium based and it is most often used for sandy loam soil.
- There are different grades of limes. The higher the grade of the limestone, the lower the application is required.
- With various quarry locations, we can better serve our clients by providing an efficient and fast service.
Where do you get your limestone?
We have a various sources of limestone. Our primary sources are:
- Graymont is North America largest supplier of lime and lime-based product.
- Tomlinson
- Bertrand quarry
Why is soil Analysis required and how is it conducted?
Spread-X provides soil analysis services separately and the cost is in addition to the purchase and distribution of the limestone itself (contact us for details and pricing.)
There are many things to look at when we receive your soil analysis before we make a recommendation.
- PH
- Buffer PH
- Saturation
- Ratio
- Crop planted
The soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity in soils. A pH below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Soil pH is considered a master variable in soils as it controls many chemical processes that take place.
Soil testing is the most accurate tool available to determine nutrient requirements for a crop. It is actually made up of three discrete steps:
- Collecting a representative sample from the field
- Analyzing the sample using OMAFRA-accredited soil tests
- Relating the results of the soil analysis to nutrient requirements for optimum crop yields
We deal with a range of agronomists to assist us in this process. Most of our client base is referred to us by their agronomist who has already conducted a soil sampling, has the soil analysis, and has provided a recommendation that lime is required.
Where do you get your limestone?
We have a various sources of limestone. Our primary sources are:
- Graymont is North America largest supplier of lime and lime-based product.
- Tomlinson
- Bertrand quarry
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There’s no denying Julie’s passion. She’s driven to continue to explore new methods to improve the results that farmers are getting but strengthening and nurturing the soil. Just watch her teach others about organic methods and the results that occur and you’ll know exactly how great that passion is.
What’s really striking is when that passion is combined with her versatility. She can drive a loader and make a delivery to a client, negotiate a deal with a new supplier, and continue to refine business operations—all before lunch.
Julie’s motto is “Live to have a taste of everything”. She loves to grow their own food, eat fresh out of the garden, and cook—especially on their wood stove. Together, Julie and Marc want their boys to know that they worked to help others make better food by growing healthier crops in soil full of life.