Liming pond without a spreader any ideas?

Hey everyone, need some ideas! I have a 1 acre pond that can be reached on all sides, but there are no spreader trucks in my area to drive around and spread the lime. I can have bulk lime delivered and dumped at my house but looking for a way to spread it. I dont have a fancy lime barge like you see in all the videos and to get a trash pump I would have to rent one, and they are around $70 a day to rent. Really not trying to kill myself flinging 4 tons of lime by shovel all around the pond. ANY IDEAS?

You have a tractor? If so use front end loader to pile it around edge and in water and let wave action take car of it

This is a short video of my setup helping a friend spread 30 tons of gypsum. It was a muddied 3 acre pond, and it took less than 4 hours total. Visibility returned within 3 days, so spreading it from the bank worked.

I brought 2 cheap tarps, a front end loader to pile the gypsum on the tarps(this was done to keep from blowing out the banks), a 2" water pump with hose, and a cheap red plastic nozzle from TSC. We hopscotched down the bank, and reset the pump between every 2 piles. When it was time to move the pump, we just threw it in the tractor bucket, and set it between the next 2 piles. It actually went very smoothly.

Another option is to use a trailer pulled by a tractor. Just set the pump at the front, and load the back of the trailer with lime. This eliminates all the moving of tarps and pump equipment. Just back the trailer into the pond where you want it, blow the lime off, uncouple the tractor, reload the trailer, then head to the next spot.

A seemingly silly, but somewhat serious hypothetical thought: Perhaps you could have the truck dump portions of the load at various spots along the upwind side of the pond, and when a steady light breeze is blowing use Tannerite explosive placed on the backside of each pile to blow up the pile, creating a cloud of lime which would drift over and into the pond

Disclaimer: I bear no responsibility for unintended damage or harm which may result from misuse of explosives

Is this Ag lime,i.e. looks like small little stones?

Originally Posted By: gully washer

A seemingly silly, but somewhat serious hypothetical thought: Perhaps you could have the truck dump portions of the load at various spots along the upwind side of the pond, and when a steady light breeze is blowing use Tannerite explosive placed on the backside of each pile to blow up the pile, creating a cloud of lime which would drift over and into the pond

Disclaimer: I bear no responsibility for unintended damage or harm which may result from misuse of explosives

Ok you win!!!! Best idea yet

Originally Posted By: gully washer

A seemingly silly, but somewhat serious hypothetical thought: Perhaps you could have the truck dump portions of the load at various spots along the upwind side of the pond, and when a steady light breeze is blowing use Tannerite explosive placed on the backside of each pile to blow up the pile, creating a cloud of lime which would drift over and into the pond

Disclaimer: I bear no responsibility for unintended damage or harm which may result from misuse of explosives

hahaha I also agree you win!

Originally Posted By: Bill D.

Is this Ag lime,i.e. looks like small little stones?

Yes Bill its AG lime

Originally Posted By: FireIsHot

This is a short video of my setup helping a friend spread 30 tons of gypsum. It was a muddied 3 acre pond, and it took less than 4 hours total. Visibility returned within 3 days, so spreading it from the bank worked.

I brought 2 cheap tarps, a front end loader to pile the gypsum on the tarps(this was done to keep from blowing out the banks), a 2" water pump with hose, and a cheap red plastic nozzle from TSC. We hopscotched down the bank, and reset the pump between every 2 piles. When it was time to move the pump, we just threw it in the tractor bucket, and set it between the next 2 piles. It actually went very smoothly.

Another option is to use a trailer pulled by a tractor. Just set the pump at the front, and load the back of the trailer with lime. This eliminates all the moving of tarps and pump equipment. Just back the trailer into the pond where you want it, blow the lime off, uncouple the tractor, reload the trailer, then head to the next spot.

I like your trailer idea I think im gonna go that route. cheap tarp on the trailer dump the lime on it, back the trailer in / near the water and blow it off with the nozzle!

Originally Posted By: Dinsmoreoutdoors

Hey everyone, need some ideas! I have a 1 acre pond that can be reached on all sides, but there are no spreader trucks in my area to drive around and spread the lime. I can have bulk lime delivered and dumped at my house but looking for a way to spread it. I dont have a fancy lime barge like you see in all the videos and to get a trash pump I would have to rent one, and they are around $70 a day to rent. Really not trying to kill myself flinging 4 tons of lime by shovel all around the pond. ANY IDEAS?

You can buy a 2" trash pump and all hoses for about $200...Renting is pricey for pumps. If you have a jon boat, you can float around and dump lime in using 5 gallon buckets. Whatever you do, the idea is to cover the pond basin as evenly as you can. PILES of lime are all but useless except in the very immediate area of the pile.

I cleared my 4 acre pond with 8 50lb bags of barn lime ($2.99/bag) from Tractor Supply. Spread it from the shore. Cleared up heavy red clay.

Consider trying the cheap simple approach, particularly with a small pond. Give it a few days, test it, and see if it is where you want it.

If you don't mind work. Jon boat, plywood and 2 2x4s. Boards across boat with plywood on top to from a platform at front of boat. Shovel lime on and row out and shovel off in deep water. Most can be spread from shore.