Should I use pecan hulls at a source of organic matter and will they raise the soil’s pH?
Filed under: Food Plots
Question
Regarding improving the soil…..
Our hunting properties are in SW Georgia. PH of plots prior to liming was low and mid 5’s. Now they are better. On our new property, they are low and I had an idea.
A friend farms pecans. He has huge piles of waste from the pecan sorting facilities comprised of dirt, branches, leaves, shells, etc.
I soil tested some of this once and it came in at 7.5 or slightly higher if I recall. I assume it would be considered to be “lots of organic matter”.
I can haul trailer loads on to our new food plots. I would think it would be great for the soil. One friend cautioned that it would add weed seed. I don’t think so as these piles are relatively sparse with weeds and hello….. the food plots get COVERED with weeds anyway.
Whatcha think? Genius or waste of time? Or worse?
Thanks!
Joe
Our hunting properties are in SW Georgia. PH of plots prior to liming was low and mid 5’s. Now they are better. On our new property, they are low and I had an idea.
A friend farms pecans. He has huge piles of waste from the pecan sorting facilities comprised of dirt, branches, leaves, shells, etc.
I soil tested some of this once and it came in at 7.5 or slightly higher if I recall. I assume it would be considered to be “lots of organic matter”.
I can haul trailer loads on to our new food plots. I would think it would be great for the soil. One friend cautioned that it would add weed seed. I don’t think so as these piles are relatively sparse with weeds and hello….. the food plots get COVERED with weeds anyway.
Whatcha think? Genius or waste of time? Or worse?
Thanks!
Joe
Joe,
I don’t know much about the chemistry of pecan hulls. Do local farmers use this practice? If not, there’s probably a reason why!
When course organic matter (like limbs, etc.) are added it can take years for the soil microbes to decompose such materials. These soil microbes will tie up many of the available nutrients and therefore more fertilizer must be added.
Again – if local farmers aren’t spreading the pecan hulls on their fields (free soil amendments) I wouldn’t spread them on a food plot.
Enjoy creation,
grant
