fresh woodchips as mulch?

LindyAdele · March 26, 2015

What is everyone's opinion on woodchips? Especially fresh?
I have four trees coming down on my property this year - one is about 50 feet high, and three are fruit wood (no longer producing). I am saving most of the fruit wood for firewood, but will have some of the Locust tree chipped. I was planning on using the chipped wood for mulch on my tomato/pepper/eggplant beds. Is it okay to use fresh chipped wood? Do i need to add any compensating amendments into my soil for the leaching of nitrogen or acidity? Or should I steer clear all together?

The only other option I can think of is landscape fabric (black) which is permeable but will keep weeds down and some moisture in.

Redbaron · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

What is everyone's opinion on woodchips? Especially fresh?
I have four trees coming down on my property this year - one is about 50 feet high, and three are fruit wood (no longer producing). I am saving most of the fruit wood for firewood, but will have some of the Locust tree chipped. I was planning on using the chipped wood for mulch on my tomato/pepper/eggplant beds. Is it okay to use fresh chipped wood? Do i need to add any compensating amendments into my soil for the leaching of nitrogen or acidity? Or should I steer clear all together?

The only other option I can think of is landscape fabric (black) which is permeable but will keep weeds down and some moisture in.

I have used it with success if the wood is from the branches you should be ok. Mixing it with grass clippings helps it decay faster.

Yes wood chips can suck nitrogen, but that's if you till it in. Just as a surface mulch it won't hurt N at all.

LindyAdele · March 26, 2015

can you tell me the difference between wood chips from the trunk and from the branches? Do I want it to decay quickly? Or remain all season? Grass clippings are not a problem, we have to cut the grass and usually bag it for compost.

Redbaron · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

can you tell me the difference between wood chips from the trunk and from the branches? Do I want it to decay quickly? Or remain all season? Grass clippings are not a problem, we have to cut the grass and usually bag it for compost.

The branches have a lower carbon to nitrogen ratio. ie more nitrogen and other nutrients. The trunk is almost all carbon. Do you want it to decay quickly? That depends on what you want. Decay releases nutrients. But it eventually means you'll need to replace the mulch. So depends what you need most? Nutrients or cover?

Worth1 · March 26, 2015

Our branches harbor the twig girdling beetle larva.

The beetle climbs the tree lays eggs girdles the stem the stem dies and falls to the ground.
The process it repeated over and over.

LindyAdele · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redbaron

The branches have a lower carbon to nitrogen ratio. ie more nitrogen and other nutrients. The trunk is almost all carbon. Do you want it to decay quickly? That depends on what you want. Decay releases nutrients. But it eventually means you'll need to replace the mulch. So depends what you need most? Nutrients or cover?

Thanks! That is very very helpful. I think I need both

so I'm not sure what to do?? ha!

LindyAdele · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Our branches harbor the twig girdling beetle larva.

The beetle climbs the tree lays eggs girdles the stem the stem dies and falls to the ground.
The process it repeated over and over.

Thanks for those... um... graphic photos Worth! I was eating my breakfast!

(I don't like grubby things!). The one tree coming down has many dead branches, but we don't entirely know the cause. The arbourist is coming back again today to figure it all out before he starts slicing branches so I'll make sure it isn't anything that could affect other growing things... otherwise, it will be mulch for around my fire-pit where nothing grows!

clkeiper · March 26, 2015

I have used them fresh, but 4 trees will produce a lot of chips. I would stock pile them and use them as needed, after the break down for a while you can pile them on deeper than if they were fresh. I wouldn't use too many fresh ones especially if you are using them in a house foundation bed. They will harbor ants.

Don't use them around your fire pit. That is an accident waiting to happen if they catch on fire. Burning the wood is okay, but not using the chips as mulch for there. What kind of trees, btw? If there are black walnut, or hickory (anything in the black walnut family) DON'T use them at all for mulch or chips. They will suppress or even kill off your desired plants.

Stvrob · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

What is everyone's opinion on woodchips? Especially fresh?
I have four trees coming down on my property this year - one is about 50 feet high, and three are fruit wood (no longer producing). I am saving most of the fruit wood for firewood, but will have some of the Locust tree chipped. I was planning on using the chipped wood for mulch on my tomato/pepper/eggplant beds. Is it okay to use fresh chipped wood? Do i need to add any compensating amendments into my soil for the leaching of nitrogen or acidity? Or should I steer clear all together?

The only other option I can think of is landscape fabric (black) which is permeable but will keep weeds down and some moisture in.

Why chip the locust tree. It makes excellent firewood, and if there are any lounger pieces you can split it up for posts that will last forever.

Plus, whoever chips it is going to get alot of wear on their machine, locust is very tough wood.

Ozark · April 1, 2015

We had an enormous oak tree break down in a storm last summer, and I had a tree service remove what was left of it. Their final removal step was to grind the stump down below ground level, and that live stump was a good 5' in diameter.

The stump grinder left me with two large piles of what amounts to very coarse oak sawdust. I've been wondering what I could do with it - being oak, it has a strong smell and I'm sure it's high in acidity and tannin. I'm afraid to compost it, as I suspect it might be better at killing plants than helping the soil. Wonder if I could use it as mulch between garden rows to keep crabgrass and weeds down, or would it be too toxic for nearby plants?

What do you think?

Redbaron · April 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozark

We had an enormous oak tree break down in a storm last summer, and I had a tree service remove what was left of it. Their final removal step was to grind the stump down below ground level, and that live stump was a good 5' in diameter.

The stump grinder left me with two large piles of what amounts to very coarse oak sawdust. I've been wondering what I could do with it - being oak, it has a strong smell and I'm sure it's high in acidity and tannin. I'm afraid to compost it, as I suspect it might be better at killing plants than helping the soil. Wonder if I could use it as mulch between garden rows to keep crabgrass and weeds down, or would it be too toxic for nearby plants?

What do you think?

Compost it.

peppero · April 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Our branches harbor the twig girdling beetle larva.

The beetle climbs the tree lays eggs girdles the stem the stem dies and falls to the ground.
The process it repeated over and over.

I remenber those bugs as they really liked the huisache trees.

jon

drew51 · April 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Compost it.

I agree, Oak is some of the best compost you can get! Great stuff!

March 26, 2015	#1
LindyAdele Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 323	fresh woodchips as mulch? What is everyone's opinion on woodchips? Especially fresh? I have four trees coming down on my property this year - one is about 50 feet high, and three are fruit wood (no longer producing). I am saving most of the fruit wood for firewood, but will have some of the Locust tree chipped. I was planning on using the chipped wood for mulch on my tomato/pepper/eggplant beds. Is it okay to use fresh chipped wood? Do i need to add any compensating amendments into my soil for the leaching of nitrogen or acidity? Or should I steer clear all together? The only other option I can think of is landscape fabric (black) which is permeable but will keep weeds down and some moisture in.

March 26, 2015	#8
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I have used them fresh, but 4 trees will produce a lot of chips. I would stock pile them and use them as needed, after the break down for a while you can pile them on deeper than if they were fresh. I wouldn't use too many fresh ones especially if you are using them in a house foundation bed. They will harbor ants. Don't use them around your fire pit. That is an accident waiting to happen if they catch on fire. Burning the wood is okay, but not using the chips as mulch for there. What kind of trees, btw? If there are black walnut, or hickory (anything in the black walnut family) DON'T use them at all for mulch or chips. They will suppress or even kill off your desired plants. __________________ carolyn k Last edited by clkeiper; March 26, 2015 at 10:02 AM.

March 26, 2015	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Our branches harbor the twig girdling beetle larva. The beetle climbs the tree lays eggs girdles the stem the stem dies and falls to the ground. The process it repeated over and over.

April 1, 2015	#10
Ozark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ozark, Mo. Posts: 201	We had an enormous oak tree break down in a storm last summer, and I had a tree service remove what was left of it. Their final removal step was to grind the stump down below ground level, and that live stump was a good 5' in diameter. The stump grinder left me with two large piles of what amounts to very coarse oak sawdust. I've been wondering what I could do with it - being oak, it has a strong smell and I'm sure it's high in acidity and tannin. I'm afraid to compost it, as I suspect it might be better at killing plants than helping the soil. Wonder if I could use it as mulch between garden rows to keep crabgrass and weeds down, or would it be too toxic for nearby plants? What do you think?