Wood Chips!

[baymule]

In August of 2016, we were given 5 year old wood chip mulch left by power line cleaning crews. We lost no time in hauling it home to use on our sandy soil. Later on that winter, we found a power line cleaning crew in our area and they wound up bringing us over 100 loads of wood chips and parked their trucks here at night. This make a HUGE difference in our garden and the sand on our place.

Baymule's 2017 Garden Thread

I can't believe I haven't started a garden thread yet! So here goes! This will be our 3rd garden since we moved. The first year was a total bust, second year was much better, expect this year to be even better! https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2015-garden-from-raw-land.16897/...

www.theeasygarden.com

We spread wood chip mulch all around the barn to help hold down the dust, we spread it on the driveway and in the yard. When dry, the wind would blow dust clouds across our property, so the wood chips helped a lot. We still have a few small piles of those wood chips, they are dwindling fast. We have used them over cardboard to smother out weeds, they have rotted into the garden soil and what was once pure white, fine sand, with absolutely no fertility, has become, with copious amounts of sheep, chicken and horse manure, rich black soil about a foot deep. We have spread the rotted mulch over pasture areas where we have worked hard to grow some grass for the livestock. Still working on that.

A few weeks ago, the same crew foreman showed up at our gate with a load of wood chips! We gladly welcomed him in and he dumped it. Since then he has brought us 10 loads, with more to come. Yesterday he brought us 2 loads and said Monday he will have 2 more. I don't know if we will get the amazing wealth of over 100 loads this time, but we will gladly accept all he brings us.

 

[baymule]

Here we go again! We are very happy to have a fresh batch of wood chip mulch!

Mulch mountain!

 

[flowerbug]

i'm so envious i'm going to pee green for a week!

 

[flowerbug]

if you've ever read or listened to any of Joel Salatin's books/lectures he mentions how the farm that his father started with had shallow topsoil and bare spots and how he healed the land and got it back into production for grazing livestock by using whatever organic materials he could source for the right price (using the basic idea that carbon per ton has a certain value because it will cause growth which feeds his cows and the conversion rate that the cows will do).

if you can get such for free and it is not toxic or mixed with negative stuff then you are making out really well and you'll see those results for years to come.

it's basically a long term carbon source which is partially composted any time there is a nitrogen input.

as the years go by it turns into the longest term molecules called humic acids aka humus. that's the black gold of the plains or forest lands. takes many years to form even an inch, but it is complex, has a lot of surface area and will support life and diversity.

i forgot to mention that these wood chips will also help absorb some of the rains and keep your area cooler in the hotter weather.

 

[baymule]

Those loads of wood chips from several years ago were put to good use here. It made a marked difference in our place. I continue to use everything at our disposal, manures, old hay, leaves, etc. We are still building our soil, indeed, that will be an ongoing project.

 

[seedcorn]

Happy for you. Now, get to work......

 

[flowerbug]

Happy for you. Now, get to work......

this also means thanks for the pictures in seedcornese...

 

[digitS']

There is biodiversity in wood chips. A dust mask is a very good idea.

About 20 years ago, a neighbor had his spruce taken out. I had the wood chip guy leave a pile in my driveway.

Hauling it around, I developed a severe "cold."

Steve

 

[WildBird]

We had somebody dump their extra wood chips in our yard a few years ago (at our request). When we need some we take wheelbarrow loads to the garden or flowerbeds. However, it is getting harder and harder to use the pitchfork cause the wood chips are decomposing. Good for the dirt, I guess, but not fun for the workers

 

[flowerbug]

We had somebody dump their extra wood chips in our yard a few years ago. When we need some we take wheelbarrow loads to the garden or flowerbeds. However, it is getting harder and harder to use the pitchfork cause the wood chips are decomposing. Good for the dirt, I guess, but not fun for the workers

i have a large plastic shovel that i use for moving bulk items like wood chips and the crushed limestone (via wheelbarrow or even buckets). it does take some upper body strength, but it is a lot faster than any other method i can use.