Do residents want woodchips as mulch in your city?

Re: Do residents want woodchips as mulch in your c

Guy, can you elaborate? Is there research that shows this? This would make me very happy.

I'm sure that woodchips (when turned in) have a devastating effect on more fleshy stuff like vegetables, I know because I spoiled a large amount of container potting material with (well composted) woodchips a few years ago. Had the worst crop of veggies ever.

-Tom
 
Re: Do residents want woodchips as mulch in your c

We top dress with fresh wood chips often. We encourage clients to keep the chips if they have the area for this purpose. We also have a list of people who desire them. But we do have to give them away, we do not charge.

If you dig these into the soil, it will tie up N until fully decomposed.

And that term "fully decomposed" is often misconstrued. We have heard recommendations about leaving the chips for "a year" then they are ok to use. IF, you are digging these into the soil, it will take a whole lot longer than one year to break down whole tree chips.

Urban defines "fully decomposed organic matter" very well: if it is dark chocolate brown, THROUGH AND THROUGH, and has that good Earth smell, then it is fully decomposed. So if you can snap a whole tree chip in two and it is still bright inside, it is not fully decomposed. Organic matter is 80 to 90% decomposed; organic MATERIAL should remain on TOP of the ground. Again, looking to nature, the fresh matter stays on top of the ground and only becomes part of the A horizon as it has decomposed and weathered down.

Obviously the time frame to accomplish this will vary from area to area. Here in our arid, cool climate a stack of whole tree chips can last a very long time.

I have top dressed vegetable and annual beds with whole, finely ground tree chips with great success,but STILL have to be careful the next year when replanting not to let ANY get into the soil.

Sylvia
 
Re: Do residents want woodchips as mulch in your c

What if you were to throw a bag of 10-10-10 in with the whole pile of chips, and then spread them? Would that help out the situation? Or maybe something with a high % of nitrogen.
 
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