Wood chips to chip mulch

[Jasonk]

Our plan is to try to season the chips for around 12 months before grinding. We have a very large excavator that we plan to turn them periodically with. My thought is the create a windrow to turn them one way then back the other. We have a couple thousand yards from last year we will be grinding soon and I'll update how they come out.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Speaking of windrows reminds me I did some trees near a mushroom farm operation once. They had big open fields with yet to be used mulch in them and they would run a loader back and forth with a big blade on it like a snowplow. It would turn over, mix, and put up fresh material all in one fell swoop as they drove back and forth at 10 miles an hour.

 

[Kris Anderson]

The place we used to at had a fire, the guy there told me they would start when rounds of wood or branches got mixed in and created air pockets in the pile. This pile was about 3/4 of a football field and 20ft high.

 

[Jasonk]

The place we used to at had a fire, the guy there told me they would start when rounds of wood or branches got mixed in and created air pockets in the pile. This pile was about 3/4 of a football field and 20ft high.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Only chips in the back of a truck can light off too. Ideally chipped in a light misty rain, warm afternoon, left to cook overnight. Stick your hand in the chip pile and it is so hot you can't keep it there.

 

[southsoundtree]

Too large of a pile can spontaneously combust, especially when moved with equipment.