Forum home› The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Fresh wood chips

rgwrgw Posts: 12
in The potting shed
I am about to have some trees reduced in height and the smaller branches/twigs are to be chipped.... can anyone please tell me if these can be used fresh as a mulch? If not then any suggestions for use are welcome.
«1

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I have several tons delivered every year by local tree surgeons. 

    Some folk trot out the old wives tale " it depletes nitrogen " NOT when it's used as a mulch, and , according to  the RHS , even if dug into the soil the "depletion" is minimal and has no detrimental effect on plants.
    Devon.
  • rgwrgw Posts: 12
    Hostafan1 said:
    I have several tons delivered every year by local tree surgeons. 

    Some folk trot out the old wives tale " it depletes nitrogen " NOT when it's used as a mulch, and , according to  the RHS , even if dug into the soil the "depletion" is minimal and has no detrimental effect on plants.
    That's excellent news.
    Thank you  :)
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    It's also great layered up with grass clippings to make compost for next spring.  
    I have a bout 40 builders' Dumpy sacks filled up with the mix. 
    Devon.
  • rgwrgw Posts: 12
    Great information, thank you.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    The downside is it also makes a good cats' toilet.  Just so you know to look out for it.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    "Chips with everything". This is a nice article today on using wood chips.
  • rgwrgw Posts: 12
    josusa47 said:
    The downside is it also makes a good cats' toilet.  Just so you know to look out for it.
    Thank you for the warning. Any suggestions of how to discourage the blighters?
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited September 2020
    You will need to tell the treemen in advance, and they may charge slightly more as they will be minus stuff to sell on. 

    If you provide a location for it to be chipped to ie tarpaulin perhaps with a catch barrier where you intend to store it, then it would help.

    Though it depends on their particular numbers.

    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • rgwrgw Posts: 12
    I was paying extra to have it taken away, so hopefully it will be the same or cheaper if I keep it. Thank you for the caution.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    rgw said:
    Any suggestions of how to discourage the blighters?

    Put tend to put patches of chicken wire over affected areas re foxes too. I also use  RSPB sonic devices, which work very well. Some blighters will happy poo on chicken wire, but not as often. I've personally not found wood chip to be more attractive to cats than gravel or open earth in my gardens.
Sign In or Register to comment.