Squirrels, mice, roe deer, muntjac deer, bindweed, ground elder, nettles and brambles. No moles that I know, I assume shallow soil over chalk isn't for them.
I forgot to mention the deer, badgers (who have move their sett into ours), nettles galore (hate those b**### - constantly getting stung), brambles and of course bindweed .....
There is indeed a lot of contradictory advice, coming from gqt for example. Woody material is high in carbon and very low in nitrogen so when it breaks down, the nitrogen based bacteria that is formed in the decay process must get their nitrogen from elsewhere. This is 'robbed' from the adjacent soil. However, RHS research and others shows that only the fine layer of soil in contact with the wood chips is affected. This means you would not want to use the chipping around seeds or seedlings but would only have a positive mulching effect on established plants whose roots are below the surface. Ultimately any nitrogen used in the process is released back so in the long term you will enrich the soil. So use it as a mulch on established beds but don't dig it in. I expect the leaves in the chippings will contribute some nitrogen too.
Oh, that is helpful. Does this same thing apply to farmyard manure also? I have heard people advise one to mulch it in at the top rather than dig it in.
I think a lot depends on why you want to use the chippings.
If you want to use them primarily as a soil improver then you should probably compost them as Hostafan does - layering them with manure and / or fresh grass clippings and leaving them covered for several months to break down.
I have used them as a thick chunky mulch primarily to prevent loss of moisture and as a weed suppressant. For that I just left them piled up on a tarpaulin for about 3 mths without adding anything else so they were still nice chunky pieces. After about 18mths they'd completely broken down into the soil.
The only reason I left them for 3 mths was because that's what the tree surgeon recommended - I don't know why. I'm fairly sure other people have used fresh chippings without any ill effect. I've certainly used fresh chippings on paths.
> leaving them covered for several months to break down.
What do you cover them with @Topbird ? Can I cover it with clayish or muddy soil I dig up?
I'm with @Hostafan1 here, I also take loads of the stuff from tree surgeons. I compost it and also add directly to beds as mulch, I only spread it on in winter and by the spring it is really well broken down.
That is useful to know, thanks. Gives one a good idea of the timeline of breaking down.
I got several tonnes of fine chip free from a local furniture maker and I use it everywhere. It breaks down into lovely soil alive with worms. Good for mixing into compost bins too. I keep dry bins of it for future use.
> It breaks down into lovely soil alive with worms
It's possible to plant your bulbs in a home-made "bag" of small mesh chicken wire. This ought to deter most squirrels...
Hadn't thought of doing it like that but generally I'd like to keep the wire on the surface in large pieces so I can remove it at some point to avoid the garden filling up with even more things I don't want there 🙂
@ren.b it makes you wonder why we still enjoy gardening! 🤦♂️
Re the bulbs - we were discussing it on another thread recently, and another way of planting is to use the containers for pond plants, if you can get them. Usually fairly easy online if your local GC doesn't have any. The holes allow roots to get through but the bulbs are largely protected. You just need mesh on top, and you can then lift the whole pot out if you want to move them or plant something else etc. Moles can be a huge problem if you have the right conditions. I think @Palustris had long running battle. None of the so called solutions are much good if you have a real infestation of them. Rabbits are bad enough!
Hope you get back up next year or so @Woodgreen. If S an L was nearer to me, I'd use it all the time when I'm getting hill fit after a break. Lovely in winter conditions too. I usually do some photos on the camera thread of walks, but I don't think I did any of that one this time. Maybe I'll do a few today since it's wet.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Jac19 - Re covering chippings - nothing complicated. I bought a huge plastic / tarpaulin sheet. Chippings were piled on one half and the other half was pulled over the top and held in place with a few bricks.
@fairygirl - thanks for that tip about using pond plant baskets. The local squirrel population plus heavy clay soil meant I've had to restrict my bulb growing to containers topped with a most attractive (not) cap of chicken wire.
I can see that planting in one of those containers filled with a free draining mix and topped with wire buried in the ground would work. Ta!
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
It's not something I do in this garden @Topbird, but it's a tried and tested method, and I've done it in the past when I wasn't sure where I wanted to put something. Probably good for any bulbs that need lifting too. It's the same here, as I'm sure you know, re the soil. It's why I built all the raised beds when I moved in Those hanging baskets are quite good for covering pots, and look a lot better too. I've done that with a couple of pots of species tulips, or anything else a bit vulnerable. I had great fun trying to dig out the compacted clay earlier this year to put a few plants in, when I randomly decide to relocate the pond to a sunnier site. The pickaxe was used, and a lot of sweary words uttered, because we had such a dry, record breaking spring and getting the spade in was hideous. Even after some rain it was murder. All part of the fun eh?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
What do you cover them with @Topbird ?
Can I cover it with clayish or muddy soil I dig up?
Earthworms, I hope. But good info, thanks.
@ren.b it makes you wonder why we still enjoy gardening! 🤦♂️
Moles can be a huge problem if you have the right conditions. I think @Palustris had long running battle. None of the so called solutions are much good if you have a real infestation of them. Rabbits are bad enough!
Hope you get back up next year or so @Woodgreen. If S an L was nearer to me, I'd use it all the time when I'm getting hill fit after a break. Lovely in winter conditions too. I usually do some photos on the camera thread of walks, but I don't think I did any of that one this time. Maybe I'll do a few today since it's wet.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@fairygirl - thanks for that tip about using pond plant baskets. The local squirrel population plus heavy clay soil meant I've had to restrict my bulb growing to containers topped with a most attractive (not) cap of chicken wire.
I can see that planting in one of those containers filled with a free draining mix and topped with wire buried in the ground would work. Ta!
It's the same here, as I'm sure you know, re the soil. It's why I built all the raised beds when I moved in
Those hanging baskets are quite good for covering pots, and look a lot better too. I've done that with a couple of pots of species tulips, or anything else a bit vulnerable.
I had great fun trying to dig out the compacted clay earlier this year to put a few plants in, when I randomly decide to relocate the pond to a sunnier site. The pickaxe was used, and a lot of sweary words uttered, because we had such a dry, record breaking spring and getting the spade in was hideous. Even after some rain it was murder. All part of the fun eh?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...