Useful or useless mulch?
Pride
Posts: 2
Hello all
I have a little conundrum which I was hoping you could give me a hand with. A family member has recently had a titanic clearing session in their rather large garden, and from the multitudes of felled trees has produced a healthy volume of woodchip "mulch". Now, I've little real experience when it comes to tinkering with my perennials and petunias so I'm not entirely sure whether this stuff is of any genuine use in anyone's gardens? My relative wants to sell it off as they have amassed around 40 bulk bags worth of the stuff. But I'm not sure as to the consistency and quality of it all relative to a commercial product and thus its usefulness: The bags contain a general mix of ash, cherry, pair and apple. Bags range from about 2 years in age up to approximately 6 months. They have been stored in bulk bags and have taken on water without much movement.
Do any of you fine people have any idea whether or not this would be useful in any kind of horticultural/agricultural application as a mulch or as humus?
Tah very much like, Pride.
Posts
I have this stuff delivered by a local tree surgeon when he can't find a buyer and I add it to my compost bins, or , if there's a lot I layer it up with equal amounts of grass clippings. I find it rots down a treat.
I did see a builders' Dumpy Sack at the side of the road a few weeks back filled with tree chippings, " for sale £30"
Something is worth , what someone else is prepared to pay for it.
the older it is the more useful it will be as a mulch. Can also be used to surface paths.
http://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/magazine%20pdfs/Woodchips.pdf
Doesn't need to be composted first. Not so good for vegetables/annual planting but great for landscaping with perennials. I've posted the link before but I really like Linda Chalker-Scott's scientific way of evaluating horticultural practice. And she IS a professor of horticulture. I have contacted local tree surgeons asking for their woodchips. Much better than the tarry bark chips you have to buy.
Watery, and all the better if it's free eh?
I just called the guy who brings mine and asked what he does with the stuff he has no customer for. When he told me he has to pay to dump it , I offered him a " dump" .
He just turns up and drops it where we've agreed. Win win situation.
It definitely makes it even better! My husband couldn't believe I was calling around like that but the tree surgeon didn't seem to think it odd. You'd think my husband would like having a thrifty wife! He laughs at how much I spend on the garden. I tell him better than spending it on shoes!
Thanks guys, so this gist of it is there is some money in shifting this stuff then. Excellent.
We can't get enough on our allotments. It's brilliant for covering muddy paths and my chickens love the little worms that seem to love the dampness underneath.