The suitability of woodchips on the plot

[Benacre]

We have a great deal of woodchips mainly from Pine and as we are on acid sandling soil my question is are woodchips acidic and by using them as a mulch could they affect the Ph when pulled into the soil by wums etc.

When I did my degree Woodchips were never used as mulch 26 years ago (Well you know the stuff tree surgeons use nowadays)

So I have no idea however I am going to experiment with them on a spare patch and test the ph frequently.
any thoughts from the panel negative or positive?
Benacre

[nick the grief]

The biggest trouble with them is they will deplete the soil of Nitrogen as they break down.

The best way of dealing with them is to put them into old compost bags & water them with 6ozs of sulphate of Ammonia in a couple of pints of water (per bushel) & then tie the bachs up & stack them somewhere out the way for 12 months. They will get really hot so don't stick your hand in there - it will get burnt honest, I know some one who did just that!

If you have a lot I guess you could do the same sort of thing using pallets to make a compost bin & line it with some black polythene then treat as above If required you could use this as a hot bed I guess & put a couple of growbags on top & sow some early lettuces in under cover.

Once it has turned nice & dark brown (12 - 18 months) test the PH & then add to the soil as either a mulch or dig it in. I suspect it would be on the acid side so maybe to dolomite limestone added will help rather than ordinary Lime as it lasts longer in the soil - or grow blueberries & heathers

[Benacre]

So you would not use it as a mulch? Mine is around my fruit bushes atm. and on my paths where it will do no damage.
Leaf mould has been placed on my JA beds.
Benacre

[nick the grief]

I wouldn't put it down "raw" Ben. Once it's been composted it's OK & i'ts OK for paths.

[supersprout]

The Council deliver free woodchips to us.

I use them straight away over woven black plastic as paths - the thicker the better, and they do need topping up as they compress with use.
I also use them around the shed and greenhouse in 'working areas', over the black plastic again. You can plant through the black plastic. I saw a pic posted here showing herbs at the entrances to greenhouse and shed, especially rosemary, so that's on the list for this year.

I suppose woodchips might be good composted as Nick suggests on cultivated areas. But next year I'm increasing 'sheet composting' to minimise labour, and reducing the amount of lugging around compost. If I thought some brown matter were needed I might sprinkle them on in thin layers, but would definitely feed during the growing season to compensate for (temporary) depletion of nitrogen. For the moment, I use woodchips for paths and non-cultivated areas, because there are more nourishing and/or soil conditioning organics I can use for the cultivated areas that also suppress weeds (straw, spent hops, leaf mould, pony poo etc.)

Blackcurrants are greedy feeders, so it might be better to mulch with pony poo rather than woodchips, being careful to keep it away from the stems. If you're worried about grass seed in pony poo, cover that with a straw mulch