Woodchip mulching

[alldigging]

Come here and do some sawing - you can have the dustings and some logs

That's tempting - but I really need to get nic to build a shelter for logs before we get anymore. The ones we have are a bit soggy.

[zazen999]

Thank you! I will give them a call tomorrow!
I had rung round various places before Christmas and then got distracted by the offer of piles of free woodchip!

Ok. But keep the fairy bit quiet eh? Trevor will get well jel.

Actually he won't - he had a heart bypass op today poor sod.

[alldigging]

Ok. But keep the fairy bit quiet eh? Trevor will get well jel.

Actually he won't - he had a heat bypass op today poor sod.

OK!
Hope he's better soon.

[Incy]

I'm intrigued. We have tons of woodchip which we get delivered to the plot for free. We use it for the paths and it is great for suppressing most weeds on those. I had thought though that it would be too acidic for most of the plants if I used it as a mulch. Am I deluding myself?

[Madasafish]

I have added my own woodchips # to my compost bins for 30 years and spread over garden.

The soil ph was neutral 30 years ago. It still is.

# mainly soft wood and very fine.. composts down within 2 years.

[Stew_L]

I saw this video a little while back.

https://vimeo.com/28055108
Some people may have issues with the religious side of the video but if you look round that, he makes a very strong case for trying it.

I would love to give it ago, if I could find a source for woodchip. I suspect if I put some time into contacting local tree surgeons that I could get some.

[Pineberry]

Great video, going to try it on my plot this year. We have skip loads from local tree surgeons bringing the stuff to the allotment.

[Roeder1969]

I use this method it works for me except i use raised beds


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[Penellype]

Almost any natural mulch (wood chips, sawdust, straw, cocoashell, part rotted manure, sheeps wool pellets, shredded garden waste or even discarded weeds that have not gone to seed) will suppress weeds, help retain water, feed the soil and probably harbour slugs. In general the finer and softer it is the more nitrogen it locks up as it is decomposing faster, and also the more heat it produces. I would be inclined to avoid putting mulches around very young and soft plants for fear of scorching them.

What mulches won't do (unless you use a man made one like plastic sheeting) is suppress perennial weeds, so your couch grass, ground elder, convolvulus, horsetail, dandelions etc will grow straight through them.

[Pineberry]

Almost any natural mulch (wood chips, sawdust, straw, cocoashell, part rotted manure, sheeps wool pellets, shredded garden waste or even discarded weeds that have not gone to seed) will suppress weeds, help retain water, feed the soil and probably harbour slugs. In general the finer and softer it is the more nitrogen it locks up as it is decomposing faster, and also the more heat it produces. I would be inclined to avoid putting mulches around very young and soft plants for fear of scorching them.

What mulches won't do (unless you use a man made one like plastic sheeting) is suppress perennial weeds, so your couch grass, ground elder, convolvulus, horsetail, dandelions etc will grow straight through them.

Have you watched the entire video? Wood chippings do seem to work as mulch better, according to the guy from the video. It just happen that I have an ample supply of it on the allotment for free, so will experiment with part of my plot.
As for slugs, with or without mulch I had more then my fair share of them, so few more does not scare me any longer. I know I will not get rid of them so I just have to learn to live with them. Maybe by using wood chippings this will creat a great habitat for frogs who will eat the slugs? Who knows, will see.
And not dig in the wood chippings otherwise this will rob all the nitrogen, if used on top as mulch only should be fine.

[Roeder1969]

These pushed there way up through my woodchip mulch i have never watered fed or weeded much and look at results


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