Wood chips

I recently chipped lots of invasive brush from my woods, I scattered some of the chips on the ground but I still have several big piles of it. If I leave these piles where they are, about how long will it take for them to break down? Most of the chips are quarter size.

Without manure (N) it will take a long time. But I like chips in my soil to break down over a long time. It gives the soil a good structure and lets the wormies have easy passage through the soil.

I agree. Leaving those chips in a pile really improves the soil underneath. Once I got several truckloads of woodchips delivered for free, (take them if you can!) It took me about 18 months to move the whole pile. When I had finally used up the whole pile the soil underneath was like walking on a sponge it was so soft! I left none of the chips in place afterword as the only place the trucks could dump them was on area that had previously been turfgrass on my front lawn and I intended to put grass seed down. I sowed that grass seed in mid summer and it grew like crazy and is the greenest most beatifull spot on my lawn. Actually if you have the time I am now convinced this is by far the best way to create new planting beds and intend on using this method again this year. Simply pile woodchips (or composte, etc.) wherever you want the new bed to be. Leave it sit for about a year, then move all but a couple of inches somewhere else and you have a wonderfull, enriched, ready made planting bed complete with mulch!

In your warmer, moist climates like the southeast, wood chips break down quickly, especially hard wood chips. I have the tree companies drop off loads of chips several times a year and you would never know it because they are gone so quickly. I have a masochistic neighbor who gets 3 loads a month and spreads them by herself; one little old lady with a wheelbarrow and she can spread a dump truck sized load in 3 hours. You would think her garden should be 3' higher than mine but you could hardly tell how much she has added.

Think I will leave the piles where they are, it stays pretty wet back there so maybe it wont take long. Most of the chips are privet, tallow, and red maple.

Would sprinkling some of the stump rotting granules on it speed it up? I have a whole bottle of those.

This message was edited Mar 2, 2007 4:57 PM

Yes, most stump "rotting" granules are potassium nitrate, or saltpeter. You might be better off making a solution of the granules and sprinkling it on the pile.

So I should just mix it in a bucket of warm water and pour it over the pile?

Hmmmm. Potassium Nitrate tea.

"So I should just mix it in a bucket of warm water and pour it over the pile?"

That'll work. Pure potassium nitrate has N-P-K values of 14 - 0 - 39. If you've got a sprayer, you may get better distribution, but I do recommend thoroughly rinsing it afterwords.

If you want to speed it up even more, you could also add bonemeal to the pile to add some phosphorus and calcium.

You could pee on them.

Ureaka!

TMI! TMI! TMI!!