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Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

Our town will be having their annual Christmas tree chipping at the local mall this Saturday. The end result is probably too big to compost but would it be effective as mulch in and around the vines and throughout the patch? Around here the tree of choice is mostly Balsalm Fir but there would be the odd Pine chewed up in the mix!

1/10/2007 3:08:05 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

acidict

1/10/2007 4:37:54 PM

Montoursville, PA

Wood chips and sawdust make a wonderfull mulch. Next spring or fall before you till rake them off because they make a horrible soil amendment. After tilling you may reapply them as mulch.

Placed into the compost process the end result will be just as good as anything else that rots.

Around my property I have four to six inches of wood chips and course sawdust into permanent mulch. Some of these flower beds have been in no till or permaent mulch for thirty five years. When used this way the greener or courser grind you use the longer it remains mulch.

1/10/2007 7:07:51 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Once again, great advice from Doc..great for a top mulch but must be composted fully before any kind of tilling or addition to your overall soil.

In our "non pumpkin" gardens we rely on wood chip mulch to keep our soil in place and our plants and shrubs from washing away. To ammend these gardens, we rake the mulch away, add compost/manure and then rake the mulch back on the top to keep everything happy.

Thanks Dwaine. well put!!

1/11/2007 1:36:04 AM

Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

Thanks, guys, I guess I'm briging a few empty barrels with me to this year's Chipping!

1/11/2007 10:20:11 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I have used shreded x-mas trees to grow potatoes. one third manure(straight) 2thirds x-mas shredded mulch. onepercent chemical fertilizer. (I like 20-20-20) but a little phosphate, and potassium helps to.
Plant the potatoes,and plant radishes, he radishes will be harvested around a month later.
After the potoatos have been harvested, I add more manure, and then I plant lettuce(lettuce is a cold weather crop and does good. also radishes do well here to.
The following yr I add this into the garden if it's brocken down enough.

1/11/2007 4:34:54 PM