Wood chips from tree service companies

Pat..one of my parents just had a redwood tree chopped down and has offered me the chips. I need a mulch for my veggies but I wasn't sure if I could use these. She said they were chopped pretty small. I haven't seen them but would like to know if I can use them as mulch for my veggies. After the season is over, can I till them into the ground?

They are fresh and green. I was just concerned about changing the ph of the soil and of tilling them in, in the fall.

Mary

I would almost guarantee you can. I mean, I'd do it myself, for whatever that's worth

"They say" that wood shavings, especially pine, makes soil acidic, but in the real world it usually *doesn't*. And if it did it'd be very easy to detect (do a pH test) and easy to correct (sack o' lime). But it won't. And you're right, it's great for the soil.

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

Pat..forgot to mention that one of my concerns is that they won't be broken down enough when I till them in, in the fall. I don't think I want big/small pieces of wood in my soil? or is this o.k. :/

Mary

While it is sitting atop the soil as mulch, it will not break down much -- the finest parts will disappear somewhat (not clear to me how much they compost away to nothing vs how much they simply wash down into the soil where you can't distinguish them, I tend to suspect mostly the latter) but the larger pieces will remain about the same size.

HOWEVER once you till it into the soil those larger pieces certainly start to break down.

And honestly I LIKE having them in there, they help keep the soil loose (my soil is on the clayey side) and do no harm whatsoever. I mean, you wouldn't want lots of kindling-sized sticks in the soil but normal size bits from a normal tree chipper will break down actually sooner than you may want They certainly won't hurt the plants next year.

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat

So I just got about 10 yards dumped on my driveway. Found out that it's waaay too much for my walkways

I plan to put the remaining into 2 piles where I have some space for it, just to sit for a year hopefully turning into compost or something to amend my soil.

I do need mulching material for my raised beds. I read somewhere that these wood chips will draw nitrogen from the soil and are no good as mulch for a vegetable garden. Is this true? How long do I have to wait until they can be used as mulch? I think I need to apply mulch in the next couple weeks or so. I live in San Jose, California.

Thanks!

Cookiesdaddy,
You should let them sit for about three months if using them in the the garden.

cookiesdaddy said:

I do need mulching material for my raised beds. I read somewhere that these wood chips will draw nitrogen from the soil and are no good as mulch for a vegetable garden. Is this true?

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Not if used as mulch.

It *will* if you actually mix them into the soil, but not as mulch. Really really.

How long do I have to wait until they can be used as mulch? I think I need to apply mulch in the next couple weeks or so.

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If you're only going to mulch very thinly, you could do it as soon as you need to. If you want to put on a couple inches or more, I'd try real hard to let the stuff sit for as long as possible if it's got some green material mixed into it, b/c it will a) mold and b) heat up, and you don't want there to be enough depth of it that it's doing that *in your beds* amongst the plants.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

thank you - it makes sense!