What wood chips are the best, and why

[Steve Bullman]

Just putting a little article together and wanted to pick your brains on what wood chips are best in your opinion, why, and for what purpose.

 

I'll start off with Walnut. By far the most attractive wood chip for decorative purposes in my experience.

[sime42]

Just putting a little article together and wanted to pick your brains on what wood chips are best in your opinion, why, and for what purpose.
 
I'll start off with Walnut. By far the most attractive wood chip for decorative purposes in my experience.

Maybe not quite what you meant but might be useful nonetheless. If the wood chip is destined for use as a garden mulch it needs to be at least 1 year old. If it's fresh it sucks nitrogen out of the soil apparently.

[Will C]

Is that not the point to stop the weeds? It puts it all the nitrogen back and more in a couple of months time. I would of thought at a year old you will be almost spreading compost and encouraging the weeds 🤔

 

conifer chip is fairly acidic and can help adjust the soil ph in that direction so a customer tells me, never tested the results so I can’t confirm this.

[Retired Climber]

1 hour ago, sime42 said:

1 hour ago, Steve Bullman said:

Just putting a little article together and wanted to pick your brains on what wood chips are best in your opinion, why, and for what purpose.
 
I'll start off with Walnut. By far the most attractive wood chip for decorative purposes in my experience.

Maybe not quite what you meant but might be useful nonetheless. If the wood chip is destined for use as a garden mulch it needs to be at least 1 year old. If it's fresh it sucks nitrogen out of the soil apparently.

It's never going to take out more than it puts back though is it, which makes it a bit of a non-issue. 

[dig-dug-dan]

9 minutes ago, Will C said:

Is that not the point to stop the weeds? It puts it all the nitrogen back and more in a couple of months time. I would of thought at a year old you will be almost spreading compost and encouraging the weeds 🤔

 

conifer chip is fairly acidic and can help adjust the soil ph in that direction so a customer tells me, never tested the results so I can’t confirm this.

Utter bilge pith. I have tested it in my own garden. Of anything it was far more beneficial to the soil than other mulch, but as already said, leave it a year before putting it on

[sime42]

It's never going to take out more than it puts back though is it, which makes it a bit of a non-issue. 

Of course, I was talking short-term.

[peds]

Given the choice, I use fresh as possible for paths, and aged for mulching beds and trees. But it's no big deal, fresh chips turn into aged if you just wait a while, and any nitrogen theft can be mitigated by feeding the soil with nettle tea.

 

Conifer and beech chips are great for mulching fruit bushes, particularly blueberries, to keep the soil acidic. 

[Ty Korrigan]

When I come across a large leylandii removal, when possible, I often save as much wood as possible for chipping separately as the disc blades make lovely square golden chip which I can sell for a premium.

The green chip goes for cattle bedding at a local farm. 

 We produced 562m3 last year according to my wee black book.

Over half is kept mostly by clients or their neighbours whilst the leafy or conifer is tipped at the farm and the better chip given to the 2 local councils who we work for.

  Stuart

 

[sime42]

Is that not the point to stop the weeds? It puts it all the nitrogen back and more in a couple of months time. I would of thought at a year old you will be almost spreading compost and encouraging the weeds [emoji848]

 

conifer chip is fairly acidic and can help adjust the soil ph in that direction so a customer tells me, never tested the results so I can’t confirm this.

Mulching is to stop.weeds but you don't want to do it to the detriment of the garden plants as well. The weed suppressing mechanism is largely by depriving them of light I think.

 

But ......... I've subsequently looked this up and it seems that I overstated the nitrogen deficiency issue. I take most of it back!

 

See halfway down the page for this link:-

 

Woody waste: using as a mulch

WWW.RHS.ORG.UK

---

Wood and bark from chipped or shredded tree, shrub and hedge prunings makes a useful mulching material in the garden.

 

Anyway, we digress. We're running the risk of seriously derailing Steve's well intentioned Thread!

 

 

 

[Will C]

About half way between the two of us then 👍