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Pile O'Wood Chips
Earlier this month, we received a gigantic mound of wood chips, bigger than we've ever received in the past. This mound (or hill) covered our entire extra driveway and part of the garage, so it blocks my husband's car.
After 3 loads of pickup trucks, bags, and buckets taken by friends and friends of friends, we're still left with about 1/3 of what's in the picture. Between my husband and myself, we've been getting good work-out bagging, moving, and mulching our garden.
Wood chips are great mulch or covering for the soil. They break down slowly and improve the soil texture slowly by adding organic matter. It also gives the landscape a much more cohesive look.
I've also started digging-up the front yard to create a bioswale that will be filled with wood chips to help capture some of the rainwater and keep it on the property. It will also help give us back our driveway.
photo by Tina Saravia
Comments:
The moldy dust can irritate lungs & cause respiratory problems. I have actually experienced this. So its good to quickly spread it out in the garden. The other problem I heard about was that in very dry fire prone areas the mulched pathways can be so dry & flammable that they can provide a pathway for fire to go from the wildfire to your home. This happened in the Paradise fire. Don't want to deter my fellow gardeners from using wood chips since its so beneficial to the soil but be careful.
Just saw your posting. Great to see you are adding a bioswale. I also got a load of chips last year to top off more of my back yard and swale. Hope you doing well. Will catch up one day at some event at SCC or through Sustainable Solano. Take care.
Posted by Brenda Gogue on January 16, 2021 at 12:14 PM