Danny D. wrote:
songbird wrote:
....
we also sometimes find people doing tree work who
will drop a truckload of wood chips off because it
saves them a longer trip to someplace else to dump
it.

Oh. If you only knew how many wood chips I have!
http://i.cubeupload.com/3cudHY.jpg

looks good! investigate under that pile a bit to
see how it is breaking down, if there are any fungi
in there (white strands/masses of hyphae), etc.

you won't likely need to bring in any compost
at all if you have partially decayed wood chips
available in quantity.


They chip the sudden-oak death trees and the Monterey Pines which die from
some kind of bark beetle infestation. You see the pine tree in the
background in this picture, all chopped up into blocks by the chippers:
http://i.cubeupload.com/8bCVNf.jpg

So there are piles and piles and piles of free wood chips everywhere.

great. i could use all of those in an
afternoon...


these along with burying any plant debris from
the growing season and the worms/pee/poo makes for
a gradually improving garden.

I have a few good-sized piles of wood chips on my yard.
They've been there *years*.

I'll be dead before they're decomposed.

arid climates can be like that, but you can
speed things up by digging a trench, adding layers
of wood chips and dirt in about equal measures
and keeping it moist. if you have waste water
from the sink or drains from the roof you can
use some of that and not have an impact on your
water bills... very useful stuff after a few
years.

by putting them below ground you keep more
moisture in there and that will speed things up.

after a few years plant squash in there and
keep it well watered and watch it go...


songbird