Re: Wood chip mulch

Nitrogen is pretty mobile and transient.  That's why it isn't normally
included in soil test results.  Given the mobility, maybe wood chips (almost
pure carbon) would lower the level of nitrogen down a bit, but I wouldn't
think very far down.  Carbon is not mobile, and it certainly doesn't go out
looking for nitrogen.  The reduced level of N in a local area draws it from
nearby areas by 'diffusion'.  Stuff moving from an area of higher
concentration to lower concentration.  Grass clippings are a concentrated
source of nitrogen (all that fertilizer returning!)  I also use it, but keep
it, and any other mulch an inch or two away from my plant stems.  Other
forms of mulch have a different ratio of carbon to nitrogen, and are in
between the wood chips and grass clippings.


-----Original Message-----
From: WHT ROS <WHTROS@aol.com>
To: perennials@mallorn.com <perennials@mallorn.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 01, 1998 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: Wood chip mulch


>In a message dated 98-04-01 10:03:24 EST, you write:
>
><<  the carbon will search for the nitrogen, even stripping it from your
>plants and soil.  >>
>I heard this wasn't a problem with mulch laying on top of the soil.
Nitrogen
>would be stripped from the plants only when the mulch was mixed with the
soil
>to decompose.  What do you think?  Made sense to me.  Seemed unlikely the
>nitrogen would be drawn up and out.  Also, would this be true when using
grass
>as mulch.  I've been using it for years with good results.
>Barb
>Zone 5, Rock Island, IL


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