Re: Cultivating the soil?



>> If you use fresh wood chips for mulch, you will burn the foliage of your
>> plants and this cause their demise!  I always use composted mulch.

We use both fresh and composed chips and really do not see any 
difference.  For our perennial beds we like double ground chips mixed 
with compost since it is a little easier to work in and breaks down 
quicker.  Fresh chips usually last longer (although somewhat dependent on 
the type to tree chipped) and we put around trees and shrubs where we are 
not planting thru.  We also find fresh chips tend to stay put on 
hillsides better then composted ones.  Single ground ceder chips work 
particularly well in landscape areas.

Another double ground chip made from recycle industrial woods such as 
pallets, crates, and drops has found its way increasingly into our 
gardens.  Not only is this product economical but environmentally 
friendly.  This product can also be tinted to blend with a variety of 
background or special landscape requirements.
Any color can be made,  we have seen it in bright blue planted thru with 
yellow flowers for a local university to match their colors.

So I would not worry about the age of chips as much as what they are to 
be used for. We try to stay away from the Bark mulches.  Also apply at 
least 3-4 inches of chips.  We try to disturb the chips/mulch as little 
as possible once down, we hate weeding as it takes away from our true 
love working with plants.  If it starts to get looking a little ratty we 
apply a lite top layer. Of course we try not to use cherry or walnut 
chips.

w martin
myg1728@aol.com
http://www.oakmediacreations.com/myg/index.html




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