? how to speed up decomposition of wood chips
bluesky_girl
16 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (13)
philes21
16 years agokqcrna
16 years agoRelated Discussions
how to speed up decomposition of leaves and straw in beds
Comments (7)I often add brown materials to my soils to improve tilth, but I always shred them first. They will break down over time, but much more slowly in cool soils and larger sizes. Short of raking the beds out, you might try compost tea or a high N seaweed or fish-based fertilizer to introduce some "green kick-starter" into the soil. Black plastic may create conditions that are actually too hot for the biota to start the decomposition process. Clear plasic on low hoops might give better results - either way, adequate moisture is critical for decomposing brown materials. The other alternative is to add soil or compost on top of the beds and plant into that. The decomposition of primarily brown materials should do little harm to germination or growth of seedlings, and unless the leaves are very matted, they should find easy passage through the soil and organic matter....See MoreHow to start a flowerbed (from seed) with wood chips??
Comments (4)SEED STARTING FOR THE HOME GARDEN I have discovered a cheap, simple method of starting flower and vegetable seeds for the home garden. It utilizes the principle of capillary action and a moist newspaper mat. To construct such a device, the following items will be required: A roller paint tray obtained from the paint department of a box store. 2. A 5-foot length of 1ü inch PVC pipe obtained from the plumbing department of the same store. This needs to be cut into 25 2-inch cylinders and then filled with a good seed starting mix. 3. A 6-inch piece of I-inch PVC pipe to be used as a plant ejector. 4. A half dozen sheets of newspaper. Lay the newspaper on the sloping part of the paint tray with several inches immersed in the paint holding well. Fill this well with water and watch as the newspaper mat slowly becomes saturated as it draws up water. Plant a few seeds in each mix-filled cylinder and tamp lightly so the bottom of the mix is in contact with the wet newspaper. It will soon start drawing up moisture via capillary action and become damp. Keep adding water to the well as needed. Using short pieces of an old venation blind and a lead pencil, identify each cylinder with name and date of planting. In a week or two, the seeds will germinate and green leaves will appear. When about 2 or 3 inches tall and ready to transplant to a larger container or the garden, use the 1â ejection tool. Place this over the green leaves of the sprouted seedling. It will telescope nicely into the 1üâ planted cylinder. Pull up on the planted cylinder and the seedling will be bottom ejected without disturbing the roots. Add fresh planting mix around the new, larger container and place in a bright-lighted window for further development....See MoreSpeed up decompostition
Comments (19)Thanks, Lloyd, I know you understand the different ways compost can be made - as well as how some of us Moms don't like to be 'dissed'. :-) Apology accepted Jon. Hey, did ya see my large pile of UCG? That's one of 3 piles I scrounged last year. Had to 'ask' for it from a somewhat reluctant coffee shop owner. However, they came thru and for several months we collected. My DH did the 'grunt' work of lifting it - a large garbage can of UCG is *heavy*. I've also asked for and received many bags of bagged leaves. No one who knows me IRL would ever say I'm 'chicken', however we live in the back woods and it's not always easy to get things free and long distances to drive for everything. I also don't have much in the way of equipment the same as most posters here, so hope you will keep in mind most of us aren't composting on a huge scale with large equipment or in exactly the same ways. It's all good tho no matter how we go about it. IMO new posters especially need to be encouraged altho I'm a very old committed composter and also very opinionated! ;-D Have a great composting day everyone!...See MoreWhat Happens if we Grind Up Tree Stumps but Leave the Wood Chips?
Comments (16)Gotcha Dave. Sour is often used to mean acidic, though most folks don't probably realize that when they use the word. But I see what you're saying. For my part, I would never advocate purposely mixing uncomposted woodchips into soil. As a mulch layer over the top-yes, of course. But not mixed in. The other problem with bark or woodchip mulches is their tendency to form a hydrophobic mat. It seems that some of these beneficial fungi which colonize the chip layer, over time, glue the whole thing together with their mycellia. I've already seen it where you can lift an entire tree ring of mulch with one hand like it's all one-piece. The only reasonable method for dealing with this-so far as I'm aware-is to get your three-prong cultivator out and gently work the stuff up. That also freshens its appearance. We use wetting agents to water some of our ornamental plantings in areas where stirring up the mulch isn't feasible, but I wouldn't expect the average homeowner to be purchasing wetting agents! BTW, some folks claim just your general-purpose dish detergent will "work just as well" as the expensive pro stuff. I can tell you from direct experience that's not necessarily so. The big manufacturers of consumer goods like dish detergent vary their recipes as different supplies come and go, or as ingredient prices rise and fall. So you never really know what you're getting. At least with professional wetting agents, they are what they say they are. And it is possible to find relatively low-cost ones, relatively being the operative word there. +oM...See Morerobin_maine
16 years agodchall_san_antonio
16 years agosylviatexas1
16 years agopeter_6
16 years agophiles21
16 years agocowgirl2
16 years agokqcrna
16 years agoKimmsr
16 years agobluesky_girl
16 years agoenigma7
16 years ago
Related Stories
COLORSpeed-Dial Color Selection to Get the Best Result
You’ve belabored your color decisions and are still stuck. Here is how to evaluate your space and make choices that are right for you
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGN9 Surprising Considerations for a Bathroom Remodel
Don't even pick up a paint chip before you take these bathroom remodel aspects into account
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESLaminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less
See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it
Full StoryTILETop Tile Trends From the Coverings 2013 Show — the Wood Look
Get the beauty of wood while waving off potential splinters, rotting and long searches, thanks to eye-fooling ceramic and porcelain tiles
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESDecorating 101: How to Start a Decorating Project
Before you grab that first paint chip, figure out your needs, your decorating style and what to get rid of
Full StoryTINY HOUSESAdventure Seekers Hit the Road in a Cozy School Bus Home
Wood floors, butcher block countertops, custom furnishings and LED lights make life on the road feel like just another stylish day at home
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGarden Myths to Debunk as You Dig This Fall and Rest Over Winter
Termites hate wood mulch, don’t amend soil for trees, avoid gravel in planters — and more nuggets of garden wisdom
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGHow to Clean Hardwood Floors
Gleaming wood floors are a thing of beauty. Find out how to keep them that way
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: 2 Tools + 1 Resourceful Guy = Lots of Great ‘New’ Furniture
With scrap wood and a hands-on attitude, a San Francisco renter on a tight budget furnishes his bedroom and more
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGTo-Dos: Your March Home Checklist
It’s time to rid yourself of winter’s heaviness and set up for spring
Full Story
spiced_ham