<I have been reading around to figure out what to do with the grindings,> Do you mean the stump? Grindings sounds to me like the sawdust.

Drilling holes in the stump will help it decompose faster.

No, the stumps are already ground down. What I have now are piles of woodchips/saw dust where the stumps used to be. The tree guy went down about 12" below grade with the grinder.

The thing is, I have 6 piles, and to remove all the saw dust and pile it somewhere is going to be a project in itself, then on to getting top soil and shoveling it in by hand. What I want to know is, if I add nitrogen to the saw dust piles, if it will compost/decompose quickly?

Were the trees still green?

Yes the trees were starting to grow new leaves. They were mature trees.

Well then I wouldn't use it for mulch but then you haven't said if you even garden.

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You could just leave them there and throw some 10-10-10 on the chips if you want. You can also use them for mulch, if there is anything near the piles that could use mulching. If you leave the piles where they are, break up any real sawdust and mix it into the soil or bigger chips a bit so it won't cake up.

I wouldn't worry much about termites - they like solid wood, not chips, so if you stir the chips every so often to break them apart, you'll be fine.

Depends what you consider 'quickly'. What to do with it depends a lot on your landscaping. Keep in mind that right now, those chips are white. Given time they'll age and darken. If you have all grass, I would collect them and spread them around the yard. They'll quickly disappear as you mow.

If you have a veggie garden, I would find a way of composting them, or incorporating them as mulch. If you have mulched areas, I would use them as mulch.

I would take the sazwsust out into a thin layer and ifnpote it.

Or collect it and use in as mulch.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try spreading some of it around the yard and using some of it as mulch.

There was a large depression in my yard near one stump and the guy completely filled it with wood grindings. I will add 10-10-10 to that spot, mix it up every week or so, and hopefully it will break down by this fall or early next spring. That time-frame, 4-10 months, is what I would consider composting "quickly".

lazy_gardens wrote:

>I would take the sazwsust out into a thin layer and ifnpote it.

Explain!

It should break down by then, especially with some fertilizer, and if any of that was from the old stumps or already dead trees, that helps too since it has a head start.

Wood chips are great for paths and areas between beds or anywhere you can't or don't want to have grass. I can always find a place for them. Any area that's already mulched can usually use some more.

Hey guys, there is a spot in my yard where I want to plant some shrubs in the fall, and there is currently a mix plants growing wild there. I am going to mow down the area as close as possible and pile some chips over there to create a bed. Should I rough up the soil and mix in the chips or just pile on top?

Yes 4" should be possible, it's not a large area.

If the soil is not that great, till in or lay down a layer of compost under the chips. Even if you just layer it on, the worms will till it in and improve the soil while you wait.