Chipper Since we're talking about chippers...

[wickman]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

I just burned a pile of hawthorne and Osage Orange yesterday. The pile had accumulated over the past month. It wasn't totally dry but it went up. Not too much smoke. Once the fire gets going I think you can burn just about anything organic. The next door neighbor trimmed all of his pines and burned the same day. I would have waited a bit longer before burning. The smoke was horrible but it all burned. The longer you wait the faster things burn.

wickman

 

[DKinWA]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Do you have to get rid of it this year? I've got several acres, and just pile the brush in an out of the way spot and let it rot in place. I usually add plenty of dirt so there are lots of little critters to break it down. I'm amazed how much limbs and brush will break down in a couple of years. I turned a couple of piles this year and took out several yards of good mulch and dirt that went in the garden.

If the brush had to go away, I'd pile it in big piles and throw some plastic over it till fire season was over. As soon as we got some rain, I'd pull off the plastic and toss a flare in and watch it go up in smoke. Once you get a good hot bed of coals, even green wood will burn quickly. As you can tell I like to take the easy route. Not to mention my wife said I used up my attachment allowance for this year and probably next /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gmason]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Anthony, Green wood is better to chip because of the water content of the wood and leaves help to start the decomposition process. Also, dried wood/limbs tend to crack and shatter before they get to the chipper knives. While green limbs hurt like &*() when they snap at you(like my father use to take a switch stick out for the kids) at least they are somewhat predictable. Dried limbs will crack and get thrown all kinds of directions.

Dired also produces more dust.

If your going to rent a chipper, make sure it has at least one feed roller and preferable 2, this lets the machine feed the limbs and not human arms.

BTW mine is a 12" Woodchuck chipper, will eat just about anything you throw into it. It's quite satisfying to take a big brush pile and make a little pile of mulch, or just blow it all over and have nothing left.

Let the pile of chips set for 2-3 months and then turn the pile and in another 2-3 months you should be ready to start using it. I usually let mine sit for a year turning 2-3 times and then it's black gold, no smell, and loads of worms.

Don't till new chips into the ground they won't help your soil for many years. They don't decompose quickly that way.
Also be careful in adding to clay. Clay retains water naturally, but so does compost. You may end up with a bog.

gary

 

[rancar]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Hi Anthony,

1) It's easier to chip green brush rather than dry.

2) You can burn anytime after you cut.....but it's a lot easier to burn dry brush. It usually takes several months in warm weather months to dry out a pile of brush. If freshly cut and you still want to burn, stack up all this green material and douse everything with diesal. Once this pile starts to burn....everything will burn.....green and dry.

3) Tilling chips does no harm to the soil. They will decompose within a few years considering you have that wet/clay soil.

4) All things considered equal, I'd say just burn everything. It's a real time saver and you can use that extra time for more land clearing or building your country estate. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

...Bob

 

[adegiulio]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Once again, I thank everyone for their help. I think I am going to burn everything. I have some old stumps (and will have some new ones) that I would like to burn eventually anyway, so I may as well just do a nice burn. I guess the only question now is whether I should use Hersheys or Nestle's chocolate on my smores... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Where did you get those forks ???? I have a 2210 and burning will be a on going prcess for the next several years. Those sure would make life a lot easier, or at least a little faster. I let my wood dry for a year. Burning green wood can be done if you have enough dry to keep it going but it takes a lot of time and its not much fun. Starting this week end I will cut for two weeks. In the spring I will buck and split all the stuff I fell the previous fall. Then I stack the left overs and come january when we have snow but I can still get to my property I just burn em. Thats the easy part. I try to place the burn piles on future planting sites. Hopefully this destroys unwanted dormant seed under the fire and the ash should be beneficial to the soil. Dave

 

[rancar]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

<font color="blue"> I guess the only question now is whether I should use Hersheys or Nestle's chocolate on my smores... </font>

Well, since you asked....I thought I'd throw in a few thoughts on this one as well. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

If you're concerned about the huge U.S. trade imbalances, then don't buy Nestle. They're a Swiss owned conglomerate. If you're a Buy American patriot, then buy Hershey.

You see Anthony, ask any question here in these forums and you'll get someone trying to help you solve all of life's problems. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

...Bob

 

[Gunnahafta]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

Several years ago, when I was building my first house, I lit the huge pile I had gathered after a year-ish of drying. Flames were 30 feet in the air (for a short time) but luckily I burned on a calm, foggy, damp day and everything was fine (other than my nerves). Since then I try to burn as I cut. I have found that once I get a good hot fire going, I can burn even green oak limbs the same day I cut and avoid the huge pile altogether. If the fire starts to fizzle, I find a old dead tree and toss that in to get things hot again.....FWIW

 

[Docsknotinn]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

I have a lot of conifers and can get get a good fire going to burn the green stuff as well. I do do this selectively in areas. The problem is the smoke/ash and that it can smolder for weeks even under dirt. The dry stuff burns up and out with nothing left but ash. If you burn green you will likely get a fair amount of ends that dont burn on the larger stuff. I burn all the pine/conifer I cut and only save the Maple and poplar. I also like to burn the pine qucikly instead of drying it as I dont like that much tinder lyeing around and the less I have to handle the pitchy stuff the better. Dave

 

[adegiulio]

Re: Since we\'re talking about chippers...

I like Gunnahafta's solution of burning as you go. I assume I use some sort of accelerant (diesel?). I would like to keep the piles smaller and more manageable, but I just assumed I needed to dry things very well. It looks like that isnt the case....Brush fire, here I come!!