Any Uses For Wood Chips?

[Harv]

My fire break project is causing my brush pile to grow quite rapidly, and I'd love to start reducing it somehow. Burns are no longer allowed this year 'cuz of the extreme fire danger -- ironically the very reason for my project.

I don't have a chipper nor the budget to get one, so I was thinking about renting one. Then I had an even brighter idea -- maybe I could just pay to have one of them tree service outfits come in with their monster chipper and see what they can do in a couple of hours (however much I decide I can afford). I've watched two-man crews at work with those things, and it's impressive how much lumber they can make disappear in very short order.

What I now wonder is would it be better to have them cart the resultant chips away, or just leave me with my own chip pile (mostly oak and some pine)? If there's any good use to put them to, it might make an entertaining tractor project, but if they're just going to be a nuisance themselves, I'll pay the extra to have them hauled.

What say you, oh TBN trust of brains?

 

[RobS]

If they're from healthy trees bring 'em out my way Harv! They make great mulch around trees and other plants. Maybe not right around the house as they won't be treated for bugs and such. If you don't use them right away for mulch or trail covering, pile them up. In a few months or so you'll have a wonderful composted material that can be used for a variety of things including mulch, improving poor soil, non-compactable fill etc.

Yeah, if I were you I would definitely pay to have them sent to me /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

BTW, around here you can rent a chipper almost as big as the ones the pros use.

 

[njrqs]

Hang on.

You have acheived STAT STATUS and you are considering PAYING someone to rid you of your woodchip?

What is the world coming to??

Over here we use it as garden mulch and have to pay to get it delivered.

Don't use it green as it can rob the soil if nitrogen while it decomposes, but just leave it sit for a while then use it on gardens. 4" think is good if you have enough of it.

Cheers

 

[OverlyRun]

Harv,

Buy kit and lumber for large swing set and fort for kids, spend 2 weekends building the "ark," spread wood chips all around to soften landing of swan-diving kids. I had to pay for the wood chips. Do you ship UPS?

Chas

 

[Anonymous Poster]

They work real good for weed control and moisture retention in gardens, my wife goes thru 2 dump truck loads a year.
If you are close to the Duraflame plant, the ones who make yuppie fireplace logs, they will actually buy them.
Or, if you have a deep hole, you can use an air curtain combustor, and probably get permission from the fire authority, and save the cost of chipping.
A lot of guys are using old sileage choppers for wood chipping, they will handle stuff up to about 1 1/2".

 

[stovepoker]

Harv: I live in a Hemlock/Oak forest and each year I pay a
local tree surgeon to chip the smaller branches etc that are
too small for the firewood pile. He usually does this during his
"off season" in the winter for a good price. My main reason
for doing this is to reduce the potential forest fire hazard.
I sell the chips for mulch and dry some of the chips for heating fuel
(classified chips can be used in a pellet stove) and engine fuel.

 

[Golfgar4]

We can sell wood chips to some of the local nurseries. I'm not sure what the going rate is, but I know some of my buddies sell at a slightly lower price than what the nurseries would normally pay.

Just think - you could get paid for playing on your tractor when you load the chips! Not bad! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[exeter_acres]

I would just rent the machine. I have done this in the past just clearing loose brush on a couple acres and had enough would chips to cover an entire base of a large swingset. It is up to you on what your time is worth.. but Hey... anytime I can use large, noisy, potentially life threatening machinery.... I do!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Good luck

Curtis

 

[gmason]

Harv, is the wood dry or still somewhat green?
If dry, the chips produced will need some water added to start the rotting/decomposing process.

I've got a big 12" chipper that I use 2-3 times a year, ususally in the cooler months. The hardest part of the job is either draging the trees/limbs to the chipper or unpileing the mess someone else has piled for me.
The chips, if I want to speed the decomposion up, I take a loader or two of last years chips(now mostly compost) and dump on top of the newly chipped pile and add water and a can of beer. The important part of the process is to make sure you have enough water in the pile over the long term and don't let it dry out. Turn it over once or twice a year and in ~12 months you've got some beautiful black "dirt".
With you fire threat, I would even throw some native soil over the top of it to insure that a fire couldn't get to it.
good luck
gary

 

[DavidInNH]

<font color=blue>The hardest part of the job is either draging the trees/limbs to the chipper or unpileing the mess someone else has piled for me.</font color=blue>
Amen to that!
<font color=blue>The chips, if I want to speed the decomposion up, I take a loader or two of last years chips(now mostly compost) and dump on top of the newly chipped pile and add water and a can of beer. The important part of the process is to make sure you have enough water in the pile over the long term and don't let it dry out. Turn it over once or twice a year and in ~12 months you've got some beautiful black "dirt".</font color=blue>
Thanks for the tip.