Regrinding/mulching wood chips

[tpulley]

I have access to a whole lot of free wood chips that the road crews have cut. The pieces are as long as 5 or 6 inches and smaller. It would be easier for me to manage them if they were smaller. I am wondering what might be a good way to accomplish this. I am trying not to make it labor intensive. I am thinking I could/may get 100 cubic yds of the stuff.

Thus far I have thought of these ideas:

1. Getting heavy blades for my ford 917 flail more I recently bought, dumping a load out and running over them with this.

2. Dumping it as above and running a bush hog over them.

3. Buying a wood chipper and putting it behind the tractor. I really loathe the idea of dumping all that in there and regrinding it.

I can probably get a dump trailer and get the chips to my property in a weekend. Then before I used it on the orchard (grapes, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries as well as assorted fruit trees) I could cut/grind it up.

Any suggestions oh wise ones on the board?

 

[deereman75]

I dont think the mowers would do a very good job at that, and it would take forever with a chipper shredder. I would likely just hire someone with a tub grinder for a day, and get it all ground to an even size real fast. I just dont think you could practially get a useable product any other way.

 

[jbrumberg]

I agree with deereman75 as to the tub grinder if it were possible. I would get as much of those wood chips as possible anyways- those fruiting shrubs and trees would benefit from having that kind of mulching material. Even if you do nothing to the wood chip pile it will break down over time (quicker if you add nitrogen).

 

[Craig Clayton]

I have a 5" chipper shredder that is PTO driven. My pet project is maybe to turn the chips from the chipper and mix them with wood pellets for a pellet stove, but I do not want to drag you into my vortex.

You mentioned that you wanted the chips for mulch for your berry bushes. I do not know what species of trees are in your neck of the woods. My concern is what natural chemical compounds might come from the unknown woods that the road crews are chipping. As you are tending the berry bushes for food you could raise the level of naturally occuring compounds that leach into the soil then the berries.

If you rechip the chips you will increase their surface area speeding up the decomp process and then they are gone. I have run lots of shredded chips out on the property and I shovel or rake them and they are gone into the grass within 2 years.

Craig Clayton

 

[treman]

I wouldn't worry about what kind of trees they were unless they were chipping strictly walnut you should't have a problem with the chips. also I don't know what kind of forestry/tree industry contractors you have in your area but I know when we rent a tub grinder at work its in the $400/hr range and we supply our own loaders. I think if they were needing to bring that loader then it would be more. on top of that thye usually have a minimum, at least they company we deal with does. Its something like $1500 or 2k. and for example we can grind something in the range of 800 to 1000 yards in 3 hours plus. we also have 2 JD 444 loaders and a JD 544. Hope you can find a good way to grind those chips or come around to deal with thier larger size. sorry if this was more of a bummer than help.

 

[oldballs]

tpulley, you might consider investing in your own chipper/shredder for your current project; but more so for future use. Depending on the codes for burning in your area or your husbandry goals, the chipper/shredder can be of routine use. At my place I can burn orchard prunings, garden debris, diseased pines, ice storm limbs etc. But sometimes I use the chipper/shredder to make mulch for pathways and eroded areas. There are free standing units and PTO driven models. Mike

 

[Carykong]

I am not sure if regrinding this mulch is worth the the time and money. I would just use it as is. The larger mulch particles will take longer to rot and actually control your weeds and grass under your plants longer than small mulch particles.

 

[Bdavis]

I agree with deereman75 as to the tub grinder if it were possible. I would get as much of those wood chips as possible anyways- those fruiting shrubs and trees would benefit from having that kind of mulching material. Even if you do nothing to the wood chip pile it will break down over time (quicker if you add nitrogen).

I am planning on chipping a bunch of sapplings (mostly gum , chinese tala and other trash trees in the next couple of months) Mostly (2 - 5 inch trees)
Going to use a 6" chipper

I wondering what would be the best way to use the chips produced. Is it best to mix it with soil and sort of a compost or just leave it byitself and let it rot ?

I have about 20 yards or more of top soil ( has some sand in it).
Was kind of thinking of taking a scoop of soil with my FEL and mixing it with a scoop of chippings and let if sit for about a year and then use it in a garden ?
Any suggestions on how best to utilize the chips would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[EMB5530]

I am planning on chipping a bunch of sapplings (mostly gum , chinese tala and other trash trees in the next couple of months) Mostly (2 - 5 inch trees)
Going to use a 6" chipper

I wondering what would be the best way to use the chips produced. Is it best to mix it with soil and sort of a compost or just leave it byitself and let it rot ?

I have about 20 yards or more of top soil ( has some sand in it).
Was kind of thinking of taking a scoop of soil with my FEL and mixing it with a scoop of chippings and let if sit for about a year and then use it in a garden ?
Any suggestions on how best to utilize the chips would be appreciated.
Thanks

I make pathways through my garden w/ woodchips and cover around the plants w/ sawdust to keep buffalo burs from coming up(this is only my 2nd year growing on this property and cattle were kept on it before that so there are lots of the buffalo burs growing anywhere I disturb the soil). So far it works pretty well.
I then take my old drop rake and put an extended draw bar(about 35') attached a bunch of pullies and rope and some eyelets for guides up the drawbar so I can pull the ropes and lock and trip the rake and pull lots of moss, pond grass, tadpoles and fish out and put it in the garden. Then run the posthole digger through then the plow (and more recently the subsoiler before tweeking it "not in a good way either") then rototiller it(walk behind, Im working on building one for the tractor) The stuff out of the pond has a bit of nitrogen in it so it helps to break down the wood.(Usually if you add wood you loose nitrogen untill the wood is broken down.)

 

[jbrumberg]

"I wondering what would be the best way to use the chips produced. Is it best to mix it with soil and sort of a compost or just leave it byitself and let it rot ?"

All the above. Use it as is for a top dressing mulch- it really can hold down weeds.. Mix it with soil (or nitrogen) for faster decomposition and/or till it into your garden beds to increase organic material and tilth. Or leave it as is for a slower breakdown. I had a 10 yard pile that I had left sitting. The pile broke down slowly. I was concerned about the burning of the grass underneath, but it really did not happen. Eventually some of the "nicest" areas of grass in our "lawn" was where the pile had been. This year I used 20 yards for my gardens.