I don't even remove the wood chips. I just move it to the side, plant the seeds, when they sprout I move the mulch back. Never had a problem and my soil just gets better and better. Most people don't have the understanding of the soil food web in the first place. Great video topic.
I was fortunate that a friend gave me 70 contractor bags of leaves and pine needles this past fall. Shredded with a lawn mower, this provided me with enough mulch for my now 18 beds, and 3 leaf mold piles. Still have 20 or so bags left to add mulch everywhere needed this summer. a good friend indeed! Any mulch is better than none. Happy growing season.
I use leaves gathered in fall for mulch. But if I didnt have the leaves I think the wood shavings commonly used for pet bedding would be safer than buying hay for mulch. Today a lot of hay is sprayed with persistent herbicides that can take up to 3 years to break down. The hay can be eaten and pass through an animal and the manure will be tainted for up to three years. Wood shavings would not have been sprayed and would be relatively safe. True they locks up nitrogen, but as it breaks down you can use it in a lot of places.
I planted 21 fist year black current cuttings along the edge of my plot and mulched them with woodchip. I also have a 6ish by 11ft section left after planting all those seed potatoes. So I'm going to plant two rows of peas, a few rows each of radish, and turnip. With two lots of beans growing up staves. Then woodchip the entire section to help keep the weeds down. I have one row of peas started in gutters, planted out since Saturday. But we have had heavy rain since Sunday evening, so been in the poly drinking tea, and sowing way too much stuff. It's like seedling Tetris in there right now. The weather is to pick up tomorrow, so I will go steal a few barrows of woodchips. It won't be a big deal to move it aside as I sow/plant out.
I picked up a few bales of aspen shavings that were marked down and have been using them as a base layer of mulch for walking paths around my garden beds. Once they've settled in and have packed down I cover them in wood chips. The shavings break down really quickly and after a year or so it's easy to pull back the newer layer of chips from the top and harvest the composted shavings to add to my beds.
This is good news! I just inherited a garden plot . The lady before me has mounds of the shavings where she had her plants last year. Now I know to remove as much as I can. I was going to till them under, but not anymore! Thank you!
I’ve used wood shavings and or chips for years…they’re great mulch! The paths are wood mulch too, and when it’s getting broken down nice, it gets rolled over to the garden beds, and the paths get a new dressing. I’ve used hay, arbor chips (my least favorite for the vegetable garden) leaves, whatever I’ve got 😂
I use shredded cardboard for mulch every year, and I've never had any problem. It's really just wood shavings with more surface area. Each fall I add a couple inches compost and a couple inches of mulch on top. By spring, the previous year's mulch has mostly decayed and been eaten by the worms. When planting, I just push aside the shredded cardboard to expose the soil. I do the same with sewing seeds, and once they have gotten a good start, move the mulch back around them. I think with a decently established bed with healthy soil, a bit of nitrogen absorbed at the very surface is insignificant.
I have alot of cardboard boxes 📦 since I don't throw them away, but how do I shred them 🤔 and l will not need to add any other type of mulching then? Thanks 👍
@@lifeiseverything9 I use an old office paper shredder I got on craigslist. The small ones that just sit on top of a waste basket aren't generally powerful enough for corrugated cardboard, but the free standing units with internal bins that can shred at least 12-15 pages at a time do fine. The beefier the better. Under powered shredders tend to overheat and have to cool down periodically. I think my current machine is rated for 18 pages, and it never overheats. I use a few drops of light machine oil on the cutters each time I fill the bin, and clean/re-grease the gears and bearings every couple of years. I haven't noticed any significant wear on this machine after what must be over a hundred hay bales worth of cardboard mulch shredded in a span of five or six years.
I think the lettuce will be great. I think people over think things sometimes. I think the only difference between wood chips and other woody mulch is the size of particles which makes them easier to get mixed up into the soil (than chop and dropped woody stems for instance). But I have noticed that mulching with woodchips has improved my soil in general as much as any other mulch. Mulching is good!
my dog is the same haha he's an almost 5 year old dogo argentino/apb mix and he will be outside for 5 minutes and cry like he's never been inside haha just a big 100 lb baby. Thank you for the tips, I have a big bag of wood shavings I tried to use for all natural cat litter with no luck so ill try this, cheers!
I've always wondered what about all the wood parts that is in many of the bagged garden soil. Are they broken down enough to not borrow the nitrogen? It just seems there is a lot of wood in some.
Im glad thats not MY neighbor dog, id probably want to bury it in a garden bed, and put a whole bale of wood shavings on it, along withsome good compost starter! God bless, from zone 3a, Baudette Minnesota
Hi Greg, what do you think about using old moldy hay that the sheep can`t use for mulch in the veg gardens and flower gardens? I`m trying to keep down the weeds but hay has weed seeds in it? correct? I can get as many bales as I can haul but I`m worried a bit about the weed seeds in the hay. Hay has been outside for a year, so maybe killed some of the seeds in it? What do u think?
I use that sort of thing all the time. Yes it has weed seeds - but your soil is full of them anyway. Plant nothing and your bare soil will fill with weeds anyway right?
Instead of scooping it up, you should have dug it in, let nature do it’s thing, nothing wrong with wood chips/sawdust in your garden. I have done this for 60 yrs or more, add some choocky poo from time to time and bob is your uncle 🍀☘️🌿🌱🥀🌹🌹🌷🌷💐🌾🪻🪷🌺🌺🌸🌼
I don't even remove the wood chips. I just move it to the side, plant the seeds, when they sprout I move the mulch back. Never had a problem and my soil just gets better and better. Most people don't have the understanding of the soil food web in the first place. Great video topic.
I was fortunate that a friend gave me 70 contractor bags of leaves and pine needles this past fall. Shredded with a lawn mower, this provided me with enough mulch for my now 18 beds, and 3 leaf mold piles. Still have 20 or so bags left to add mulch everywhere needed this summer. a good friend indeed! Any mulch is better than none. Happy growing season.
I've been using woodchips for years and it's pretty normal here in Washington, because we have so much easily available.
I use leaves gathered in fall for mulch. But if I didnt have the leaves I think the wood shavings commonly used for pet bedding would be safer than buying hay for mulch. Today a lot of hay is sprayed with persistent herbicides that can take up to 3 years to break down. The hay can be eaten and pass through an animal and the manure will be tainted for up to three years. Wood shavings would not have been sprayed and would be relatively safe. True they locks up nitrogen, but as it breaks down you can use it in a lot of places.
What will remove the most wood chips from the soil surface is a "brush rake". (it's a "leaf rake" with stiff tines)
I planted 21 fist year black current cuttings along the edge of my plot and mulched them with woodchip. I also have a 6ish by 11ft section left after planting all those seed potatoes. So I'm going to plant two rows of peas, a few rows each of radish, and turnip. With two lots of beans growing up staves. Then woodchip the entire section to help keep the weeds down.
I have one row of peas started in gutters, planted out since Saturday. But we have had heavy rain since Sunday evening, so been in the poly drinking tea, and sowing way too much stuff. It's like seedling Tetris in there right now.
The weather is to pick up tomorrow, so I will go steal a few barrows of woodchips. It won't be a big deal to move it aside as I sow/plant out.
I picked up a few bales of aspen shavings that were marked down and have been using them as a base layer of mulch for walking paths around my garden beds. Once they've settled in and have packed down I cover them in wood chips. The shavings break down really quickly and after a year or so it's easy to pull back the newer layer of chips from the top and harvest the composted shavings to add to my beds.
This is good news! I just inherited a garden plot . The lady before me has mounds of the shavings where she had her plants last year. Now I know to remove as much as I can. I was going to till them under, but not anymore! Thank you!
Maybe after this week with warmer temps I may find some garden soil that is workable like yours!
I’ve used wood shavings and or chips for years…they’re great mulch! The paths are wood mulch too, and when it’s getting broken down nice, it gets rolled over to the garden beds, and the paths get a new dressing. I’ve used hay, arbor chips (my least favorite for the vegetable garden) leaves, whatever I’ve got 😂
Your garden methods are so very similar to mine. I enjoy watching your garden!
Thanks
I use shredded cardboard for mulch every year, and I've never had any problem. It's really just wood shavings with more surface area. Each fall I add a couple inches compost and a couple inches of mulch on top. By spring, the previous year's mulch has mostly decayed and been eaten by the worms. When planting, I just push aside the shredded cardboard to expose the soil. I do the same with sewing seeds, and once they have gotten a good start, move the mulch back around them. I think with a decently established bed with healthy soil, a bit of nitrogen absorbed at the very surface is insignificant.
I have alot of cardboard boxes 📦 since I don't throw them away, but how do I shred them 🤔 and l will not need to add any other type of mulching then? Thanks 👍
@@lifeiseverything9 I use an old office paper shredder I got on craigslist. The small ones that just sit on top of a waste basket aren't generally powerful enough for corrugated cardboard, but the free standing units with internal bins that can shred at least 12-15 pages at a time do fine. The beefier the better. Under powered shredders tend to overheat and have to cool down periodically. I think my current machine is rated for 18 pages, and it never overheats. I use a few drops of light machine oil on the cutters each time I fill the bin, and clean/re-grease the gears and bearings every couple of years. I haven't noticed any significant wear on this machine after what must be over a hundred hay bales worth of cardboard mulch shredded in a span of five or six years.
I think the lettuce will be great. I think people over think things sometimes. I think the only difference between wood chips and other woody mulch is the size of particles which makes them easier to get mixed up into the soil (than chop and dropped woody stems for instance). But I have noticed that mulching with woodchips has improved my soil in general as much as any other mulch. Mulching is good!
my dog is the same haha he's an almost 5 year old dogo argentino/apb mix and he will be outside for 5 minutes and cry like he's never been inside haha just a big 100 lb baby. Thank you for the tips, I have a big bag of wood shavings I tried to use for all natural cat litter with no luck so ill try this, cheers!
Wonderful commentary. A leaf rake would have helped make a wonderful five minute video.
Thank you for clearing that up
If in doubt, you could always amend with coffee grounds or anything else rich in nitrogen..
How does it effect the PH, wanting to drop the PH in my potato bed and usually use woodchips to mound them.
It shouldn't raise the PhD
I've always wondered what about all the wood parts that is in many of the bagged garden soil. Are they broken down enough to not borrow the nitrogen? It just seems there is a lot of wood in some.
Most of those soils have some measure of available nitrogen on the bag - so I think it's reasonable to assume their ok.
I live in PEI and I am wondering the right time to start my seeds in doors for tomatoes and peppers?
yes - actually peppers can even be started in March - but yes, get started now :)
Im glad thats not MY neighbor dog, id probably want to bury it in a garden bed, and put a whole bale of wood shavings on it, along withsome good compost starter! God bless, from zone 3a, Baudette Minnesota
Hi Greg, what do you think about using old moldy hay that the sheep can`t use for mulch in the veg gardens and flower gardens? I`m trying to keep down the weeds but hay has weed seeds in it? correct? I can get as many bales as I can haul but I`m worried a bit about the weed seeds in the hay. Hay has been outside for a year, so maybe killed some of the seeds in it? What do u think?
I use that sort of thing all the time. Yes it has weed seeds - but your soil is full of them anyway. Plant nothing and your bare soil will fill with weeds anyway right?
@@maritimegardening4887 Perfect, That's what I was thinking/hoping also. Much better than nothing. Thx
Sounds like a beagle….had one next door to me.😂
It's some kind of lap-dog
@@maritimegardening4887 That would explain it. The smaller the dog, the larger it's ego.
Instead of scooping it up, you should have dug it in, let nature do it’s thing, nothing wrong with wood chips/sawdust in your garden. I have done this for 60 yrs or more, add some choocky poo from time to time and bob is your uncle 🍀☘️🌿🌱🥀🌹🌹🌷🌷💐🌾🪻🪷🌺🌺🌸🌼