Newhouse Farm

Bubblegum · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 5:43 pm Post subject: Second thought. Woodchips on bed?

I am a bit nervous about putting all the leaves and woodchips on top of the beds. Will the nitrogen leak into the soil? I have put thick carton on top of the soil, and then the fresh woodchips on top. Jimll told me that the soil is protected by the carton but I really don't know? Do y`all know?
http://turl.no/3rx

('')
Vigdis
_________________
Only after the last tree has been cut downthe last river has been
poisonedthe last fish caught, only then will you find that money cannot be
eaten."
- Cree Indian Prophesy

happymama · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

I use woodchips a lot. In my last garden, they were a mulch on top of the highly waterproof yellow clay we have round here, and they ended up helping the structure of the clay no end. I used cocao bark, but ordinary woodchips would be less attractive to Dog, I guess (Dog likes chocolate).

Cardboard will break down, but slowly. Is it there to keep moisture in? It works, and the woodchips on top will really really annoy any resident slugs around who have designs on your plants.

Nothing wrong with nitrogen in the soil, either. That's what green manures do too!
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People will continue to commit atrocities, as long as they believe in absurbities. (Voltaire)

Bubblegum · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject:

Thank you sooooooooooooo much. '' I did three beds, and has about 7 left to go and a lot of woodchips and more to come. I use cardboard to avoid weed, and to protect the soil against erosion. I must dance a victory dance now! I was afraid the nitrogen would suffocate the plants.''
_________________
Only after the last tree has been cut downthe last river has been
poisonedthe last fish caught, only then will you find that money cannot be
eaten."
- Cree Indian Prophesy

happymama · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject:

PS weigh the edges of the cardboard down or bury them, cos the slugs are clever little dudes and can crawl upside down on the underside!

I speak from bitter experience.
_________________
People will continue to commit atrocities, as long as they believe in absurbities. (Voltaire)

Tony Hague · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:24 am Post subject:

You have this the wrong way round. The woodchip will not be a problem by adding nitrogen, rather the fungus and bacteria rotting the woodchip may draw nitrogen from the soil temporarily during the process. It is for this reason that you normally compost organic matter before adding it to the soil, rather than just digging it in and letting it rot in situ. Well, with the exception of bean trenches, but beans can fix their own supply of nitrogen anyway.

I've used woodchip (freely scrounged fron neighbourhood tree surgeon) on my lottie paths. Once it's composted down on top, I'll incorporate it as a mulch on the beds.

karena · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject:

how do woodchips annoy slugs ? - believe me i really want to annoy mine right now - do you mean the barkchips or stripped wood.?

happymama · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:41 pm Post subject:

Bubblegum · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject:

jimll · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject:

The cardboard is similar to the wood chips really - its high carbon and any high carbon material breaks down it will rob nitrogen from the soil. Cardboard does this slowly enough that its not usually a problem, but the much larger surface area of a chipped wood can mean alot more nitrogen being used. If you've got the cardboard under the wood chips then effectively you're protecting the nitrogen in the soil from being used up rapidly in the decomposition of the woodchips. If you mix in grass clippings with the wood chips then they can provide the nitrogen for decomposition. Also some plants are less worried about soil supplied nitrogen - legumes (beans and peas) for example fix much of their nitrogen from the atmosphere rather than the soil.

Or in simple terms: don't worry - just put the wood chips on top of cardboard, and make sure that its not actually touching the plants you want to mulch around. It'll be fine.
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Jim'll - the lean, green spam digging machine!

Bubblegum · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the answers. I will try this year with both woodhips and bare soil, and plant in groups and see what I'll get out of it.
_________________
Only after the last tree has been cut downthe last river has been
poisonedthe last fish caught, only then will you find that money cannot be
eaten."
- Cree Indian Prophesy

Nicko · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:25 pm Post subject:

KevB · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject:

I've been using cheap chipped bark from B&Q that, despite the trades descriptions act, is approx 25% chipped wood. Grrrr! I use it to make my own potting mixes for veg and trees, Was concerned that this will be robbing nitrogen from my plants, but I've found that adding some organic fertiliser pellets, also B&Q, to the mix gives me excellent results. I think that, so long as you are sensible about amounts, wood chips are a useful addition - eventually.
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Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job. -- George Bernard Shaw