Abundance of shredded Maple Wood
 

I have some new wood shreds to use about the backyard.

The landscape company did a poor job of sighting trees when this house was built 26 years ago. Sadly five trees were removed from my yard last fall, too close to the house, too close together, house needed repair etc. I was not able to save the mulch as it shoots into a closed truck bed.

The stump grinding crew just returned and finished off the stumps. I asked them to leave the shreds in place. I have a huge pile of maple shredded tree root and soil combined. A mulch resource said maple was a no for vegetable gardens, but okay for paths. So I made a path right up to and around my bed. I also reluctantly topped 2 4 X 4 raised beds that I use for peppers with an inch of the maple/soil mix. Is there anything I should do to facilitate any helpful activity. I'm reading conflicting information (mix in, leave on top, add nitrogen) and little specifically on maple.

I also have a mostly wood shreds hole where a crabapple was. This would be a great new full sun spot for a small fruit bush. The hole is too huge to fill just with bagged topsoil. What could tolerate the crabapple mulch with a wee bit of bagged soil. Ph here is quite high naturally.

- Lisa

Here's a good article about your questions. [url]http://homeguides.sfgate.com/problems-using-maple-tree-chips-mulch-47672.html[/url] I would use [I]untainted[/I] shreds only as mulch, or as a "brown" (carbon source) in compost. Uncomposted shreds mixed with soil would result in nitrogen restriction.

Steve

When a stump is removed the grinding blades are mixing wood and native soil together. This mix is a great addition to any compost pile. It will start the cooking process very quickly.
If you backfill your stump hole with this you will end up with a sink hole as the wood breaks down. A better option might be to to truck in some fill for your planing holes. Woody plants usually prefer this over amended soils.

Another question I have been thinking about: I have always read that wood chips as mulch will tie up nitrogen during the break down time. How long will N be reduced in the area for other plants to use? And another: If extra N is added to the wood chips will that facilitate breakdown or allow other plants to use more nitrogen?

[QUOTE=PaulF;686685]Another question I have been thinking about: I have always read that wood chips as mulch will tie up nitrogen during the break down time. How long will N be reduced in the area for other plants to use? And another: If extra N is added to the wood chips will that facilitate breakdown or allow other plants to use more nitrogen?[/QUOTE]
Wood chips as mulch ON soil will not use nitrogen IN soil.
Add nitrogen to the wood chips it will be fine.
There is a gardening method that uses sand fertilizer and sawdust it works very well.
I use natural mushrooms and fungus to break down wood chip piles it works very well also.
I have a wild pepper plant growing in and old decomposed chip pile.

[QUOTE=sjamesNorway;686555]Here's a good article about your questions. [url]http://homeguides.sfgate.com/problems-using-maple-tree-chips-mulch-47672.html[/url] I would use [I]untainted[/I] shreds only as mulch, or as a "brown" (carbon source) in compost. Uncomposted shreds mixed with soil would result in nitrogen restriction.

Steve[/QUOTE]

Steve, That is the one and only article that specifically discusses maple chips or shredded maple as mulch. I thought there might be more information published on this. It really caught my attention. However, the article discusses bagged mulch that has been stored and turned sour in the bag. Either way it seems maple is ominous to me in the garden.

My neighbor had a very large tree removed between our homes years back. The depression from the rotting wood below ground was only a few inches below the surrounding lawn, but it went out over 10 feet in all directions. They added soil and grass seed but it took many years to fill in.

I'm wondering if I should water the mulch cover with mg to speed decomposition in the raised beds earmarked for peppers or leave the 1 to 2 inch layer alone and keep as the intended use to use as a mulch to suppress weeds.

- Lisa

[QUOTE=greenthumbomaha;686781]Steve, That is the one and only article that specifically discusses maple chips or shredded maple as mulch. I thought there might be more information published on this. It really caught my attention. However, the article discusses bagged mulch that has been stored and turned sour in the bag. Either way it seems maple is ominous to me in the garden.

My neighbor had a very large tree removed between our homes years back. The depression from the rotting wood below ground was only a few inches below the surrounding lawn, but it went out over 10 feet in all directions. They added soil and grass seed but it took many years to fill in.

I'm wondering if I should water the mulch cover with mg to speed decomposition in the raised beds earmarked for peppers or leave the 1 to 2 inch layer alone and keep as the intended use to use as a mulch to suppress weeds.

- Lisa[/QUOTE]
As Worth writes, you need to add nitrogen (grass clippings, fertilizer, etc.) to speed decomposition of wood chips (carbon), but it would still take a long time. I'd just leave the chips as a mulch. (I use bark mulch, which is basically the same.)

Steve

I looked a a brand of stump removing pellets in Tractor Supply one day.
I wanted to know what was in it.
You could cure meat with it.
It was potassium nitrate.
Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;686806]I looked a a brand of stump removing pellets in Tractor Supply one day.
I wanted to know what was in it.
You could cure meat with it.
It was potassium nitrate.
Worth[/QUOTE]


It doubles as 13-0-44 fertilizer lol


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[QUOTE=nbardo;688920]It doubles as 13-0-44 fertilizer lol


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Pass the Cal mag. Guaranteed blossom end rot in a bottle.


- Lisa

Bumping this question from PaulF above.
I gave this situation some thought when you posted and was hoping someone would provide an explanation on the processes you mentioned..

[QUOTE=PaulF;686685]Another question I have been thinking about: I have always read that wood chips as mulch will tie up nitrogen during the break down time. How long will N be reduced in the area for other plants to use? And another: If extra N is added to the wood chips will that facilitate breakdown or allow other plants to use more nitrogen?[/QUOTE]

Everything i found applies to all hardwoods. The only thing that mentioned maple specifically was warning not mulch with it if the tree was diseased with verticillium wilt, or if the mulch smells sour (like vinegar). Healthy trees should be fine. Decomposing wood chips do cause microbes to tie up nitrogen making it less available to plants. As long as you are using it as a mulch (not an amendment) that isnt a problem and could be beneficial since it could help starve any weeds at the surface that germinate.


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One year later, the pile of soil/mulch has composted nicely and the weeds are enjoying it very much. I surrounded the pile with 5 bucket gardens growing corn three plants each which rooted
through the holes in the buckets in the mulch soil mixture. What a mistake!

I have never had voles and it was a fiasco. They came from all over and knocked the corn over and were making holes next to the corn debris piles so they didn't have far to come out to eat.

I will seed over with grass and not plant in this area near my main vegetable garden again.
If circumstances had been different, I think the amendment would have been a successful area for a new garden. The soil was nice and loose, and tall grassy weeds loved it.