Tree wood chips

[uripadees]

Hi,
This last summer I cut down a pine tree and was wanting to know if I can use the wood chips in my raised garden bed.
Thanks

 

[Chuck]

Yes you can, although pine is not the best mulch available.

 

[uripadees]

Thanks, if I do use it I will add a little at a time and use it with other mulch like leaves from my maple tree.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks, if I do use it I will add a little at a time and use it with other mulch like leaves from my maple tree.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pine-bark-mulch-problems-49460.html

 

[uripadees]

Great info on the website. Well rethink the use of the pine mulch, because it did have a sour smell.

 

[Chuck]

Great info on the website. Well rethink the use of the pine mulch, because it did have a sour smell.

The sour smell is probably because the tree was alive when chipped or at least not dried out

 

[uripadees]

The tree was alive when taken down. This is going to be my first attempt to plant a small garden this summer. I will have lots of questions and will use this forum to help guide me through it.
See you in the spring.

 

[Chuck]

The tree was alive when taken down. This is going to be my first attempt to plant a small garden this summer. I will have lots of questions and will use this forum to help guide me through it.
See you in the spring.

Pile all those chips into a big pile and pour a sugary substance like stale beer or soft drinks or molasses over them once or twice a month. This will help decompose them and make them more beneficial for your next years garden

 

[uripadees]

Beer never gets stale around here,lol but will try with molasses or soft drink, Thanks for the tip.

 

[Beth_B]

I wouldn't give much credence to commercial content sites like sfgate...I have a ton of articles on there (and eleswhere online) and I had no clue what I was talking about and nor did their content "editors". That's one of dozens of sites owned by Demand Media, who hired any semi-literate chimp who would churn out articles for them. They really don't care about accuracy, just money. Which can be considerable.

I know because I wrote for them for about seven years. And they rule Google's algorathims, and appear on the first page of many online searches but it's mostly complete armchair amateurs writing for these sites for money. (I was one!) lol.

Which is not to say content sites like this aren't right some of the time but this is NOT an authoritative source of information.

That said Chucks advice is usually spot on correct.

 

[uripadees]

 

[BreeGardens]

@uripadees what kind of garden are you planting?

 

[uripadees]

A small raised bed vegetable garden. It's only 12 ft x 3 ft and about 12 inches high.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Do not put the chips in the soil. Put them in places like paths or as a mulch, so that you can remove them after they age half a year or more. They will break down with oxygen, but thats only in the top 2 inches or so.