Hello Everyone, hope you’re all well.
Does anyone use woodchips in their patch and what sort?
If you have any for’s & against the pratice, I’d love to hear them.
Muschee said:
Hello Everyone, hope you’re all well.Does anyone use woodchips in their patch and what sort?
If you have any for’s & against the pratice, I’d love to hear them.
I’m against it, as it can become messy and also the wood chips may rob the soil of the minerals and goodness the plants will use.
Hi Lucky,
The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
Muschee said:
Hi Lucky,The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
You know if you really want to try it….go for it. BUT……. try a trial area first off for a growing season of what you plant out and take notes on how it goes. That way if it’s not what you want…. not a lot to remove….my thoughts anyway.
… or she could put the wood chips ON the straw, then when the straw breaks down, rake back the wood chips and “straw-up” again, placing woodchips on top again…
worth a try…
woodchips straight on the soil of the vege patch is generally regarded as a no no…however, I’m wondering if the fertilizer is optimal before the chips go on and the liquid fertilizer is regularly applied during the life of the vegetable patch, maybe it could be worth a go? it is better to fertilize often with understrength fert than not at all (says she who only fertilizes when she finds the time…)
Muschee said:
Hi Lucky,The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
Hi Muschee :) I learnt the same thing at a Great Gardens workshop.
Personally, I am going to stick to lupin straw while my soil is still building up. When I have proper soil, I might try switching to wood chip like the presenters selected. I really think those guys only ever tell us about a technique if they have tried it themselves and it’s worked – doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for everyone, but at least we know it’s workign somewhere in Perth.
Another thing I learnt at that workshop – I should probably paint my asbestos fences to stop them sucking moisture out of the soil. Don’t know when I will get around to it though…
Lucky1 said:
Muschee said:
Hi Lucky,The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
Hi sweets:DYou know if you really want to try it….go for it. BUT……. try a trial area first off for a growing season of what you plant out and take notes on how it goes. That way if it’s not what you want…. not a lot to remove….my thoughts anyway.
I’m with Lucky on this one.
I would prefer to use a thick layer of Mulch/Straw, but if you do go with the wood chips let us know how it goes.
Rook
Lucky1 said:
Muschee said:
Hi Lucky,The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
Hi sweets:DYou know if you really want to try it….go for it. BUT……. try a trial area first off for a growing season of what you plant out and take notes on how it goes. That way if it’s not what you want…. not a lot to remove….my thoughts anyway.
Yep good thoughts there thanks Lucky. I think I want to give it a go mainly because he had such great success with lettuce. I can’t seem to keep with watering and end up with nasty bitter stuff the chooks end up getting it.
I think I want to give it a go mainly because he had such great success with lettuce.
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What about shade cloth? You could have it high enough for air circulation, but it will knock down the direct heat of the sun when hottest (you will need to work out when this is)..
or she could put the wood chips ON the straw, then when the straw breaks down, rake back the wood chips and “straw-up” again, placing woodchips on top again…
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Yes That was part of the plan or compost under the chips.
Keep the advise comin :) Gotta get back to work, so will check back later tonight.
Thank heaps people
With my garden, I am so lucky…. I get a huge supply each year from my crapy sister LOL of sheep manure. Matter a fact I have a delivery coming next month before the jolly red man arrives.
I use straw a lot in my garden with it laced with poultry manure. I think this helps to retain water and also break up the clay.
Never gardened in sand…….
Muschee said:
Lucky1 said:
Muschee said:
Hi Lucky,The reason I ask is cause I went to a great gardens workshop a while ago. And one of the men said it was the best thing for moisture retention here in the heat of Perths summer.
Everything else he’d used for years seemed to do the opposite and draw the water out of the soil rather than retain it. Especially straw seemed like a wick and things dried out very quick.
I’ve always used straw and now I’m gonna try something different.
Hi sweets:DYou know if you really want to try it….go for it. BUT……. try a trial area first off for a growing season of what you plant out and take notes on how it goes. That way if it’s not what you want…. not a lot to remove….my thoughts anyway.
Yep good thoughts there thanks Lucky. I think I want to give it a go mainly because he had such great success with lettuce. I can’t seem to keep with watering and end up with nasty bitter stuff the chooks end up getting it.
okay, try lettuces in the area first and see if this works……. great way of knowing if you can use this or not,
I think the main objection for woodchip was because a vege garden is worked over so much that it will get worked into the soil eventually. If you want to keep to a fine tilth then that could be a problem, as well as the nitrogen drawdown effect.
Never gardened in sand…….
==
I think that your hero (Josh) gardens in raised beds over in WA, because the sand will not hold the moisture…
Dinetta said:
Never gardened in sand…….
==I think that your hero (Josh) gardens in raised beds over in WA, because the sand will not hold the moisture…
Yep and also in his first garden….he popped all sorts of stuff into the sandy soil…. to help retain the moisture. Oh what a clever spunk;)
Arvo.. wasn’t it Sir Pete ..(but I could be wrong).. who said to fling blood and bone on the wood chip mulch to counteract the nitrogen loss ?
Happy Potter said:
Arvo.. wasn’t it Sir Pete ..(but I could be wrong).. who said to fling blood and bone on the wood chip mulch to counteract the nitrogen loss ?
Yes….. but he said this with sawdust…so it could work with bark chips….
wood chips are bound to be a pain in the vegie patch when they become mixed with the soil. if you have soil that dries out quickly, you have to improve the soil. typical (straw) mulches help the soil stay moist by slowing down wind, and the mulch feeds the soil.
when the soil becomes mixed with wood chips, you’ll have a fine time trying to grow root crops.
i’m not convinced of the ‘wick’ idea.
under my straw mulch the soil is always more moist than the bare ground.
i didn’t want to state the obvious…that sandy soil will dry out very quickly, while the straw might still be moist from the watering. in any case, wood chips are a fine material for mulching perenial beds but, not meant for the vegie soil.
pepe said:
i’m not convinced of the ‘wick’ idea.
under my straw mulch the soil is always more moist than the bare ground.
aquarium said:
i didn’t want to state the obvious…that sandy soil will dry out very quickly, while the straw might still be moist from the watering. in any case, wood chips are a fine material for mulching perenial beds but, not meant for the vegie soil.pepe said:
i’m not convinced of the ‘wick’ idea.
under my straw mulch the soil is always more moist than the bare ground.
some people are saying that the ground is drier under straw because of capillary action up the straw. this seems wrong to me.
thick wood chips are not very good in my books
- they blow away
- they acidify the soil
- they don’t rot down so well.
mind you i’ve never gardened on perth sands – so they might be entirely different there.
the idea for sandy soil is to add clay.
Night Pepe, thanks for the input.
I guess I will have to put it to the test, and make records of my findings. Good and bad.
I didn’t consider the root vege problem with the chips but also never intent to get them mixed thru the soil.
Time will tell and I will definately let you all know how it goes.
Cheers
As for woodchips or sawdust.
The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
it made me laugh that she had to ask! that must have been some squeeze!
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
bluegreen said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
it made me laugh that she had to ask! that must have been some squeeze!
Remember Ruffles… I hugged her and she died a few hours later……
bluegreen said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
it made me laugh that she had to ask! that must have been some squeeze!
How do you think Lucky found out that Josh is really a guy???
pain master said:
bluegreen said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
it made me laugh that she had to ask! that must have been some squeeze!
How do you think Lucky found out that Josh is really a guy???
No boobs…when I hugged him…LOL Get your mind above his belt line;P
Lucky1 said:
pain master said:
bluegreen said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
Rook said:
Lucky1 said:
roughbarked said:
As for woodchips or sawdust.The best way to decompose this material is to mix it with HORSE manure.
Josh is a real girl..
Nope I have hugged and squeezed him…. not a girl…. I can vouch for that;P
So your the one Lucky that broke his ribs :-)
Are you serious??? Or you pulling my leg??
Pulling you Leg :-)
it made me laugh that she had to ask! that must have been some squeeze!
How do you think Lucky found out that Josh is really a guy???
No boobs…when I hugged him…LOL Get your mind above his belt line;P
You wouldn’t have noticed his boobs, your hands were to busy squeezing his butt…..LOL
You wouldn’t have noticed his boobs, your hands were to busy squeezing his butt…..LOL
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I wish…LOL