Topic: Woodchip and nitrogen

[Rain]

Can anyone please tell me how long woodchip takes nitrogen out of the soil? Is it for as long as it takes to break down completely? If so, how long is this? Thanks.

[kt.]

Fresh wood chippings should not be used on soil in your plot for at least 4-5 months. It is too rich and may burn your soil. I believe you can pre-treat it though.

I have just got 40 bags of fresh chippings in December. I am in the process of using 20-25 bags for pathways around my plot. I have also chucked one bag in my chicken run for the hens to scrat around on. The rest are stacked in the corner of my plot in bags. They take up to 2 years to turn to compost.... If they aren't used before that.

[Tee Gee]

We are quite lucky on our plots because our council want to go to the top of the 'recycling' league, they give us regular loads of fresh wood chippings!

Now as some of the others have said it should be stored and this is my way of doing it and also getting some benefit at the same time.

I cut empty compst bags down either side this gives me a strip of plastic about 6ft long and 2 ft wide. I lay this on my footpaths then I cover it with the fresh chippings.

So all summer long I have a nice soft path to walk on, then at the end of the season I lift the partially decomposed chippings (it moves quite easily off the plastic) and dig it in.

At last something from the council that is free! ;D

[manicscousers]

we use it to mulch around established fruit bushes, over the weed control, helps keep the water in   :)

[trevody]

Rain
The woodchip will rob nitrogen from the soil for as long as it is visibly there, wood chip has a carbon to nitrogen ratio of about 500 : 1 and the bacteria  and microbes in the soil that break it down need a ratio of about 30 : 1, so unless you add lots of high nitrogen manure like pigeon or chicken muck to it there will be a big imbalance, its best used for path ways and the like.

Trev ;D

[Rain]

Thanks everyone.

 I ask because we also get free loads of wood chip from the council. I recently got a wheelbarrow full for my paths and noticed that the woodchip looked a lot different from normal, darker, more refined and moist.
Upon digging, I found many worms wiggling through it.

This hasn't been my experience of woodchip before! Maybe I'll make a stash of it and wait for it to breakdown entirely. Would a compost bin suffice? Thanks.