Topic: Wood chippings

[sticks]

I have some wood chippings that I put down to make a path on my lottie last spring. I'm thinking of using these old chippings to mulch round my gooseberry and black currant bushes and raspberry canes. I'm sure I read that it's not a good idea to use freshly cut wood chippings as mulch but are one year old chipping OK to use?

[Nomspatch]

Hi...I was advised that sawdust (very small woodchippings) were useful around blueberries as most sawdust is composed of pine type trees these days..which are alkaline in nature so breakdown and increase the alkalinity of the soil...also good for azaleas and other alkaline loving plants.therefore wood chippings may well affect the PH of the soil and for non alkaline loving plants this would be NOT a good idea...Someone else may have more/alternative info for you though...I presume letting them rot down and be washed by rain might sluice some of the alkalinity away...best check the PH of your soil and see if with chippings added a sample shows how much of an effect it has....

[chriscross1966]

YOu deffo don't want alkaline soil near blueberries, it's why most folks plant them in tubs of ericaceous.... are you sure you don't mean acid?

[Nomspatch]

Yes you are right of course...I apologise...it is precisely the other way around..what can I have been thinking, thanks Chriscross....
Rewind Sticks and substitute acid everywhere I mentioned Alkaline...must of had a 'dappy' moment there..