Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

I seem to be losing emails, but I recall that someone asked about how 
best to treat wood chips.  Let's see if I can summarize what was in the 
Noel paper.  Never till them in, because it leads to anaerobic 
decomposition.  Hardwood chips are best disked into the top 2" of soil 
in the fall along with some white rot fungus from hardwood forest 
litter.  Softwood chips, outside the tropics, leave toxic products on 
decomposition, so they're better used on paths, although fine ones can 
be composted with fresh manure.  It's a sad revelation, I know, since 
I'd love to find a way to put fir boughs to use, so next year I might 
try mulching tomatoes with them in the greenhouse.

Bill
S. Oregon coast