North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Evan <kodama@riseup.net>]

This may be a silly question, but as I've begun planting and planning  
my modest orchard, I've run into a lack of available mulching  
materials (or more likely, I'm just blind to what's staring me in the  
face). The orchard's in a rural area and there aren't the abundant  
flows of woodchips and leaf-litter found in the urban areas. But, in  
consideration of a future with much less energy to spend on  
woodchippers, I've been wondering what I could use for mulch.

Right now I'm thinking I'll plant a coppice-or-pollard field  
downslope where I can take the shoots and lay as mulch around some of  
my fruit and nut trees upslope. I'm not sure which species I'll use,  
but possibly a mix of Basswood, Black Birch and maybe even Willow. My  
thinking is that if I coppice or pollard them on a fairly regular  
basis I can have a good supply of small woody shoots that will act as  
a decent mulch, break down relatively quickly and possibly enrich the  
nutrient content of the soils around my food-trees (I think Black  
Birch accumulates K, P, and Ca; Tilia P and Ca). I guess I'm  
wondering if anyone has experience with this sort of thing, what  
species you use, and how it works.

In case it's relevant the orchard is/will-be comprised of primarily  
Hazels, Chestnuts, Crabapples, and Juneberries.

Or maybe there's blindspot I have and this isn't a good idea?

Thanks!
Evan