To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] wood chips
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:56:50 -0400
Wood chips have many benefits -- nutritional, biological, and physical -- in
the orchard. Generally, the type of chips is not important. I've read the
literature about ramial wood chips from Canadian researchers and from Michael
Phillips and don't see much sense in it. The research, if read carefully,
does not seem to support its use over any old wood chips. I put a sign out
"Wood Chips Wanted" and take whatever local arborists give me.
The discussion of wood chips in the orchard from UVM states that the chips
need to be aged for a year before use. Not so. Just like the need to add
nitrogen to wood chips to prevent N starvation of plants. None of this is
necessary when the chips are used as mulch rather than mixed into the soil.