Lots of Fresh Live Oak Wood Chips

[Cande]

I may be in the position to get wood chips from 3 live oaks......this would be a lot of wood chips. I know these trees have to be at least 30 years old. They are going to cut them down where I work and the contractor will chip them up, as long as I have a trailer there when the chipping is going on I should be able to get all I want.......now my question is, what all can I do with these chips????

Would they be good to line the rows in the garden to prevent grass?

I guess I could get me one of those "wood chip rollers" and make logs for burning during the winter, or does someone know how I could do this without spending the money on one of those fancy machines?

You know if the contractor takes them off, he's just going to sell them after charging us 1800.00 to cut the trees down.

Just looking for ideas??? I know there must be a ton of good things to do with them, I just can't think of any right now.

[CJ]

It won't be nearly as much as you think. While we don't have a commercial chipper, our 3 pt chipper for our tractor does up to 6 inch logs, and we chip up everything we can. It doesn't make nearly as much as you'd expect!

We use the chips for garden mulching.

[Cande]

Thanks CJ, that's really what I want to use it for...

[Sawmill Jim]

Oak is high in acid may need to add some lime in some uses .

[Jenn]

Cande do you have any liveoaks on your property? If so please learn more than I know about whether you might risk bringing liveoak wilt onto your property, how far to keep the woodchips from your trees, etc. Especially if you know the trees had to come down because they are dying rather than just in the wrong place.

[Joshie]

Are they using a chipper or a shredder? We have a home chipper that does branches up to about 3". It chips them into pretty little square chips. I really liked them until....... those pretty chips clump up in the garden and then get moldy. Not so pretty anymore.

Assuming you use a shredder and not a chipper I'd use the mulch as long as the trees are healthy. I'd also check acidity as others have recommended.

[Cande]

Jenn, these are very healthy trees...I don't have any on my property. These are being cut down where I work.....they are getting to big for the building to be seen from the road.

Joshie, thanks for that tip, I'm not sure which they will be using. I should be able to find out Monday.

We'll check the acidity like everyone said....and add lime like Jim said. Thanks Jim!!

[canfossi]

Why don't you just use them for starting a fire in the woodstove/fireplace for next winter's heat. Chris

[CJ]

I guess I should amend my post... we use the chips for garden mulching, like around our fruit trees, as mulch for our blackberry and grape beds, and for pathways. But not IN the veggie garden.

[NostalgicGranny]

We usually talk to the guys who trim the trees for utility companies. Last year we got a couple dump truck loads for $20 each. This year (new company) it was free. That is a lot of mulch.

[Jenn]

I am very happy with my wood chip mulch- shredded pine bark- in garden paths between beds and in my perennial areas.

[pickapeppa]

Maybe you could seed them with ----ake mushroom spawn and grow a big mound of ----akes.

[gardenfay]

just wondering why the entire trees are being chipped up instead of being cut into firewood or used for some other purpose?

[Cande]

These people I work with have no idea........most of them think the only place an egg comes from is Kroger!! I found out this morning all I will be able to get is the saw dust from the stumps being grind......I thought they were chipping the whole trees. Which makes sense I guess, if the tree service people take away "logs" then they can sell them. I was told this morning that if they leave the cut up logs and I come to pick them up, if I get hurt getting the logs, then that would be bad for the company...!! PHOOY !!

So maybe I can at least get some of the saw dust from the stumps......I guess some is better than none....... and I WAS so excited...so much for that.....

I do thank everyone one for all the ideas......

[cathryn]

If you can get the grindings, take them. Stump grindings are actually alot nicer than chips. They often have dirt in them, but that depends on the stump and how they ground it. The grindings are more like mulch, not chips, so they are great around plants, trees, and depending on how clean they are they can be used under the kids playset/swings.

FYI for others with access to free chips. Chips actually break down into fantastic soil, though it takes some time. We have chips all over the yard mulching trees, plants, the veggie garden paths, and just covering some of the yard that is driven over so much the lawn just gave up. We do tree work, so it is also free for us and that is a HUGE bonus.

I would be surprised if the company left oak for someone unless that was part of the original contract. Oak is wood that still has value, as firewood at the very least. It is factored into the job price what kind of wood it is, and if the wood stays, or has to be taken away. Pine can be VERY expensive to get rid of here, so other things equal, the price of a big pine takedown with the wood taken would be more than an oak with the wood taken.

Peace-and happy gardening I am so happy that it's spring!

Cathryn

[gardenfay]

well, Cande, maybe the stump grindings will be good mulch, like Cathyrn said.

i would have been surprised if it had been like you were first led to believe; since oak is most always of value. thanks for answering.