Wood Chip - What to do with it?

ABitofsense · 15-04-2025 01:19PM #1

Like everyone, i've a large amount of trees down and luckily nearly all chopped up now that can be used for firewood. Problem i have now is i've a huge pile of small branches, ivy etc. I was thinking of renting a woodchipper but just trying to figure out what to do with the woodchip then.

How do people use it? Would it decompose enough to spread on the land in a couple of years if i add it to the dung heap?

2smiggy · 15-04-2025 01:48PM

Sell it ? maybe some crowd will chip it for free, if there is enough there, and take the chippings in return. Depending on the size of woodchipper needed, they are expensive. We have a decent sized one, but you also have the tractor powering it, and a handy sized excavator + grab feeding it. Probably €130 or €140 per hour

fulldnod · 15-04-2025 02:09PM

Burn it

148multi · 15-04-2025 08:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406281/wood-chip-what-to-do-with-it

IIf you add it to dung it will strip nitrogen from the dung, shove it in to a corner or celebrate bonfire night with it.

bogman_bass · 15-04-2025 08:55PM

Are you much of a gardener? Mulch for boarders etc

Jb1989 · 15-04-2025 10:28PM

Any good for bedding is it

Thekeencyclist · 16-04-2025 11:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406281/wood-chip-what-to-do-with-it

Was in the same position as yourself, a lot of trees down, eventually got the last tree cut up 2 weeks ago and i had an awful lot of ivy and branches etc that would be no good for the stove so I got a machine in the other day, he stuffed it all into various gaps and holes in the perimeter hedging etc. Took him a few hours but it is surprising how much he could stuff into a gap or hole.

lucalux · 16-04-2025 12:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406281/wood-chip-what-to-do-with-it

I know if I could get a load of wood chip dropped off I'd love it for the garden, but I wouldn't be able to collect a full load, no trailer or anything

Ask around and see if anyone you know gardens would like it/could collect maybe?

plenty of people buying bark mulch from garden centres, fresh woodchip is better imo, more moisture and breaks down quicker

Brilliant for mulching, veg growing and weed suppression

minerleague · 17-04-2025 11:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361946#Comment_123361946

Please tell me you're joking? Make a heap in some corner - ideal for insects etc and will rot away in time.

ABitofsense · 17-04-2025 01:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123360537#Comment_123360537

Problem is my corners and ditches are already blocked and filled as i had to get a lad with a digger and saw to help move and saw up the large trees into safer manageable lengths.

Ill use some of it for flower beds anyway, never thought about that.

On the nitrogen stripping from the dung, i'll have to look into that abit more. It will be sitting there for a number of years before it will be used so might chance it and keep it turned and mixed with dung. It should decompose (hopefully) and then the nitrogen becomes available again.

PoorFarmer · 17-04-2025 02:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123365564#Comment_123365564

Your local tidy towns or community development group might have a use for whatever you have left over.

have2flushtwice · 18-04-2025 07:20PM

I took a load of bark from a sawmills to put a floor in the greenhouse. Paid enough for it too.

II'm Not joking when I say it was like a ditch after 6 months. The amount of briars and shite that grew from it, they must have mulched anything and everything into it. East galway sawmill by the way and ill never darken his door again after the hardship.

patsy_mccabe · 18-04-2025 08:07PM

Every farm should have a 'Green' dump. Somewhere you can just just throw the end branches. I have an old ring fort on the farm that I use. It's covered in briars anyway, so the extra few branches every year just break down over time.

I often thought a small PTO shredder would be great, but hard to justify it for the work I have.

youllbemine · 18-04-2025 08:42PM

If you know what went into it, then mix away with dung. Leave it in the corner, mix it every 6 months and you'll have some lovely stuff. Make sure it doesn't dry out, that'll slow down the rate of decomposition.

A shed that was bedded here 4 years ago and no stock in it since had the roof blow off the front bit. The bedding turned into the best compost you've ever seen. Whereas you'd swear the straw in the covered bit was put in last week.

Wood Chip - What to do with it?

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