As tree surgeons, we are generating sometimes tonnes of wood and chip everyday. We take this to green recycling waste centres where we can put our waste to good use, but with Green Line Arb, we want to create a way that we can connect with local people who want to put this "waste product" to use.
So if you're wondering what you can do with the wood and chip generated by your local tree surgeons, and make the most of signing up as a tip site: this is for you:
USES FOR CHIP
There are many ways you can use wood chip at home, but first it's important to understand that there are many different kinds of wood chip, different qualities and characteristics depending on what it is made up of, what it's mixed with etc. That's why on our online portal when you register your chip site you can request exactly the kind of material you are after to best suit your needs. Some uses for wood chips in your garden include:
1. Mulching around your plants
Here you can use wood chip mixed with leaves, grass, soil. Arb chip is a mix of leaf and wood and is perfect for using as mulch.
It is great around fruit trees, mature shrubs and woody perennials. Ask your tree surgeon what it's made up of as different trees have different qualities. Conifer for example has acidic qualities which is great for neutralising alkaline soils... depends how into all this stuff you want to go. The wood chip mulch can also suppress grass and weed growth, protect the soil, conserve soil moisture, and create an environment that supports a fungal dominant rather than a bacteria dominant environment (which you want in a woodland or forest environment) (Source)
2. Adding them to your compost pile
Wood chip can also be a great material to use as a carbon rich or brown material in a composting system. However, it is important to make sure that it is kept in balance with nitrogen rich or green materials for best results. This topic needs a post all on it's own. You can find that here.
3. Making biochar
You can make carbon negative biochar by using wood which is considered ‘waste’, that's that a plus. By choosing clean, non-toxic wood ‘waste’ we can intercept the carbon before it has a chance to go back into the atmosphere. There are many techniques when it comes to making biochar! We recommend watching some youtube channels and choosing the best way to do it for you if you don't have purpose built kiln.
4. Propagation
Though plant propagation mixes often include composted organic material, wood chip for this purpose hasn't been so common. There are commercial substrate manufacturers that use bark as the main ingredient for their products, but it is relatively easy to make your own plant-raising substrates from wood chip.
5. Growing mushrooms in your garden
The one thing that you can grow in wood chip alone is mushrooms. Chip can be an excellent thing for fungi – including the kind of fungi that we eat. It can be used as a substrate for a number of different edible mushrooms. So if you fancy experimenting and branching out from the standard vegetable patch, this could be something for you.
6. Recreational ground cover for kids activities or pathways
If you're looking for material to cover the ground in your garden, you want pure wood chip. and the Larger chips will last much longer, and greener, sappier wood will break down more quickly. This is great to protect the ground and avoid muddy spots in seating areas or play areas.
7. Creating new wildlife habitats
You can get creative when it comes to building homes for the wildlife in your garden. Even making heaps with wood and other organic material will attract many beneficial creatures and make them welcome in your garden. Just make sure you do not use any treated wood that could cause harm to wildlife in your garden. Generally getting the materials from your local tree surgeons and landscapers means it will most likely be 100% natural. But maybe double check if this is your plan.
8. Use with livestock
Wood chip can soak up a lot of nitrogen and even outperform some traditional bedding materials, aiding animal health and welfare, and reducing leaching both from barns and from the resulting compost.
These are just a few ideas and we're sure you will come up with many more! If you find a great way to use the product generated by your local tree surgeons, let us know! We'd love to hear about it and share it with the community!
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