All about mulching chips

Mulching is one of the most important steps in plant care. The correct selection of mulch will allow the plants not to dry out, and will preserve the maximum of useful substances in the soil. Today there are a lot of means by which mulching is carried out: peat, coniferous needles, expanded clay, roofing material and much more. In this article we will talk about such material as wood chips, learn about its features, varieties and methods of application.

Mulching chips are organic raw materials widely used in horticulture. Its popularity is due to its environmental friendliness, since the tree does not contain harmful impurities, which means it does not harm plants. In addition to many positive qualities, which will be described a little later, it is worth noting the fact that wood chips can be multi-colored. This is achieved by dyeing natural material. Bright sawdust will be a wonderful decoration of the site, will allow it to be divided into color zones, refined and refreshed.

As a rule, wood chips are not difficult to find in stores. The technology of its production is quite simple, so the material is not distinguished by high prices. Chips are obtained at wood processing enterprises, where waste from the source material is subjected to secondary processing. First, the waste is placed in a special machine, which has to grind it into small pieces, then these pieces are sieved. After that, the material is crushed and sieved again.

The wood chips used in the garden will bring many benefits to the owners:

• protects against overheating;
• normalizes water balance;
• if necessary, increase acidity;
• will not allow plants to freeze;
• will provide a constant flow of oxygen;
• will help transform the site (if colored sawdust is used).

However, if used improperly, wood chip mulch can be a real disappointment. Remember the following cons:

• rotting, wood chips take a lot of nitrogen from the soil;
• coniferous sawdust acidifies the soil too much;
• the larger the chips, the worse they will perform the functions of protecting the earth from temperature fluctuations;
• the coating must be renewed every six months, since weeds will begin to break through it.

There are several types of wood chips for mulching.

• Coniferous. These types of trees are the best solution for plants that require acidic soil. For example, it can be tomatoes or cucumbers, strawberries, as well as some types of flower crops. As a similar material, you can take pine bark, spruce chips, cedar.
• From hardwood. All types of deciduous trees are suitable for obtaining such chips. The bark of larch, oak, alder has proven itself well. The material collected from the listed trees is suitable for almost all crops on the site.

In addition to their origin, wood chips differ in size.

• Large. Such chips, as already noted, do not help very well against frost or heat. You should not mulch the plants on the site with it. Paths, as well as tree trunks, are covered with such chips. Coarse material retains water well, prevents the growth of weeds.
• Small. Shredded wood chips are an excellent option for plant protection.It can be used to mulch crops in order to improve the quality characteristics of the soil. The best solution would be to use already rotted sawdust, which differs in that it almost does not draw nitrogen from the soil.

It is worth saying that you can make wood mulch with your own hands, at home. To do this, you need the following:

• wood;
• woodworking machine;
• special dyes diluted in water;
• the container in which the staining will take place.

You also need to prepare in advance the place where the material will be dried. Woodworking machines are quite expensive devices, so not everyone has them. If there is a sawmill or factory nearby, you can use their services. If not, you will have to limit yourself to a garden shredder. After the material is ready, it should be painted by diluting the dye in water and dropping chips there. The last step is to lay out the material for drying.

By the way, it is not at all necessary to buy artificial colors. You can also use home remedies:

• onion husks will give a brownish-golden tone;
• brilliant green - light emerald;
• beets or potassium permanganate - pink and lilac.

The range of use of wood mulch is quite wide. Let's consider the most popular ways to use it.

• For garden crops. Chip mulching is a good option for tomatoes and cucumbers, especially in greenhouses. Eggplants, peppers, potatoes are also mulched with wood chips. Coniferous sawdust is good for carrots. In this case, only small chips are used, which cover the topsoil near the plants.
• For bushes and berries. The use of chips for strawberries is especially important. The material will protect against snails, maintain the correct water balance, and prevent the appearance of rot. The main thing is to put the sawdust so that it does not mix with the soil. It is necessary to apply a layer of chips both in the aisles and directly to the stem (layer thickness - about 5 cm). If currants or raspberries are mulched, the layer of mulch should be about 10 cm. It is best to apply it in the spring.
• For trees. Here, the material is laid in a near-barrel circle. This is usually done for the winter so that the tree overwinters well. In this case, first a layer of snow is put, and already on top of it - a layer of sawdust.

In addition to the above, chip mulch is used:

• for flower crops: lilac, clematis, roses, hydrangea;
• decoration of flower beds, rose gardens, paths at the summer cottage and in the city;
• row spacing decoration;
• arrangement of bright playgrounds.