If you've ever mulched with shredded trees...

[Theforeverhome]

We've just had the tree surgeon visit and, after seeing the virtues of mulching mentioned many times, I asked them to leave the output of the shredder; a mix of wood and leaves chopped up together.

I had one load of Western Red Cedar (because I was concerned it might be acidic) and another which is a mix of Sycamore, Whitebeam and Spanish Oak.

After seeing what I've been left with, I decided to look at what you're supposed to do with it (better late than never!) and, after the suggestion that leaving it to age for a few months would eliminate any issues about toxins, what I read suggested that I shouldn't use it with perennials - and it's a new (mostly) perennial bed that I'd been planning on using it with 😳

If you have used tree shreddings as a mulch, have you ever used it on a bed including perennials and what were the results, and have you used it immediately or left it to rot a bit?

I've chucked about 1/2 a barrow in the compost bins but have about 20 still to go. The new bed is about 20m2 but I've got other mostly shrub beds elsewhere if it comes to it.

I used mystery mixed wood chip (I suspect conifer) fresh from from a tree surgeon with no problem including perennials. I avoided using it on young / freshly planted plants.

Its good to know it would be ok with perennials then - but probably not with this border just yet since it’s just been planted 😕

Someone told me that fresh wood chippings use up nitrogen out of the soil as they decompose, and deprive the plants of it. So it is better to wait until they have rotted down.

How true that is, I have no idea.

I've read that it can pull nitrogen out of the soil as it decomposes, but ONLY when it's mixed into the soil. If it's used as a cover/mulch there shouldn't be an issue.

My parents used to have a leylandii hedge which the trimmings they'd shred and put in bags for a year or so before using. It was amazing stuff and their garden soil is very fertile.

I made a whole bank out of it around my pond and then planted it up with shrubs and perennials. It initially produced a LOT of heat but was fine after a month or so.

Yes, I used it for many years in beds including every single kind of plant. It helped a lot. Eventually broke down to soil.

Take a look at this.

https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/brf.html

It's particularly good when it's fresh.

I put it to one side and mix it with grass cuttings, manure and the shredded cardboard bedding from the gerbils.

After a year I mulch everything

Thanks everyone. From your experiences, it seems like I can do a range of things and it will all be ok. Since the bed is new, and is a mix of compost, manure, and leaf mould, I’m getting a lot of perennial weeds sprouting so I’ll give them a couple more weeks then give it a good weed and start putting down the mulch.

I started planting this bed at the middle of June so the first plants have all put on growth. I’m kicking myself that I don’t seem to have taken any pictures of each section of planting when it was finished as some of the plants have grown massively already - in spite of me having let many become pot bound as I acquired them over the course of the last few years.