HumbleAmerican
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Typically around here it’s softwood coniferous type (pine, fir, spruce, hemlock) It’s byproduct of our lumber mills.What are these made of?
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Typically around here it’s softwood coniferous type (pine, fir, spruce, hemlock) It’s byproduct of our lumber mills.What are these made of?
Playground chips are made from clean untreated wood from a sawmill, and have to meet certain size requirements. Nothing too big or too small, and no twigs, branches, bark, pointy pieces etc. (so they'd be safe for children). Landscaping chips and mulches are usually made from shredder bark and yard waste, so any part of the tree/shrub can be in them, and the pieces vary in size more. And because they are shredded more and contain other parts of the plant as well, not just chunks of solid wood, they decompose faster. Some of them are dyed, but the dyes used are not toxic. Iron oxide (rust) for red, carbon (charcoal) for black, etc. They are often used in gardens around edible plants, so they are safe to use. Safe for chickens, too. The one big drawback of colored mulches is that the color comes off and gets on everything... as any gardener who forgot to put gloves on before handling it knows.What are these made of?
I guess that is why they might decompose more slowly.Nothing too big or too small, and no twigs, branches, bark, pointy pieces etc.
Yep. Playground surfaces need to last, not decompose. But playgrounds are a good example to point to and demonstrate wood chips' wonderful ability to drain and keep the ground dry. Ever seen a wood-chipped playground with puddles in it? I have young kids and we're prowling the playgrounds all the time, in all seasons and weather conditions, and the wood chipped areas are always reliably puddle-free, and their surface is the first to dry.I guess that is why they might decompose more slowly.
Will pine chips work? If not, what kind of wood chips?You need carbon. Wood chips are the easiest to source. Google Joel Salatin "Polyface Farm" he has written numerous books, various videos on YouTube. Operates a multi generational farm in the Shenandoah Valley. He has decades of experience and swears by my recommendation.
Will pine chips work? If not, what kind of wood chips?
Thank you for the quick reply! It rains where I live and my run is completely open. Will the pine shavings be okay when it rains? Also, should I turn the chips every couple weeks like I would for a deep liter coop?Pretty much any wood will work except for Eastern Red Cedar, which has strong fumes that irritate the birds' respiratory system and black walnut, which *can* be toxic if ingested and which *may* still kill plants even after composting if the jugalone hasn't fully degraded.
Thank you for the quick reply! It rains where I live and my run is completely open. Will the pine shavings be okay when it rains? Also, should I turn the chips every couple weeks like I would for a deep liter coop?
LOVE Joel Salatin!You need carbon. Wood chips are the easiest to source. Google Joel Salatin "Polyface Farm" he has written numerous books, various videos on YouTube. Operates a multi generational farm in the Shenandoah Valley. He has decades of experience and swears by my recommendation.