Wood storage and mulch (wood chips)

[phatdonkey]

So in September I cut down 3 trees on my property. The city does a brush and branch pickup every Tuesday, and stopped the Tuesday before I cut the trees down, of course. Tried giving the chips away on CL for free to no avail. I planted some arborvitaes along the back yard property line, and chipped around the bases, and filled 2 flower beds around the house with them as well. I still have about 2-3 pickup loads of chips left.

Would it be a bad idea to spread them out around where I'm going to store my wood? Since I have been splitting wood at the house, and with the cruddy weather we have had this winter here in south east PA, I have all but killed the grass where I deal with wood. My concern would be that the wood chips would hold moisture and then release it into the wood I'm trying to season. Is this a valid concern? I wouldn't be putting the chips directly under the wood racks I have built, but around the whole area in general.

If this is a bad idea let me know, and if it is, does someone in Montgomery county PA, or the surrounding areas want some free mulch?

Donkey

 

[pen]

I personally would get the work done and get the grass replanted.

My concern is what will work well for a while now to help deal with mud and a lack of grass, will eventually start to break down and turn into a mess itself, and may need to be dug back out, and then disposed of somewhere.

How important is this spot in the lawn? Maybe a pic of the area could help folks give you a more definitive yes, no, or different idea.

Good luck,

pen

 

[NateB]

To bad I'm not closer, I live in York PA. I would take all of it for my garden. It is great at stopping weeds, but if you want grass there don't put wood chips down.

 

[phatdonkey]

Im not really concerned with there being grass there. I am however concerned with the chips breaking down as Pen said and creating a bigger mess. The wife has agreed that it is going to be the wood corner. Im planning on making a wood fence from splits that runs toward the front yard from the back right corner, and to the left rear corner from the right.

I will take pics once this 10" of snow is gone. Thanks for the info so far.

 

[NateB]

It depends on your definition of mess. It will look like your flower bed, and slowly break down in to dirt

 

[osagebow]

Like mushrooms? Buy some King Stropharia spawn and make a mushroom bed. Easy, safe and delicious. All of my chips and bark goes into beds around my fruit trees. The shrooms munch it down pretty quick.

 

[midwestcoast]

Keep your processing area to a reasonable size, lay down the chips now (I would keep it under 4" depth) & let the bark, saw dust, splitting chips... from future processing replenish the cover. It will likely put less moisture in the air than grass so no worries.
Osage's suggestion does sound tasty though!