{"id":2529,"date":"2014-08-11T11:38:00","date_gmt":"2014-08-11T11:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.sdps-bbs.com\/?p=2529"},"modified":"2024-08-29T20:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T00:39:49","slug":"question-can-the-mulch-made-by-tree-stumps-be-mixed-into-the-surrounding-soil-for-new-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/question-can-the-mulch-made-by-tree-stumps-be-mixed-into-the-surrounding-soil-for-new-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Question: Can The Mulch Made By Tree Stumps Be Mixed Into The Surrounding Soil For New Plants?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"mulch<\/a><\/p>\n

Although fresh chips from tree pruning and removals look great for mulch and compost, there are some hidden issues. First, fresh wood chips can be very acidic (sometimes down around a pH of 4) which can be detrimental to plant growth. Also fresh chips have a high C:N (carbon to nitrogen ratio), and it must borrow nitrogen from the soil to help the decomposing process. So mixing the chips with the soil can actually reduce fertility for a while. Both of those can be problems for plants trying to grow in a bed mulched or mixed with fresh chips. Ideally, the newly ground chips should compost properly for a full year. If nitrogen fertilizer is added to the soil\/mulch mix, it can speed up the process.<\/p>\n

The effects of wood chips as mulch involve mainly the surface of the soil, which means it’s mainly shallow-rooted plants like perennial and annual flowers that would run into fresh wood chip trouble. This includes serious chlorosis and other health issues involving establishment and development. Deeper-rooted trees and shrubs are less likely to be affected as much; however, they are subject to the effects of the poor C:N ratio. I would suggest removing as much of the chips as possible, piling them for composting and replacing with proper soil for perennial growth unless you can wait for a full year to allow the decomposition cycle to be completed. This may help eliminate issues with new plants going into that location.<\/p>\n

Resources<\/strong>
\nMulching Conserves Soil Moisture<\/a>, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
\nGrowing Perennial Flowers<\/a>, The Education Store\u00a0(Search\u00a0keywords to find the resources you need)
\nCollecting Soil Samples for Testing<\/a>, The Education Store
\nSoil and Water Conservation Districts<\/a>, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
\nCertified Soil Testing Laboratories<\/a>, Purdue Department of Agronomy\/Extension<\/p>\n

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
\nDepartment of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although fresh chips from tree pruning and removals look great for mulch and compost, there are some hidden issues. First, fresh wood chips can be very acidic (sometimes down around a pH of 4) which can be detrimental to plant growth. Also fresh chips have a high C:N (carbon to nitrogen ratio), and it must […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,42,45,49],"tags":[59,60,63,67],"class_list":["post-2529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drought","category-forestry","category-howto","category-plants","tag-drought","tag-forestry","tag-how-to","tag-plants","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t