Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
One of the local tree lots mulched the left overs and left them for anyone to pick up. I brought home few five-gallon buckets. I didn't see the trees, but most likely fir and cedar from the smell.

The plan was to spread it around flower & veg gardens, and maybe over some newly seeded parts of the yard.

Any comments about where to use or not use this?

a thin layer on top of the soil should be ok for
most perennial gardens. blueberries would probably
like it.

once you spread it out and it dries it will
season (the harshest oils/resins) will evaporate.

i dunno if it would be strong enough to prevent
seeds from sprouting.

the thicker the layer the more potential for
trouble, but my gardens could use a lot of organic
matter and also i need more elevation so i tend to
bury anything i can get my hands on under gardens
and then let nature digest it for a few years
before i dig it up again to use it. bacteria,
fungi, worms and other soil critters can do their
thing.

if it is free for the taking and you have a
truck you can always bring it home and set up a
compost pile set up to use it.

if you are really adventurous you can read the
humanure handbook (freely available online) and
start dry composting your poo/pee for the gardens.
in a year or two you'll have the best stuff ever!


songbird