On 1 Sep 2003 07:43:36 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

~In article ,
~Rusty Hinge wrote:
~The message
~from "P&J" contains these words:
~
~ Now once the tree has been chopped down - any ideas how usful the wood will
~ be ? The tree is about 10 years old & approx 30 feet high.
~
~ I am considering some uses fo the wood (although the tree surgeon can take
~ it away). So far I was thinking these possilities.
~ - hiring a shredder to create some mulch
~
~No. Unsightly and will in time take nitrogen from the soil. Mind you,
~that would help in suppressing weeds....
~
~Only temporarily. It will then restore it.


ok I have to chip (sorry...) in here

About 18 months ago I persuaded a local tree surgeon to give me a
shredded ash tree as a mulch for my allotment orchard area (it saved
him from having to pay to dispose of it). I ended up with a 4" mulch
which has gone to a nice dark brown over the months and has managed to
suppress the annual weeds. Before it went down I had a jungle of
waist-high waving grass, various thistles etc. in summer, so I gave
the plot a good weeding over and had it delivered mid-April before
the weeds took off.

Pink bindweed and creeping cinquefoil are still being a pain but the
rest have gone very nicely. I expect that I'll have to get more come
next spring, but would have no hesitation. I have had bumper crops of
gooseberries and currants, and last year, apples (biennial trees) so
can't say I noticed any bad effects. OK so I did empty a packet of
sulphate of potash onto the whole area (7x7m) to encourage fruiting,
but haven't added any nitrogen yet.

I thought it also looked and smelled nice, too, and makes a much
better surface for walking on than mud :-)

If you want to look at photos of before and after, mail me.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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