On 01/05/2013 21:08, Spider wrote:
On 30/04/2013 09:37, Kate Morgan wrote:
Thank you everyone, some brilliant ideas for me to think about. Just one
more question if I may, does the depth of the chippings make much if any
difference.



Yes, depth of chippings can make a difference. If you think of it as a
deep mulch, then it can be between 2 to 4", but should not closely
encircle any plant's stem or crown such that it would be likely to cause
rotting.
Also, the chippings will need to be scraped back to expose the soil
while you're planting. If you incorporate the woody chippings into the
soil, then it will begin to deplete the soil's nitrogen. It will happen
anyway to a lesser extent as the surface mulch breaks down. See how the
plants grow away; you may need to add fertiliser/manure.

I don't go along with the comment about chips around the plant stems,
The stems don't rot off where they are in contact with the earth, and
plant stems pushing up through chippings, be they gravel or wood don't
rot off.
For years I mulched with fresh grass clippings around young shrubs and
around Dahlias out in the field with no harm
The one thing about using grass clippings is that they will smother
small weed seedlings, and later blackbirds scratch around in them
dislodging any weeds that do try to grow.
David @ what has been a surprisingly sunny end of Swansea Bay