Ramial Wood Chips...Sourcing?

[Roguejim]

Any ideas on how to acquire ramial wood chips?  According to the paper below, branch size matters, as well as wood type.  The paper is very in depth, and was shared with me by Windchicken.  Much appreciated.  Very exciting stuff if I could just source it.  I considered tree trimmers, but how do you know what type and size branches have been chipped?  Any ideas?
 
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/61900856/Original_Lemieux_Paper.pdf

 

[romy6]

 You need to get with windchicken. He is the wood chip master. I think he even buys his at lowes? 

 

[Roguejim]

Yep, he buys it at Lowes...hard wood.  Maybe I'm getting too anal about type and size.

Well, I called the local Biomass One that sell wood chips by the yard.  The majority is white fir.  If I'm not mistaken, that is not the wood to use, right?

 

[millworkman]

Technically no.  Pine isnt ideal but if its free get it and let it compost down for a year or more and then you can add it to the soil to build porosity and OM.
 
Generally speaking, spring time is the best to get chips from trimmers.  They will be taking down the newer branches from years past to make sure powerlines and stuff are clear.  

And I think based on the paper you want to get it before it leafs out for the year.

 

[windchicken]

Wow, the Pacific Northwest...thousands upon thousands of square miles of conifers...That did not cross my mind...Hmmmm....
 
Something tells me your local landscaping supplier doesn't get many loads of chipped oak branches....(RCW)
 
There's bound to be an opportunity in there somewhere...

 

[Monkey Hunter]

Technically no.  Pine isnt ideal but if its free get it and let it compost down for a year or more and then you can add it to the soil to build porosity and OM.

 
The paper actually warns about using coniferous trees due to the growth inhibitors most pines release to reduce competition. So if you're using them, I'd compost them for a couple years first to be sure.  I know jugalone takes between 2-5 years to break down after a black walnut is cut down, I imagine it'd be similar for pines/conifers. 

Yep, he buys it at Lowes...hard wood.  Maybe I'm getting too anal about type and size.

Well, I called the local Biomass One that sell wood chips by the yard.  The majority is white fir.  If I'm not mistaken, that is not the wood to use, right?

In "back to eden" they specifically mention that wood chips are not ideal as they're screened to be a uniform size.

 

[Roguejim]

We have a lot of oak here, too.

 

[windchicken]

Cool....That's what you want!

 

[millworkman]

Oaks and maples are what make up mine.

 

[armac]

sometimes you need to simplify your grow, give up chasing all the other methods you see on the net, just get down to basics and once you can grow healthy plants, then expand your methods.....start simple.

 

[DasBhut]

if you're just using it as mulch to keep moisture in then grass clippings work fine

 

[windchicken]

The paper actually warns about using coniferous trees due to the growth inhibitors most pines release to reduce competition. So if you're using them, I'd compost them for a couple years first to be sure.  I know jugalone takes between 2-5 years to break down after a black walnut is cut down, I imagine it'd be similar for pines/conifers. 

Thanks for checking it out MH!

 

[StupidJerk]

I just use tree trimmings that the utility companies drop off as top mulch. Free and effective.

 

[Roguejim]

bump

Any info on whether madrone can be used as RCW? I haven't given up the search, yet.

 

[millworkman]

Madrone?

 

[windchicken]

madrone |məˈdrōnə | noun
an evergreen tree of the heath family with white flowers, red berries, and glossy leaves, native to western North America. Typically, its smooth, thin red bark peels away to reveal a yellowish layer underneath.[Genus Arbutus, family Ericaceae: several species, in particular the Pacific madrone (A. menziesii).]
 
I don't know Jim...It must be a hardwood, because they apparently make furniture out of it. But the most important part of RCW is the bark, and madrone bark is not like oak bark at all, as nearly as I can tell:
 

 

[millworkman]

Oooooooooooooooooo, thats pretty.
 
 
I say try it out for a bit on a smaller plot

 

[Roguejim]

Good point Gary.  It's sold locally along with oak for firewood.  There's an outfit called Trees, Inc that works for the utility company trimming trees.  Maybe worth a shot.