Have plenty of tree branches and leaves. Want to use as fertilizer.

[Mark]

Have plenty of tree branches and leaves. Want to use as fertilizer. What is the simplest and most effective way to use it as a mulch?

[Lucky]

If you have a mulcher that will pulverize the branches and leaves together then you just need to start a compost pile. If you don't have a mulcher machine then you will need to strip the leaves from the branches and toss the branches aside as they will take far too long to decompose.

Your compost pile will need to age about a year before it's good to use. You can add grass clippings, fallen leaves, and leftover vegetable and plant material from dinner, though no protein or milk sources at all!

As far as waste goes, especialy those of pets, do not add these to the compost pile. You can create a seperate compost specificly for this type of waste and you will want to age it about 1 1/2 to 2 years or more before using. (Never use Human waste at all)

Your compost pile should be kept moist at all times, though not soaking wet. Compost piles generate heat so do not store any explosive chemicals or gasoline nearby.

-Jason

[Mark]

I do not. Is it real expensive to buy? Can I buy old one?

Does it have to be a pile? Can it be in the ground instead of taking space in the yard?

Is there a way to speed up the process of decompos> Mark wrote:

[Lucky]

Depends on your budget. Check the Classifieds, Thrift Stores, etc...

Most compost piles are indeed kept "in the ground", if not in a pre-constructed compartment. You could even bury a trash can and keep the led portion level with the ground. It's all up to your creativity. (You will need to turn it over every month or so with a shovel)

No.

[BB]

"Lucky" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I don't know about that... A well-placed fire can do wonders for accelerating decomposition.

(CYA time: But I don't recommend it. At all. This post was a joke. Do not set fire to your refuse.)

--Bryan

[Claire Petersky]

You don't mean "pets", you mean "non-vegetarian pets" here. Guinea pig poop has been a great addition to our worm box. When I worked with my kids' preschool vegetable garden, we composted the school's rabbits' poop with great success. Horse, cow, and chicken manure are traditional fertilizers. But yeah, you shouldn't put dog or cat poop in your compost heap.

[John A. Keslick, Jr.]

Mark

John A. Keslick, Jr. Beware of so-called TREE EXPERTS who do not understand TREE BIOLOGY!

[Pete from Boston]

Well, that depends. Different materials compost at different rates. You might have some luck making a "hotter" pile with more rapidly decomposing materials (grass, other green stuff), though I don't know for sure to what extent this will affect the rate of the slower materials in the pile. Either way, I've gotten lots of finished compost in periods of a couple of months, during warmer weather. Wood chips will definitely take longer than a lot of things, but not a year if done fine enough and included in the right mix.

[Treedweller]

You can also rent a brush chipper for about $100-$150/day. You can probably do all you need in a 1/2 day if you can find anyone to rent it that way. Make sure to listen carefully when they explain proper usage and safety procedures.

[Lucky]

He wants to use tree branches and leaves as mulch, not to learn how to mulch trees.

-Jason

[John A. Keslick, Jr.]

Jason

If he is going to mulch trees with the product, it would be nice to know the proper way. Many people, don't get it. Don't believe it because I said it, yet believe it because you see it for yourself.

Anyway, you can use branches as mulch. That is a very good question. I am glad you asked that question. What I am trying to say is that mulch comes in different gradations. From composted leaves to tree trunks. I. e., if you go to where trees received their genetic codes or shall I say requirements (in a group). You can find some benefits of larger mulch here:

could make a brush pile for small wildlife and such or you could give the wood from the branches soil contact. You could cut them in 4' pieces. In areas of fire concern, by giving the wood soil contact, you can reduce fire risk. There must be more than just fear of fire in the decision making processes of the management of trees and their associates..

If you chipped the branches, I would suggest composting the wood chips for a year first. Unless the wood is symplastless, which then the wood chips would be fine at the time of chipping. Also by aging, you reduce the chances of artillery fungus. Fresh chips can attract undesirables which can and do do nasty things above as well as below ground. Mulch should be approximately 4" thick and flat. Keep the mulch back from the trunk flair about 6" if you can. BTW, when we chip a branch with a symplast, we cut the parenchyma cells thus smearing protoplasm all over the place. That is what attracts the undesirables that attack the defenseless cell contents. You do not have that situation when you use the 4' lengths of branches.

Not the last word on the topic.

Sincerely,

John A. Keslick, Jr. Beware of so-called TREE EXPERTS who do not understand TREE BIOLOGY!

[Lucky]

O.K. I didn't know there were too many ways to "mulch wrong" but I will trust you know what you are doing.

that's precisely what it entails, a mixture of decaying items which release their nutrients as a natural fertilizer as well as trapping much needed moisture and helping to prevent the growth of weeds.

That would be very time consuming, especialy if you don't have any machinery. You also wouldn't want a brush pile near your home, so as not to attrackt mice, snakes and who knows what else. So if you decide on this, just make sure to keep it a good distance from the home.

[John A. Keslick, Jr.]

There is not too many ways to mulch wrong. Yet many people do mulch wrong.

Not Fresh Chips Not touching the trunk. The flair at the base of the tree is a trunk flair and not a root flair. Mulch should be flat. Mulch made up of all bark should be avoided. People dig the grass out before mulching - wrong. The grass roots grow deeper than the non-woody absorbing roots. So if you remove the turf you remove the absorbing roots. Please don't call the feeder roots. They do not feed or provide food for the tree. Trees actually make their own food. Bag after bag of stuff called TREE FOOD. Those people have no understanding of photosynthesis.

Sincerely,

John A. Keslick, Jr. Beware of so-called TREE EXPERTS who do not understand TREE BIOLOGY!

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