Tips & Advice - Compost with Wood Chips

Tips & Advice - Compost with Wood Chips: "




If you're wondering what to do with all of the wood chips left from using the wood chipper (shown) to cut down your tree, build a compost pile in your backyard. It's great for adding to your garden to help transplants along and to keep soil healthy. Plus, it's an environmentally smart way to turn household waste into something useful.

There are several things involved in "heating" up your compost and helping it break down faster. First of all, compost piles require several elements to make them work properly. These include moisture, oxygen and a source of nitrogen for proper bacteria action.

Build the pile by starting with a 4 to 8 inch layer of brown material (wood chips) covered by a 2 to 4 inch layer of green material and another layer of brown. Sprinkle with water and mix layers together with a spading fork. Continue building with additional layers until about 3 feet high. Turn the pile weekly with a fork and add water as necessary. The pile should be as moist as a wrung out sponge. "