How to make wood-chip mulch?

Question

Every year my wife and I spend a ton of money on that dark wood-chip mulch. I would like to make my own. What are the ingredients? Do you shred newly cut wood or is decaying wood OK?

Answer 1

I live in a woodlot and have a largish chipper/shredder.  I have leaned the hard way about what you can feed into it.  Green elm is a major no-no; it shreds into long fibers that wrap around the inside of the chipper.  Green hemlock isn't much better.  Semi dry and dry hardwoods  chip best.  

Keeping the cutter blades  sharp helps.

I throw in the occasional Xmas tree and cedar shrub into the mix without any apparent problem.

Answer 2

Whatever you use make sure its deciduous and not coniferous wood. Conifers (evergreens) do not decompose quickly and make the soil very acidic which can be hard on your garden. Just think of there being NO grass growing under a pine tree where the ground is covered with needles.

For all the work that's involved in getting wood and renting a chipper you're better off buying the mulch.

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.co...

Answer 3

You need a wood chipper to do this.  And you can't put dead wood through one or it will trash the blade.  By the time you bye the machine to do it properly it will be just as expensive as buying it.