Wood Mulch for Fruit Trees with Linda Chalker-Scott.

[@KenNigel]

I listen to this radio show every month. It is fantastic! Give it a listen!

[@Orchardpeople]

I’m so glad you enjoy it! 😊

[@sherylhart2704]

Glad I stumbled on this. I inherited 1 apple, 2 cherry and 1 plum tree when coming to our 1/3 acre. The trees are planted in the lawn and were never properly pruned to begin with. We are in Zone 7a @ 4525' elevation in a short grow season at the confluence of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. The trees have "issues". Aphids have attacked the cherry trees hard. I began researching and learned sick trees equal weak trees equal prone to insects and disease. I dug the grass away from the trunks and put down bark, have since learned I need arborists chips - will change that this Spring and increase the tree well. I removed an Oregon grape shrub that I discovered was a major host of the aphids. I feed compost tea to increase soil health. I began deep watering them. I pruned them. I worked to get ahead of the nursemaid ants by sprinkling diatomaceous earth at the base and trunk of the trees. 2 years ago I began to experience a change, less aphids, more ladybugs. I even had a "Moses" event when I went out one day to see some sort of hatch out - I mean I did half expect to see Moses as this was plague-esque. Contacted an entomologist acquaintance to learn I had Brown March Flies. No, they would not hurt the tree but sadly neither did they eat aphids. Somehow though, they - along with a fair abundance of ladybugs (how do they know I had such a rich source of food for them?) had the affect on the aphids that helped turn a corner. The trees remain sickly, the apple tree had fireblight this year so we pruned it heavily and burned the trimmings. It remains to be seen if we killed it or helped it. I am no arborist or expert in pruning and was stressed this year trying to do my best with what I had to work with so I hope, and will see this grow season, if I am on the right path for these trees. The positive is I have learned quite a bit and kept trusting during the March Fly hatch out to wait and see and not turn to chemicals. I have bees, and they are in such trouble worldwide, I also am working towards soil health as I have come to learn it increases the nutrient content of our food. I was surprised to hear Linda uses the arborist chips in the vegetable garden. I did and they ate up all the nitrogen. The soil has great tilth but I have had to work diligently to correct the nitrogen levels. I am currently awaiting a soil test to see how to further amend my soil. Thank you and Linda for the work you do.

[@Orchardpeople]

Thank you for sharing your story. With all the love you give your trees they will slowly recover. I tried bark chips on a verge garden once and it was not good. But never tried fresh arborist chips!

[@jonnsmusich]

I shift 40 tons of wood chips each year, for my orchard and vegetable garden. NO chips go near my trees or garden until they have sat for three years. Usually in paths and the open areas of the orchard. (At least three feet beyond any root line. ) After three years the rotting wood chips are moved to the veg garden or under the tree canopy. Never had a problem with disease. I grow heirloom apples, plums, pears, cherries and some blue berry bushes. All the wood comes from local tree contractors happy to have some place to dump their chips.

[@Orchardpeople]

That's fantastic! So good to hear!

[@georgefurman2234]

Good job! Thank you for the wealth of information :)

[@Orchardpeople]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful!

[@stephanebinette7839]

Good show, thank you from Montréal, Stéphane b

[@Orchardpeople]

Thanks for the wonderful feedback Stephane!

[@bobmariano3731]

Great info on Chipdrop , really appreciate it 👍⚾️

[@Orchardpeople]

Glad it’s helpful!

[@mariomene2051]

5:44 I've heard these "mulches" (colored) are, at least sometimes, just recycled pallets--and the issue would be that they are "treated".

[@Orchardpeople]

I certainly wouldn’t rush to use that stuff in my garden!

[@mariomene2051]

@@Orchardpeople The comment I left had been about the question that you two were answering refacing the colored mulches.

[@lisasale3700]

We LOVE Chipdrop!!!!

[@Orchardpeople]

It’s a terrific service!

[@barbaramix1683]

This was fun for me. I really enjoyed it. I use ChipDrop so I know about. I had never heard of Linda, but will visit her website. I am a new fruit tree enthusiast and am looking for land to plant fruit trees on. I live near Portland, OR. so most of what she knows about trees would be relevent, because we are both in the Pacific N.W.

[@Orchardpeople]

So glad it was helpful for you! Linda is a fun guest 😊

[@gcgopro6912]

When I studied horticulture 30 years ago in the UK we were told wood chip contained growth inhibitors and also used up all the nitrogen in the soil as it broke down and was best used for paths and mature plantings only. The Royal Horticultural Society also claimed that it spread honey fungus. How come the goal posts got moved?

[@mooghescock9003]

Would love to hear this discussed

[@Orchardpeople]

Great question! Recent studies have shown that fresh wood chip mulch from arborists can actually improve soil health and support plant growth. While it’s true that bark mulch from the timber industry was once advised against, we now understand that wood chips, when used properly, don’t significantly deplete soil nitrogen and can enhance soil structure, moisture retention, and microbial activity. The key is to use them as a surface mulch, not mixed into the soil. As for honey fungus, it’s always good practice to source mulch from healthy trees to minimize any risk. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@muirnepaap]

@@Orchardpeople I was wondering about the same thing; I use fresh woodchips as mulch for my trees as well as ground cover for the paths on my allotment, and fellow gardeners keep warning me this will deplete soil nitrogen. Could you direct me to some recent literature that contradicts this nitrogen depleting process? Also, I have noticed some people differentiate between the beneficial use of ramial woodchips vs general woodchips, where ramial woodchips are supposedly better suited for fruit trees. Unfortunately, local suppliers here do not differentiate between those two types. Any thoughts on this? Greetings from The Netherlands 🙂

[@Orchardpeople]

@@muirnepaap Hello to the Netherlands! This is a great question and I think this might help you! gardenprofessors.com/maddening-mulch-myths/ or this: www.researchgate.net/publication/285739101_Impact_of_Mulches_on_Landscape_Plants_and_the_Environment_-_A_Review. Tell me if this helps!

[@muirnepaap]

@@Orchardpeople Thank you Susan, that is very helpful!

[@patriciabennett5388]

I have used chip drop several times. It is awesome. Yes it’s a large load, fortunately I have some room to place the chips and I have chips decomposing into beautiful soil. The arborists will drop it where I ask and mark the spot.

[@Orchardpeople]

Great to hear! I hope to use it one day soon :-)

[@rumplejesusskin]

Excellent video. I am a little unclear on how to mulch my fruit trees. I've seen lots of videos and they suggest different things. What do you think of this process I've gathered from different videos. 1) clear out around tree 2) add compost 3) paper or cardboard 4) woodchips

[@Orchardpeople]

Yes! What I do is 2 inches of compost and then putting 2 inches of wood chips on top. Paper or cardboard only necessary if you are smothering weeds or grass.

[@marychristenson1479]

I have a bumble bee hive underground 1 food from my new autumn blaze tree. Many bees go in and out. I tried to flush them out, cover the hole, etc. The queen is deep in the soil. Any ideas of what I can do to get rid of them before they do damage to the roots.

[@patrickbaranovskis4473]

bumble bees are invaluable to your landscape and harmless, please do not disturb them

[@gcgopro6912]

Leave well alone.

[@Orchardpeople]

Sorry for the delay! Bumble bees are generally beneficial pollinators and unlikely to harm your tree roots. However, if you need to relocate them, it’s best to contact a local beekeeper or pest control professional who can safely move the hive without harming the bees or your tree. Did you find a solution?

[@jovolle2801]

Thank you! From west Norway.

[@Orchardpeople]

You are welcome!

[@59markr]

I am the new owner of a small orchard in Victoria Australia featuring pome and stone fruits. It also has 60 blueberries. I would like to chip the annual prunings to use as a wood mulch. If the plants are healthy, is there any risk of disease from using wood chips created from the prunings from the orchard? I am also considering shredding some of the prunings as an addition to the leaves in the compost heaps on the property. Any issues I need to be aware of? Bringing in wood chips from unknown external sources seems much more risky.

[@Orchardpeople]

Chipping your own branches is ideal as long as they are not diseased. The Youngwood is particularly full of nutrition and helpful. It takes a while, but I hand cut up the new prunings from my fruit trees and sprinkle them around the root system in the hopes that they will break down. So keep doing what you’re doing. Sounds great!

[@59markr]

@@Orchardpeople Hi Susan, thank you so much for your prompt and very helpful reply. The orchard has many heritage apples, pears, nut trees, figs, nectarines and even a medlar! I am taking up the property in May which is mid-way through our autumn. I'll now be all set for the pruning season which will start early September given the heavy frosts that occur on the property. Your channel is going to be one of my go-to sources of guidance.

[@Orchardpeople]

@@59markr So glad you find my channel helpful!

[@cricketnawabagh4093]

​@@Orchardpeoplei need your contact number

[@BarbaraWaksman]

Chip Drop is great!

[@Orchardpeople]

Agreed!

[@AlsFoodForest]

i never use fresh chips. my food forest is covered with 3', 3yo aged chips. all pathogens are destroyed through the aging process. i have completely changed my soil and have very robust food generating forest. here in n. idaho, i had very course sandy soil devoid of organic matter. now i have very high humus level in my soil so i do not have to water my mature fruit trees at all even during our hot, no-rain summers. the benefit of aged chips is that it also holds nutrients where plants can access them. went to school at wsu 🙂

[@Orchardpeople]

That is so fantastic!!!! Glad to hear it has worked so well!

[@AlsFoodForest]

@@Orchardpeople first did this in the 80's and never went back. i have helped many people setup gardens through the years. it is the only way to go. i just discovered your channel, nice to get different perspectives in the interviews 🙂

[@Orchardpeople]

@@AlsFoodForest So glad it's helpful!

[@laobserver]

I’ve used chip drop. It’s been great.

[@Orchardpeople]

Good to know you have had a good experience with them!

[@jennifermarsden1517]

Chip Drop is great now I am in town. Get deliveries in hours somedays. However when we were a few miles out of town I guess the dump was closer and gas to get there cheaper than to get to our place.

[@Orchardpeople]

Yes it does seem to be better for urban folks. We are lucky in that way!

[@PamelaThompson-l6p]

Will wood chips invite termites, if I place them too close to my home?

[@Orchardpeople]

Thanks for your question! While wood chips can attract termites, keeping a buffer zone of at least 6 inches between the mulch and your home’s foundation can help prevent any issues. Always monitor for pests and maintain good garden hygiene.

[@aganethaklassen5246]

Thank you for sharing. What about pine needles? Can I put pine needles on my fruit trees?

[@Orchardpeople]

yes you can! Leave them as mulch on top of the soil and don't dig them into the soil. That way they will break down and become more neutral. Always good to take a general soil test at least once to find out the Ph of your soil though.

[@aganethaklassen5246]

@@Orchardpeople thank you

[@markusmeyer9490]

Thinking of getting active in Turkey? I would really appreciate it

[@Orchardpeople]

Not sure what you mean…?

[@markusmeyer9490]

@@Orchardpeople I am about to begin recovering an orange and pomegranate orchard after years of neglect while I was abroad. I am new to farming and have a lot to learn and knowledge on organic archards where I am in Antalya is hard to find. I will continue to watch your podcasts and with other information in the internet I will just have to start and play it by ear as I learn hopefully from errors Thank you for the information you share.

[@Orchardpeople]

@@markusmeyer9490 Oh my gosh. That's wonderful! Well, make sure you're subscribed! I also have a lot of content on OrchardPeople.com so hop onto my newsletter there. I'll see if I can find a guest to talk about recovering old orchards. I do have this article: orchardpeople.com/restoring-old-fruit-trees/ Hope it helps!

[@rocklickranch2804]

I signed up for Chip-Drop over a year ago and still no chips. But I live in a rural area. My question is we have a lot of Black Walnut trees in our area and would like to know if chipped up black walnut would be ok for around my fruit trees because of the Juglone?

[@Orchardpeople]

I think Linda would say it’s ok as long as it is used on top of the soil - don’t mix it in with the soil. But personally, I wouldn’t use it. I wouldn’t want to take the chance!

[@shanestandeven4801]

Love chip drop, but the big thing I do,if you have the room pile it up and let it sit for a year or more and it’s all good stuff in your garden after tha👍t

[@Orchardpeople]

Yes! That’s a great strategy!

[@lambfactory2537]

The risk is getting anything sprayed with PastureGard Herbicide. Because it takes a long time to break down.The patent holder will not even estimate how long it takes to break down.

[@Orchardpeople]

That’s terrible! Thanks for sharing that info.

[@bob_frazier]

We had a massive ice storm in the southern end of the Willamette Valley in February. The local city offered free removal of downed material. The city ended up with a massive pile estimated at 3,000 cubic yards. It was gathered wet, chipped, piled, and is heating up well over 100 degrees. It is dark, damp, with mycelium threads in it. The city is now burdened with the gigantic pile, and giving it away by the giant dump truck load. I've made a decision to use it. It is not chips in the sense of being mostly woody trunk material but more leafy, twiggy material. I got 72 yards of it, not looking back, but am concerned about the potential of diseases in it. Hope the heating process might kill lots of bad things. Thoughts?

[@Orchardpeople]

A huge pile will get really hot and kill pathogens. I would grab that stuff and use it!

[@bob_frazier]

@@Orchardpeople Yes! My piles are hot to the touch inside. Thank you!!!

[@PatriotMango]

not the beer lol

[@keystonecannaflage]

Professor , science and goodbye

[@Orchardpeople]

Thanks for stopping by! Not sure what you meant, but I appreciate you watching the video. 😊