What to do With Wood Mulch?
Gnarly John in Thurmont writes: “I shred up all my small branches, bush trimmings, discarded Christmas trees and other woody material. But it doesn’t compost well at all. If wood mulch is as bad as you say (attracting termites, breeding bad fungi), what should I do with it?” Well first, stop chipping up evergreens, John. The resinous sappy wood isn’t good for much and can really gum up a shredder. The best use for hardwood mulch is to prevent weeds between raised beds and to create walking paths into the woods. Never use wood mulch within 30 feet of a home or car. Never let it touch any part of a plant. And never use more than a two-inch layer for garden weed suppression or it’ll prevent rain from getting to the roots of your wanted plants. And it will compost nicely if you just pile it up and forget about it for a couple of years. A Primer on Peaches Paula in Montgomery Village writes: “We moved into a 20-year old house last winter and it turns out that there’s a peach tree in the yar
