• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Andrés Bernal
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • M Ljin
  • Matt McSpadden

Chipping Bulk Cardboard

 
Posts: 14
1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Does anyone have experience chipping palleted cardboard boxes? It seems like the consensus from other posts is that this is not the best idea.


Scott-
 
Posts: 9
3
2
earthworks food preservation writing
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I strip the cellophane tape off of the cardboard before I pass it through my wife's paper shredder.  It yields little rectangles about 1/4" x 3/4" of an inch, which is a good size for adding to my compost bins.  I don't overload the bins with too much at one time, and I make sure the greens are in more prevalence than the browns.  It works well.  Usually by the time I turn the bin, all evidence of the cardboard is gone.
 
Paul Steer
Posts: 9
3
2
earthworks food preservation writing
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I also moving toward the approach practiced by Charles Dowding in the U.K. where he lays cardboard right on top of the weedy ground, tops it off with a layer of compost, and sows transplants directly into that.  Apparently the worms and other decomposers like to eat cardboard!

 
master gardener
Posts: 4628
Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods
2382
7
forest garden trees chicken food preservation cooking fiber arts woodworking homestead ungarbage
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
What happens if you run rolled up cardboard into a tree-chipper?
 
Scott Davison
Posts: 14
1
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Christopher,

Thats actually what i am lookin to do. I mulch about 40-50 yds of debris each year from our forest (dead trees and such) and wanted to amend the mulch. I have ust read so many different viewpoints on the use of cardboard in that way. I was looking ot add maybe 10 tons to the mix.
 
What's wrong? Where are you going? Stop! Read this tiny ad:
All of the video from the Eat Your Dirt Summit
https://permies.com/t/106759/video-Eat-Dirt-Summit
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic