Ideas for old maple logs, and a fresh yellow birch log

Hey everyone,

I have a bunch of 1-2 year old maple logs, and one fairly new cut yellow birch log. I'm wondering what to do with them as a suburban gardener, I'm in zone 5a in Eastern Ontario.

I was thinking of scattering the maple logs in various piles around my back and front yard to decompose and promote mycelium growth. As for the yellow birch, I was thinking of drilling holes in it for bugs to live in and to decompose for my soil health.

My soil is sandy loam and quite compacted, so I thought getting these logs might help.

I'm open to ideas and suggestions!! Thank you 😊

What a great resource you have!

Logs are a great layer in filling a raised bed. In the photo I attached, I first placed my raised bed, then carpeted the area around the bed to suppress weeds and provide a walking path. I tucked cardboard under the edges of the bed, because the weeds are most tenacious there.

Next, I put a 3-inch layer of cardboard in the bottom of the bed covering the weeds. Worms like cardboard.

On top of the cardboard I put logs. Then little sticks, then the soil and compost went on top.

In this bed I planted a blueberry bush at each end, comfrey in the middle, and onions in between everything. Then mulched with pine branches, because that’s what I had after a strong wind event took down a huge pine tree.

It is a thriving bed that I did not have to water after the first year.