Pete Podurgiel

Kc Simmons wrote:Based on the feedback, it seems my thoughts are pretty much in line with all of your experiences. I figured it would be a lot of time/effort/money, for very little yield.

For now, I'll probably just continue to ask the tree-trimming company to bring me chips, but also begin saving & piling up any sticks/branches that I have an immediate need. Then I can just rent one when the pile is big enough to justify the expense, transport & fuel.

For most people, that's the way to go. The small machines are a total waste of time. With that being said, I picked-up a PTO Woodmaxx WM8800 8" chipper this past summer and love it, but my property can produce a tremendous amount of branches in short order. For me, the best feature is the maneuverability the PTO chipper provides, I can back it right up to the work area, even between trees, and it saves a lot of dragging. Before I bought the chipper, I would drag and stack the branches to create 'habitat' and let them decompose in place, but that mostly made habitat for bull briars, rabbits and mice ...good for the owls and fox, me not so much. Next best method was to use the branches in a controlled burn to clear unwanted weeds. This worked great but it can be time-consuming and burning conditions need to be just right. So I finally opted for the PTO chipper, ends up being a time saver for me. It also affords me the ability to make wood chips on demand specifically for growing mushrooms (ie: oysters in buckets).

For those in northern climates, one downside to the chipper is it's not good to use them when below freezing (tough on the blades).

Only problem I've had with vegetable oil is that in summer it gets to be too thin, so I'll switch back to B&C oil or do a 50/50 mix.
In the winter, I actually prefer using vegetable oil because it flows better.

Strawberries ....especially useful for salvaging bruised ones before they go bad.
Just throw them in a blender & freeze. Great for making frozen drinks or thaw them for a topping on yogurt

Parsley also works well in cubes. Simply mince, place in trays, then cover with water & freeze.

Ok, time for a train song...

Railroad Earth - "The Jupiter and the 119"

Railroad Earth - The Good Life

...a few pics

Looks like you are living the good life, there Donanne   ...if you're into younger men, I just might be the guy you're looking for.
Will send you a PM and tell you a bit about myself.

best
-Pete

PS - nice tractor!

Dennis Bangham wrote:Do I replace wood chips every year?  Should I stop after a while?

WARNING: If your wood chips are anywhere near your house, cars or anything else you would rather not have peppered by artillery fungus, you would be well advised to remove & replace your wood chips/mulch annually.
These things can shoot their waxy spore pods up to 20 feet and are very difficult & time consuming to remove (I learned about this one the hard way). It might just be a problem here in the Northeast USA, your milage may vary.

More info can be found here:  http://rayhaluchinc.com/getting-rid-of-artillery-fungus/

Here's a 2-fer  ....great song by First Aid Kit used as a backing track to this inspiring video featuring the skills of Jean-Baptiste Chandelier. Very uplifting

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining (unofficial video)




Here's the official video (for the replay)

I wouldn't worry too much about deer munching on white pine.  Maybe mix in some eastern hemlock for variety (assuming it grows in your zone).
I'd also recommend white cedar, but deer will browse on that when times get tough.

As far as tips for planting seedlings, I'd prepare the holes ahead of time and be sure to mulch them well.
Also best to plant in the fall so they have more time to get established before the summer heat sets in.