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Beech chippings

merlotmerlot Posts: 25

Good morning all

Can I use beech chippings as ground cover, if so do I need to lay weed control matting.Also will cats use it as a toilet.

Cheers......................Merlot

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    Yes,not necessarily,yes.

  • merlotmerlot Posts: 25

    Thanks.

    I wanted to us wood chippings because my patch of garden is on a steep slope and I thought chippings would knit together and not slide like pebbles/gravel etc.

    I am considering a rockery with ground covering plants unless of course you folk have any other idea's.

    Cheers ..........................Merlot

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    chippings won't slide as easily as gravel but they will slide with the weather and the birds poking around for insects. I wouldn't use a membrane, apart from not liking the effect they have on soil and soil structure, they're more slippery than soil.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • merlotmerlot Posts: 25

    Thanks .

    I can get an abundant supply of chippings free of charge and I will be putting edging stones in first. Good advice about the membrane I had not thought of that and as for the cat poo I will try to sort that as and when it arises.

    Cheers ................Merlot.

  • PoddingtonPPoddingtonP Posts: 196

    Nut, can you explain what effect membrane has on soil and soil structure? 

    I hadn't ever considered what effect they have on the soil and would be interested to know. 

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Soil is full of life normally.Worms pull leaves etc down from the surface and create more humus and it all gets churned round. Insects come and go. It all stops when you put a layer of weed membrane in



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    Would there be a problem with fresh chippings and planting in them? I have a feeling chippings should be weathered a bit first or something in fresh chippings(resin, acid?) would kill plants. Or have I got that totally wrong????

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    It probably depends on what you're chipping and what the plants are. Most of mine goes through the shredder and gets put straight on the garden around plants but not tiny plants. Tiny ones would probably be OK if the blackbirds stopped kicking it around. 

    Very little of my shreddings comes from conifers which could be where the acid and resin comes from.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
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