# What do you guys do with your wood chips?



## Gus (Apr 17, 2002)

How do you typically dispose of the wood chips that are left over from a job? I am asking this question because a friend suggested that I use wood chips as a mulch over an area in which I plan to get some ground cover established. I also want to use them near a child's play area. Neither site is near any type of structure, so termites aren't much of a concern. My friend suggested calling a couple of arborists in my area and asking if they would just dump a load on my property to use. Do you all see any problems with this?

Thanks for the input!


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## sonny (Apr 17, 2002)

Im sure you will have no problem having some arbors dumping chips on your prop. The only problem woul be getting them to stop dumping. 1 thing just make sure its clean loads.


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## Tom Dunlap (Apr 17, 2002)

Be sure to be there when the chips are dumped. Otherwise you might get a mixed load of twigs, logs and stringy chips. If a tree service isn't wiling to assure you that the load is clean, call another. Also, do some calculations to see how many cubic yards you'll need to cover the area. If you end up with too many chips, put a "Free Woodchips" sign on the pile or down on the corner and the chips will disappear around your neighborhood.

Tom


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## treeman82 (Apr 17, 2002)

By ground cover, do you mean grass? I would highly recommend that you do not do this. What I do with my chips, is I try to find customers who have thinned out wooded areas (no little saplings or brush) or just MASSIVE gardens. Dump the chips as close as possible to those areas and leave somebody there to spread em out. That is my ideal situation for getting rid of chips. The playground idea should work for you just fine.


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## Shespen (Apr 17, 2002)

I use chips in my playground area as well as in all th flower beds and the dog kennel.

A few things that you should request when talking to a tree company about dumping chips. is to request that they are hardwood chips, that there are no chips from trees with thorns on them such as Hawthorn or Black Locust, and that the chips are not from a sticky sappy tree like pine. Be prepared to do some sorting because usually a tree company will dump the final rakings from a job in to the back of the chip truck instead of risking dulling the blades on the chipper. Personally I like Oak and maple chips the best.

Also studys have shown that chips do not attract termites. Termites like to have a more solid wood to build their caverns and they don't like exposer to birds and other predators.

Steve


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## DDM (Apr 17, 2002)

I like Hickory chips Best of all. If i cant find 
anyone that wants them I just find a vacant house with a for sale sign and dump them in the yard.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 17, 2002)

A number of nurseries around here take clean loads too.

I used to keep a list of clients that wanted chip regularly.

One thing you can do is look for companies that do removals, that gets you the best chip. 

Matt, croundcover is small plants like pakixandra and creeping euonomus.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Apr 17, 2002)

We had a lady call the office, after we dumped a load of chips in her yard, all excited about what the guys were doing in her chips.
She said she tried to spread them but they smelled like feces.

No, we didn't go pooh po in the chips, but we may have raked up some dog do. We all got a good laugh about it though.


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## Jumper (Apr 17, 2002)

*Wood chips*

Some we dump in the city municipal yard, they are used to put on jogging and hiking trails. Others, we drop off on request to private property owners to use as fill. and finally a local duck farmer takes some to us as bed dressing in lieu of straw to line his bird's cages.


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## Jumper (Apr 17, 2002)

*Wood chips Pt 2*

Also a local nursery takes some. The duck farmer actually prefers them with pine in them as it takes the stink away from the duck sh*t, which believe you me reeks worse than chickens or pigs.


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## Nickrosis (Apr 18, 2002)

After spending hours planting pachysandra a couple summers ago, I was extraordinarily disheartened to see the lawn guy dumped his mulch into the bed. So, my dad, hero that he his, volunteered me to pick all the mulch out of the bed so the pachysandra could vegetatively reproduce like they're supposed to. In other words, don't mulch if you want groundcover - for the sake of the children.

To me, mulch is brown gold! You take something that is a burden, really, and make it into something profitable. Some people pay to have the chips dumped in a landfill, but that sickens me when I think of how much is wasted and how much of a landfill could have biodegraded if it had a chance. I would rather save the dumping fee and sell it as a landscaping product for $15 to $25 a yard. Food for thought.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 18, 2002)

Specialy now that the tipping fee here in MKE is by the tone. Used to be by the $30 a load, now it is around $120 for a small dump.


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## Rob Murphy (Apr 19, 2002)

I used to have a front lawn now I have a front mulch....no mowing...no watering...no worries
We sell most of ours to a landscape supplier.People are becoming more aware of its value esp where water is limited or costly


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## artwood (Apr 19, 2002)

*Burn'em up*

I heat my house, shop and wood kiln with a wood fired boiler from Central Boiler in MN. Has a draft blower that keeps em cookin'.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 19, 2002)

Must be easier to shovel them in insetead of lugging logs.

I've tohout of soemthing like that, have ahopper that can be filled with a skidder....


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## Jumper (Apr 19, 2002)

*Wood chips*

Today was cleanup at the yard, and I burned some-seems like a great waste given posts earlier that state they are fuel. Anyways despite having a burn permit (we are in the country), the neighbours about 200 yards away(upwind) complained so I had to do a little PR with the fireman that showed up, and we kept on burning.Anyways, do not get mad, get even, this idiot who has been a pain in the butt before is going to have a visit shortly from the cops re his car with no muffler that he drives to work every day.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Apr 19, 2002)

I know a guy who piles them up, then once or twice a year, rents a tub grinder, and regrinds them. They come out like that expensive stuff some guys sell. Once reground, he gets like $20/ Yard.
It's also a good time to clean up the yard and grind all the other crap that you don't want to(or can't) put through your chipper.


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## DDM (Apr 29, 2002)

I have been giving them away but everyone keeps asking me how much for a load So from now on i'll at least get a days fuel $ for a load of chips.I have a load stashed on the back of the lot Cedar
I havent quiet decided whether or not to sell it of mulch around the yard with it.


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## Stumper (May 15, 2002)

I give 'em away. Lots of people ask about buying them. People say "you could sell that mulch", but I give it away because: A. it makes for good public relations. B. if I'm giving it away I don't feel compelled to worry about the last rakings that did'nt go through the chipper. I used to give them to the local tree farm. Now, besides the list of people who want some whenever I can bring them I have a guy with acreage who wants to mulch everything! The local electric power plant mixes wood chips with their coal but I doubt I will ever have any to take to them!


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## Jumper (May 16, 2002)

I get complaints about the last rakings that did not go through the chipper, and some farmer complained that the pieces were not small enough-he was using them to fill in a quagmire in his stock pen-and I was to do something about it. I did, I told my boss I was not going to deliver anymore to there. You would think people would be appreciative of something provided for free


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## DDM (May 16, 2002)

Yeah I delivered a Load about 8 Yards that i Gave a fellow. He wasnt Home But i was given directions where to dump them. His Wife came out while i was closing the gate and told me to load them back up they werent brown!  I told her he husband had asked for them I was just the delivery man.  Like i was going to shovel up 8 Yards i had given away.


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## Nickrosis (May 17, 2002)

I'd hate to live her life - she must face one disappointing day after another. You mean this shopping cart of food isn't free? I have to pay for my electricity? People won't just get out of my way when I drive? Maybe this explains why I'm an optimist... 

Funny story (to me)...I'm sitting with my diesel Ram at an intersection waiting to go & these two little old ladies are walking (fighting) their dogs. They stand around waiting for me to move, but there's no break in traffic so they wait for a while. Finally, they decide to go in front of me and are bothered by the 100 decibel engine. I'm bothered because there was a break when they went by. As they left, one turns around with a dirty look - I wave and smile. People like that....I'm so glad I'm an optimist.

Do you folks let your chips compost a little before you apply them so they don't steal nitrogen from the plants?

Nickrosis


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## DDM (May 17, 2002)

You know whats Really annoying? Your Driving a Over Loaded Dump and Some Smart A$$ Teen with a Friend with him thinks it would be to get in front of you and keep hitting his brakes real fast! Then speeds off But Alass!
you see his GEO parked at a Block buster. 
So you Block him in because he wasnt in a parking spot to start with. Go into Subway and Eat a nice long lunch Watching thru the window of course. Then let him out when YOU Get ready!


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## Newfie (May 17, 2002)

David,
Amusing, but a let down at the end!. I thought you were going to finish with the grand finale of burying the GEO with the load of chips!  

Around here everyone sells them at $5 a yard to homeowners or $5 a ton to the Biomass plant (wood to electricity). I probably make less than a hundred yards a year and end using them all myself.


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## DDM (May 17, 2002)

Luckily for the little Fellows When i Came out they Took a look at me and didnt say a word :blob5:


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## chad (May 29, 2002)

if there cherry chips i put them under my pillow.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (May 29, 2002)

If they were piss elm, I would put them under your pillow.


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## DDM (May 29, 2002)




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## John Paul Sanborn (May 30, 2002)

Or cat spruce


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## Kneejerk Bombas (May 30, 2002)

What is Cat Spruce?
And why would you want to put it under Chad's pillow?


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 31, 2002)

Just giving you a suggestion aside from slippery elm 

I think it is black spruce but I've seen it used for white. So it is coloquial for P. gluaca and mariana. Because it can smell like a male cats spray when growing around the bogs.


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## Stumper (Jun 1, 2002)

Grand fir is another raunchy one. I don't much care for Ailanthus either. I 'll agree with Chad that cherry smells nice -as do all the fruitwoods.


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## rtsims (Mar 21, 2016)

Trying to find a market for our chips. We currently dump at the shop but it gets out of control. We probably have about 3000 yards right now.


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## capetrees (Mar 21, 2016)

I give them to a long list of people locally for free. Organic farmers use them for their trails around the farms, burn them to make bio-char (?) and others for composting. One guy puts them in the animal pens while homeowners use them around their landscapes, the outer areas that need cleaning up after a long winter. Up around the house and planted areas, the use the hemlock mulch. Last chance, I dump them in a local garden centers pile that he uses or sells off to a larger landscape supply company. I've never had a problem getting rid of the chips.


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## rtsims (Mar 21, 2016)

I could get rid of our chips for free as well, and we often do. I'm looking at finding a market for them.


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## capetrees (Mar 21, 2016)

Keep an eye on the septic world.

I know, it sounds gross but designers are looking for ways to remove more nitrogen from the effluent and it seems woodchips layered under the sand is doing the trick.

Could be a market for them soon ....

http://www.eco-web.com/edi/05036.html


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## rtsims (Mar 27, 2016)

I'm looking into the idea of running the chips through a horizontal grinder to get a finer chip, they call it hog fuel around here. Then possibly go one step further and mixing it to make a quality mulch, or some sort of landscape material that has a value. Just a thought


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Mar 27, 2016)

rtsims said:


> I'm looking into the idea of running the chips through a horizontal grinder to get a finer chip, they call it hog fuel around here. Then possibly go one step further and mixing it to make a quality mulch, or some sort of landscape material that has a value. Just a thought


If you have a market for the chips. Around here the colored stuff is 30 or 40 dollars a yard. The tub grinders have the spray gun built right in. Once you get a customer, they keep coming back. Never heard of chips being pig food.


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## rtsims (Mar 27, 2016)

Hog Fuel, not pig food hahaha. Mills burn it for power.


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## capetrees (Mar 27, 2016)

Vermeer makes a horizontal grinder. Don't know if it has a spray gun in it. If so, a bit of advice, spray it more brown than red. The red fades and tints to pink.


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## troutbum (Apr 4, 2016)

We will be dump chips anywhere we can, home owners, municipalities, hoas, but if we cant find anywhere to dump free we pay $38-40/30 yrd load . 

Past few summers we have had the county chip program chipping slash roadside for homeowners, the county opened up 3 dump sites for us on each side of the county. Dont want to say we took advantage but...

Once i removed 8 big live aspens, we chipped everything into a empty truck. Before we started working I spoke with the clients, the wife wanted the chips for mulch the husband was afraid itd be too much, they were probably 75. I told them it wad kinda all or nothing, so when we get done take a look and let me know... she said go for it. So i backed across their lawn and dumped 12 yards of green aspen and leaves in their flower bed. The next week they paid us to $250 to pick up the chips and haul em off.


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## troutbum (Apr 4, 2016)

And...does anyone use the chip truck as a urinal(#1 only) in residential/urban areas?


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## Smithy (Apr 5, 2016)

I sell mine on to local clients who I've had in place since I first launched my biz.


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## Pelorus (Apr 5, 2016)

Woodchips are incrementally changing our backyard elevation...


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## BC WetCoast (Apr 5, 2016)

troutbum said:


> And...does anyone use the chip truck as a urinal(#1 only) in residential/urban areas?



Daily. 

Had girls use it as well. Do what you got to do.


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## troutbum (Apr 5, 2016)

BC WetCoast said:


> Daily.
> 
> Had girls use it as well. Do what you got to do.



Sometimes it sucks first thing in the morning before anything gets chipped


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## BC WetCoast (Apr 5, 2016)

Either that or open the cabinet doors and piss on the road, or the customer's garden.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Apr 5, 2016)

Sell it.


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## no tree to big (Apr 10, 2016)

troutbum said:


> And...does anyone use the chip truck as a urinal(#1 only) in residential/urban areas?


Hah #1 #2 or #3 if the liquor is still rollin don't matter what u gotta do but if it means shutting down a 4 or 5 man operation to run to a gas station u can do it in the chip truck!

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk


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## troutbum (Apr 10, 2016)

Yep, seen it all!!! Done it all!


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## rbtree (Apr 11, 2016)

www.chipdrop.in Not active everywhere... I've rarely had a problem finding dumpsites, or people wanting chips, but chipdrop makes it even easier. A Portland based groundie who'd only been in the industy a couple years thought up the idea and started the website. Customers have the option of paying for chips at two different levels or getting them free. So, for the tree service, it can cost $20, be free, or add $20 to my account.
My bandit 250 has worn out feed rollers, and it makes stringy chips out of cedar or certain other material, so I do have to pay to dump sometimes. But, I usually tell them 2-4 yards even if I have 8-16, so I ususally pay $22-$55...not bad.


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## Des Perado (Apr 14, 2016)

I'm lucky in the fact that I have a farmer who will take anything I can give him. We only have a 6" chipper so we make a lot of firewood. He takes it all and doesn't care if we dump mixed loads. Prior to that, we had a compost facility that took chips from everybody in the area, but they were super picky, and if there was even one piece in the load, the foreman would be out there screaming at you the next time you showed up. Then there's the times when you luck out and the guy down the street agrees to take the entire load. We don't have to resort to paying all that often but it does happen from time to time.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Apr 14, 2016)

We used to have a farmer raising reindeer that would take poplar sawdust (this is big chips from harvester chain) to mix into the feed.

Also sold a bunch to a refinery to mix into the sulfur taken out of diesel. It was hauled to the dump but it had way too much fuel in it so they'd mix in the sawdust to "hide" the fuel from the dump.

I guess they fixed that setup and it doesn't have any diesel coming out anymore. Some loads they brought had easily 200-300 gals of diesel in the dumpster (big roll off). We thought about filtering it and using it but the sulfur in the fuelwould have been sky high.

Planer shavings we usually burn, no real demand.


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## no tree to big (Apr 14, 2016)

We put ours in a big pile 






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## JeffGu (Apr 15, 2016)

My entire back yard at the house is a matrix of raised garden beds made of 4x4s with paths between/around them. At the shop (a converted house on a large, double lot) I'm putting a road from the front of the lot to the back (street out front to the alley out back) and I'll use the chips on it, too. Both places also have 10' x 12' dog kennels with gravel in them, but I think I'll switch to using the chips in them, as well. I do landscaping and hardscape construction, as well as tree work, so I use a lot of them for that, too. I also sell them when I've got more than I need.


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## rtsims (Apr 16, 2016)




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