Wilson_tree
ArboristSite Operative
I volunteer about 20-25 hours a year pruning and taking care of trees at Red Butte Garden here in Salt Lake City. The garden is starting a big construction project in the fall and they will remove all the trees in the conifer garden area (this includes some small decidous trees also). The plan right now is to hand dig the smaller specimens that are worth saving and then have the construction contractor rip out everything else and haul it to the dump.
I have been trying to convince the garden management that reclaiming as much of the wood as possible makes sense from an environmental, educational, and public relations point of view, but so far no one is listening. My proposal is for them to let me organize (as a volunteer) a salvage operation of as much wood as possible by working with the garden's staff. Here are my ideas:
1. Logs: save any decent logs and make lumber for natural form benches, bird houses, bat houses, etc. There could be workshops for guests to make these items using the wood salvaged from the conifer garden.
2. Mulch: rent a big chipper and chip up everything but dead, diseased, dirty, wood. The mulch could be used in the garden but also sold during the garden's regular plant sale. Any leftover mulch would be donated to the University of Utah who would haul it away.
3. Publicize the uses of the wood and how it didn't just end up dumped.
Here are a few questions I have:
1. What type of machine should I look for to mulch the chips and any ideas of a company who may have one? The city landfill has a big tub grinder, but it would be a huge task to haul the chips to them and haul the mulch back.
2. Anyone work on a project like this who could offer some ideas on convincing the management to give it a try?
3. Any tips on managing the chipping/mulching operation to give a quality result?
4. Cheap ideas to dry the slabs and boards I make with my simple chainsaw mill?
thanks, Joe Pete
I have been trying to convince the garden management that reclaiming as much of the wood as possible makes sense from an environmental, educational, and public relations point of view, but so far no one is listening. My proposal is for them to let me organize (as a volunteer) a salvage operation of as much wood as possible by working with the garden's staff. Here are my ideas:
1. Logs: save any decent logs and make lumber for natural form benches, bird houses, bat houses, etc. There could be workshops for guests to make these items using the wood salvaged from the conifer garden.
2. Mulch: rent a big chipper and chip up everything but dead, diseased, dirty, wood. The mulch could be used in the garden but also sold during the garden's regular plant sale. Any leftover mulch would be donated to the University of Utah who would haul it away.
3. Publicize the uses of the wood and how it didn't just end up dumped.
Here are a few questions I have:
1. What type of machine should I look for to mulch the chips and any ideas of a company who may have one? The city landfill has a big tub grinder, but it would be a huge task to haul the chips to them and haul the mulch back.
2. Anyone work on a project like this who could offer some ideas on convincing the management to give it a try?
3. Any tips on managing the chipping/mulching operation to give a quality result?
4. Cheap ideas to dry the slabs and boards I make with my simple chainsaw mill?
thanks, Joe Pete
