And so it was on Thursday afternoon we acquired a truckload of chipped oak mulch.
Friday morning early--a giant pile of steamy mulch waiting.
Friday was a beautiful day, near 70F predicted, so we got started right away distributing the mulch. At first we piled it up in the pathways. Mulch mostly goes on the paths to keep weeds down, and along the edges of the beds so I'm not picky about the type of mulch which makes tree-trimmer mulch just fine. Fresher mulch means less mold and dust too.
Our mostly lawnless, wooded lot requires a ton of mulch and then some. This is the third truckload in the last few months and we could easily use more.
Tree trimming time is limited each year to prevent the spread of Oak Wilt. The tree trimming window will draw to a close at the end of January and open again in July. We are always careful to ensure source trees are not infected, as we did with this load.
Those green leaves will dry out and blend in quickly.
We spread the mulch right away so predicted rain wouldn't make it too heavy to work with later. Bluebonnets and other wildflowers sprouting behind the fence.
The winter garden at sunset just before a cold front rolled in. The next day was much colder and very windy so we mostly stayed indoors.
Before: It's a good thing the backyard is downhill from here!
After: Fifty wheelbarrow loads later (we always count them) just as the sun was setting over the garage and a front was turning the weather cold and windy.
A good days work.
That's hard work! I hope you rewarded yourself with something nice for dessert! You have me thinking I should enlist my husband's help in picking up some of our locally available chipped wood mulch too (although I may have already pushed my luck with the digging project). It would possibly help contain any overly exuberant rain El Nino may send our way.
ReplyDeleteRecent rains in LA were welcomed but probably washed away some of those new beds. You definitely need something to hold those plants down with this new pattern of rain.
DeleteHard work but looks great and perfect time to do the mulching too. Happy New Year btw!
ReplyDeleteShirley, that's exactly what I need to do, especially under the deer feeder where the rains have created a little pond. I keep putting it off though because the ducks enjoy it so much!
ReplyDeleteBet you both slept well that night!
We were tired, but it was nice. A pond sounds fun.
DeleteRecently, there was a tree trimming service in the neighborhood, removing a neighbor's tree and grinding all the cuttings up. If they were agreeable, would it have been a good idea to have them dump that on our driveway? Is the size a commercial grinder produces good for my beds? If, of course, the tree was not diseased.
ReplyDeleteThis type of mulch is best for large areas to keep down weeds. You need to ask about the grind because some trimmers use a larger grind and you don't want that. The trimmers will tell you and we decided not to take one recently because it was too rough. If my plants are young and just getting established I use a light application of compost instead of mulch. Sometimes we get ground leaves which go on the beds as compost.
DeleteLooks good.
ReplyDeleteThe last TWO times we put down mulch, we had a flood come through and wash it all away.
So, until we get through this El Nino winter, no more mulching here....even if it's free.
Free is good, though. We do have a pile by the veggie garden, from a tree we had cut back.
Your paths do turn into rivers as I remember from your blog. Best to wait unless you want to use gravel which I've found might also wash out in a big rain.
DeleteI don't have your bulk opportunities.
ReplyDeleteBut I do run thru our garden chipper most of what I prune off.
It's a great idea, I have thought of getting a chipper for just that reason but we have brush pick-up service from the county and the brush is then ground into mulch free for residents.
DeleteWhat a great opportunity and what a way to burn off those extra calories from the holidays. It's nice to be able to get outside during the winter and there is always lots to do.
ReplyDeleteGardening the way we do it is great exercise. We have so many nice days most winters that it's easy to get out and work.
DeleteWe had a beautiful day yesterday that lured me out to pull some weeds. I didn't last long, as the ground is still frozen and soon my fingers were too. Mulch windfalls are rare around here. The tree guys seem to have caught on that it is a desirable commodity that they can sell. A nice layer of mulch makes the garden look cared for. I may buy a load this spring after a round of weeding.
ReplyDeleteFrozen ground, that's a surprise. Your zone is similar to ours but we must be on the upper range of it.
DeleteWow, that is a good day's work! Lucky you to be able to work in the garden during the winter. Actually, our December this year was mild enough, but now January is closer to "normal" -- snow-covered and very cold! :)
ReplyDeleteThis weather is fairly close to normal although we are used to more dips down to freezing than we've been getting.
DeleteWhat a nice windfall! I only have a little wood mulch in the garden, and this winter, our rain storms have been busy washing it away or into the gravel mulch... I'll be waiting until spring to finally replenish it! Your mulched paths do look great (and neat)!
ReplyDeleteWith our warm weather we need to keep weeds down. The rain out there is wonderful news even if it does wash out the mulch.
DeleteScore!!!! Good job, y'all-looks AMAZING:)
ReplyDeleteNow that is brilliant...I never thought about it, but will be looking for tree chippers in the future. Love that you can do that work now. I was hoping to get to some early garden work but the warm winter now has turned snowy.
ReplyDeleteIt's been cold up there while we continue with mild weather. We work hard now but things slow down in August.
DeleteWhew! I am sure you are tired!!! What wonderful weather to be working in the garden!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt has been wonderful, I was out again today!
DeleteA good day's work indeed! I am, as the years roll by, becoming increasingly appreciative of a good mulch. You are so fortunate to have all this mulch delivered to your drive - even if it didn't really feel that way around the twenty-seventh barrowload!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't too bad as we took plenty of breaks and the same guys brought another truckload over the weekend so we did this twice in a week!
DeleteYou go gardener! Looks great.
ReplyDelete