Need to sterilize Chipped Mulch

[GeeVee]

I have a few friends with significant Tree operations and am considering having a few loads of chip dropped down at the ranch. Since I care not to clear any more acreage, and digging a pond for farming Tilapia, and borrowing the fill, is not in the picture at this time, I want the chips to let Princess Kickbutt build her own berms and jumps for MX.....

I DO NOT want to let out any disease or pathogen from the tree services drop to infect my hammock.

I had thought about trying to bake the infections and insects by covering a dumped pile in heavy black plastic, but also fear starting a smolder fire, since it is running at 100 degrees down there.

Any applications I could apply to handle the issue?

I have a loader, of course, and can make a pile long and flat, six inches high, or heap it up or turn it, what ever.

What are your suggestions?

[Ric]

GeeVee

Fumigation is how the Big Operators sterilize Soils but that would be over kill and expensive for you to set up.

Back when I had a Chipper, I would just compost the chips and then recycle it for potting soil. By applying Nitrogen to the Chips you can speed up the Decomposition. Black Plastic to Solarize the Mulch works really well and I would handle the fire issue by placing the Mulch piles in a fire safe location.

[GeeVee]

No such thing as a safe location considering the amount of trees I have.

Let's discuss fumigation?

I have thousands of board feet of lumber, and 10 mil plastic is cheap. Are we talking about like we'd see a house tented for termites? I can pop up a tent over a pile in an instant.

[suzuki4life]

would some sort of farm grade pesticide work? If you are near a farming area then you could prob get some pretty cheap?

[Ric]

No such thing as a safe location considering the amount of trees I have.

Let's discuss fumigation?

I have thousands of board feet of lumber, and 10 mil plastic is cheap. Are we talking about like we'd see a house tented for termites? I can pop up a tent over a pile in an instant.

GeeVee

First: Let's talk about Who Can Buy Fumigation Gas??? Answer: Only a licensed Fumigation company.

Second: Let's Talk about the Real danger of Spontaneous Combustion. Look Around at the thousands of Acres of horticultural debris rotting in Florida. Chips, Tub Grinding and just plain compost piles. The percentage of fires caused by them?? My guess less than 1%.

If you are that paranoid about bring in a disease and fire, My advice would be to not have it brought in.

[Hydro DRIVE®]

What pathogen brought in from a tree service is going to impact an oak hammock?

Since you already have the loader all you need is pelletized urea, pelletized lime, and some black plastic and you could make some nice compost on the cheap.

[GeeVee]

You guys have been some help already. Let me restate?

I really am concerned foremost about pathogens. Surely there are diseased Oaks?

My brother in law brought in some chip and it likely had something in it that claimed a bunch of Pine. Now, he's in Tallahassee. And yall know where I am. Could have been coincidence, but I want to take no chances.

I'm still concerned about heating it though. As Ric relays, there is untold tons of debris rotting, but I don't see it being covered with plastic either.

I welcome further discussion....

[Ric]

GeeVee

Stone has made a good point. Your oak trees have been growing for a 100 years without any Disease. How many pathogens can effect them now. True Oak Wilt is a minor problem, but if you monitor them, Curative treatment can be less expensive than than preventive. So bring in the mulch and Cover it with Black plastic then place plenty of beer cans and another layer of Clear Plastic to allow the sun to pass the clear and heat the the Black. The beer cans will add and extra air space to hold in more heat. The clear will hold in the heat that the Black has assorted.

BTW you are getting really Nellie about the chance of Fire from Spontaneous Combustion.

PS Nitrogen will decrease the Composting time and Turning the Mulch with your Skid Load will also help the aerobic decomposition. I am not going to lecture you on anaerobic verses aerobic Because you have already stated you are here for entertainment and not Education. Therefore I only will give you the how to and not the reason why.

PSS feel fortunate that I am giving you this much information because you are a old time member. I normally charge for my Consultations

[hardboiled]

I would only consider composting it because the princess may wind up eating a facefull of it in a fall. Compost will make a nice landing ramp for when she starts practicing her double backflip. Shes probably a natural at freestyle.

What little nasties haven't already been blown into your area by previous storms and hurricanes? Like Ric posted recently also, you need the triangle. Are your trees stressed now? I vote for the composting. Frequent turning as long as you have reached a cook temp of 140º, add lots of greens to speed up the breakdown since you have mostly wood. You'll want to add green and brown litter to it if you can get it. [Would palm fronds/cactus needles be a problem considering she might be landing in it?] Moisture level should be monitered and can be controlled with tarps. Are you going to add some sand to the mix when building the track? How large of an area are you considering? And finally, can't you ask your sources to bring you chips when they are removing trees that they suspect are safe?

You don't have to answer all these questions. Just things I wondered about. I've had good success with compost and it really doesn't take much effort.
One more thing. Ask for smaller chips if they can accomodate you, for a quicker breakdown.

Ooops, one more thing. Plenty of horse manure/bedding.

[GeeVee]

NOW we're talkin...

Yep. I must thank those in the know for relaying what they have for free....

Please, dispense the information as much as you can, it seems to be a trend around these message boards that if you ask a question, and get an answer, thats all you need to go advertise brain surgery or Atom splitting.

I reckon too, I'm a bit of a Nancy Pants about fire, but you should have seen my wife cry about a huge Live Oak that got Charley got a hold of, and I have two brothers and three sisters that are fairly Namby Pamby when I go to do thigns on MY land. But, they are family, and you know how tight family is supposed to be, and I know how I feel about them.

I reckon my friends will drop as soon as a truck fills, maybe once a day, so there should be plenty of green.

So, without running the risk of getting on the hourly consutling clock, how much and what type and where should I purchase such things as Nitrogen and lime?

BTW, I'm not really hoping to build an entire track layout, I just need volume for jumps and berms, actually the surfacing of said. I have tons of large trees that are deadfall that represent the bulk She has trails set up all over the place, she just needs the obstacles.....

Extra props to Mr. RIC, since he has now helped me find another use for the tallboys, I usually have a Volkswagon sized pile of cans laying about waiting to be re-cycled.

[Dr.Bizzaro]

I would apply humics to your mix as well as fert and lime

http://www.humates.com/products.html