How Long Does Mulch Need To Age? - Knowledgebase Question

Wake Forest, NC
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Question by KingKreate
March 15, 2001
We were recently fortunate enough to receive a very large (dump truck full) load of freshly ground up trees to use as mulch. My question is this - does it need to age before we use it, or will it be OK to use it this Spring? I am a great believer in mulch, especially if it's free, but I don't want to burn my seedlings...thank you very much!


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Answer from NGA
March 15, 2001
The rule of thumb with green tree trimmings such as those is to allow them to age for at least a year. In addition, if they are heavy sized chips rather than a finer texture or shredded, they are best used around shrubs rather than flowers or vegetables. You may also compost them over time and use them as a soil amendment that way.

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