Mulching & Chipping in Harkaway

Mulching & Chipping in Harkaway: Local Conditions

On-site chipping is the standard approach in Harkaway, and the reason is volume. Pruning avenue trees and clearing paddock edges generates far more material than is practical to move off the property. Heavy structural pruning on avenue trees leaves a good volume of branch, and chipping it where it falls avoids carting it away. What comes out of the chipper is useful. Chip from oak and elm pruning is a good-quality mulch for garden beds, and estate properties typically have bed areas large enough to absorb several cubic metres per visit. The surplus is loaded onto our trailer. That keeps the cycle simple: prune, chip, spread, and remove only what cannot be used. Mulch also does a specific job on this landscape. Ridge-top positions are exposed to the prevailing winds, which accelerate soil dry-out in summer and put mechanical stress on avenue trees. Mulch applied over the root zones of avenue trees on exposed positions helps retain soil moisture and reduce summer heat stress. That is particularly relevant for younger replacement trees in established avenues, which have not developed the root depth of their neighbours. Keep the mulch clear of trunks. Erosion-prone slopes need ground cover too. After paddock disturbance, bare clay on south-facing aspects is slow to settle, and mulch protects the soil while it does. Chipped material from clearing work can be placed over the bare ground straight away. We agree volumes and placement during the estimate, so the chip goes where it is needed.

Working in Harkaway