Expert: Greg - 2/27/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am considering clearing several acres of land which has lots of brush and small trees so I can till and plant.  I have no idea what to do with all the debris.  Most of it is too small and brushy for firewood and would take me years to burn anyway.  I would rather not just pile it up and burn it as that seems to be a rather unfriendly thing to do to the air.  Piling it up and letting it rot would take up a lot of space and take forever.  I am considering chipping it with a large chipper and somehow composting it so it decomposes quicker.   Is there a way to decompose wood chips more quickly, such as adding nitrogen?  What is a good source of the recommended additive?  Is there a better way to get rid of the debris from clearing land?  

thanks!

bob

ANSWER: Hello Bob

Quite a task your are undertaking.

Yes you are on the right track, Nitrogen will help with the Decomposing of the Wood Chips and debris.

Would you consider, digging a pit and bury the chips? 3-4 Feet deep, and I can't tell you how big to make it, since I have no idea how many trees and shrubs we are talking. It is a better alternative than just piling it up and becoming unsightly.

Pile the chips about 4", then add an Organic Nitrogen, which you will need in Bulk, so you will have to price this out with a local Supplier/Nursery in your area. Then add a dusting of Organic Nitrogen, Grass Clippings etc, then add a small amount of soil that you excavated with the pit, about 1/2 to 1". Repeat this layering by adding more chips and repeating the process. If you water, spray, the layers as you go, this will help the process.


Wood is high in Carbon, so it will take quite a while for this to all Decompose, but when its all done, you will have a ready supply of Compost that you can use for whatever purpose suits your needs.


I hope this helps, but if I have missed something, please don't hesitate to follow up with another question.


Greg

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your helpful response.  It just so happens I have quite a large pit which needs filling.  The trouble is the pit is probably 15-20' deep.  Is this too deep to bury/layer the chips/nitrogen/soil?  Does the mix need to be turned regularly as with your typical compost pile?  Could their be potential issues with seepage into ground water of which I should be aware?

Finally just a follow up on grass clippings.  Are grass clippings a good source of nitrogen or why did you recommend them?  Are there other natural sources of nitrogen that I may be able to find, such as old hay?  

Thanks again!

Bob


Answer
Hello again Bob

I don't know how high your Water Table is in your Area, but my guess is Yes this is Bordering on it. 15-20 Feet not only is too deep in that respect, but how would you turn it?

If you just wanted to fill this Pit, and not worry about using it as Compost, and just let it Decompose, you should be OK as long as you DON'T use any Synthetic Fertilizers in the Mix. Otherwise you could have a problem with tainted Well water seepage. Nature has Trees that fall all the time, they never cause a problem, cause they Decompose slowly over time.

Grass Clipping are a ready source and thats why I recommended this into the Mix. Hay, along with other Nitrogen based things, work fine also. Rodale's Book of Composting is a great Book to Own in Identifying other things that are high in Nitrogen. It would take too long for me to List them all.

The Best of Luck

  Greg