All it takes is one good storm - or just one very windy day- to send tree branches earthward. Those fallen sticks and large limbs can really add up. That goes for any woody shrub trimmings you happen to generate while pruning as well. Before long, you can be left with a truly massive brush pile. Although lots of people choose to burn their brush, you can extract a lot of value from that old pile of sticks. Here are six ways to put your brush pile to better use.
BIOCHAR BASICS
As a soil amendment, biochar can improve soil structure, moisture retention capabilities and overall nutrient availability to plants. And, as it happens, dried limbs and branches — especially those from softwoods — make great feedstock for making biochar.
Whether you dig your own burn pit or use a biochar kiln, any limbs from your brush pile that you intend to include for this specialized burning process (pyrolysis) had better be aged and bone-dry. Ideally, they should be about 3 inches in diameter or smaller, and they should break easily with a loud crack when you bend-test them.
Because it can take up to 100 pounds of brush to make just 10 to 20 pounds of biochar, your best bet is to save up limbs and sticks over several months’ time, sorting them by size as you go. Gardening with Biochar author Jeff Cox recommends making a couple of piles — one for branches between two and three inches in diameter and another for sticks less than two inches around. Cover these piles with tarps to keep the rain out as you wait for the sorted wood to reach levels of 10% moisture or less. At that point, they’ll be ready for their transformation from plain-old yard waste to pyrolyzed prize.
MUSHROOM MAGIC
This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Hobby Farms.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Hobby Farms.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Meet Li Schmidt
At Cultural Roots Nursery, in Winters, California, Li Schmidt grows more than 100 Asian-heritage vegetables, herbs, fruit and trees on 1⁄4 acre.
A DUCK FOR ALL Seasons
Care for ducks throughout the year with this seasonal guide.
Turkeys for the Home Table
Raise your own birds for a tastier and healthier holiday meal.
raise STRONGER CHICKENS
Look around your kitchen, and you'll likely find some natural poultry supplements.
Winter's Last Stand
Early warm weather followed by a late frost can easily ruin an orchard harvest.
Pumpkins & Gourds
Tyler Swafford’s enthusiasm for raising pumpkins and gourds is contagious. The lifelong farmer, himself the descendent of a lifelong farmer, makes his home on Dayton Mountain overlooking Tennessee’s Sequatchie Valley.
Climate-Resilient Crops
Farmers operating large commercial outfits and smaller, hobby growers alike are facing new challenges season after season.
Creating STOCK
Breed and raising your own replacement layers for a small-scale egg operation.
Cut & Dried
DRYING YOUR HERB HARVEST OFFERS AN EASY WAY TO PRESERVE ITS FLAVOR AND USEFULNESS FOR PROJECTS AND RECIPES YEAR-ROUND.
HERB-INFUSED LIP BALM
CREATE A SOOTHING AND GENTLE PRODUCT PERFECT FOR HEALING DRY, CHAPPED LIPS.