Lesson 6. Possibilities for disposing of tree trimming waste
After pruning trees and shrubs, an impressive amount of woody debris remains in the cottage. Stubby limbs, branches, cut shoots remain, and the owner of the plot faces the question of how to get rid of the unpleasant pile of wood waste and spoil the appearance of the garden.
1. Burn
Among gardeners, this is the most popular way to dispose of wood waste. Such a method can be applied to all wood waste, and the residues that result from hygienic pruning are subject to such disposal without fail. Burning must also be carried out as quickly as possible, since the branches are infested with diseases and pests in which harmful insects continue to exist. After burning the self-infested branches, a very valuable fertilizer from wood bags remains at the disposal of the gardener, which all garden and vegetable plants can feed on. Just such a fact – the preservation of free and environmentally friendly fertilizer encourages many to burn wood residues, which are in large quantities after the mandatory annual pruning of the garden.
Burning trash
Fire safety rules
The process of burning trash, including woody trash, is not all that simple with the personal act. According to the rules of fire safety, as defined in the legislation, the burning of garbage and other waste is carried out on private household plots in strictly defined areas, which should not be closer than 50 meters from buildings and structures. And agreed with representatives of the fire supervision. Violation of such norms may mean administrative responsibility in the form of a fine. And in the case of creating conditions during the incineration of waste, including environmental degradation, causing harm to life and health of people, criminal liability is also provided. Before incineration, it is necessary to properly prepare for this procedure.
Perhaps first it is worth coordinating such an event with the neighbors on the site, as each of them, who saw the fire and smoke in the surrounding area, has the right to call the police or fire department, then the culprit for a long time will disappear the fact that the branches should be burned after pruning and even cook grill on your site.
Your neighbors will not be happy with the heavy smoke.
- Build your fire in quiet, preferably cloudy and damp weather;
- Choose an open area away from buildings, trees and shrubs, and combustible materials.
- Be sure to have sand and a shovel or a container of water next to the fire so that you can extinguish the raging flames at any time.
- It is better to cut large long branches of trees into small pieces beforehand, so that it is possible to burn them in acceptable portions, which do not form a strong flame;
- and most importantly – do not leave the campfire unattended.
Choosing a place for a campfire
It must be decided how exactly the wood waste will be burned – directly on the ground or in a specially equipped stove for this purpose. Sauna stove A great option if there is a sauna on the plot: With the help of a sauna stove, you can easily burn portions of all the wood waste that remains with the gardener after pruning trees and shrubs. In this case, you just need to chop and shred the branches to the right size, suitable for laying in the ignition compartment. True, such a fire will burn for a long time.
Fire on the ground If there is no bathhouse on the site and it is planned to make a fire on the ground, you need to take care that there was no dry grass nearby, which can easily ignite. In addition, to reduce the risk of sparks from the fire, it is necessary to dig a hole in the ground in the place where the fire will be located. It is also worth bearing in mind that if you light a fire directly on the ground, you will completely destroy the beneficial microflora of the soil, making the place unsuitable for planting. It will also be difficult to collect the ash from the burning process. If you are going to use it to fertilize plants, it is impossible to calculate exact doses of fertilizer because it will be mixed with the soil.
Make the fire away from outbuildings and trees
In a barrel A more acceptable option would be to burn the waste in some container, such as an old, leaking iron barrel that was once used for irrigation. Such a makeshift incinerator is safer, in addition, it minimizes the destructive effects of fire on soil microorganisms and allows the valuable wood ash to be fully preserved. For efficient combustion in the barrel, you should make a few holes on the sides for air circulation, and the structure itself is dug into the ground to a shallow depth for stability. In such a homemade stove is convenient to burn wood waste of medium size. And when the work is done, the barrel can be removed from sight – say, in the shed. However, the durability of tin barrel used for burning garbage, you can not count on: after 3-4 years of regular use rancor walls and bottom leads her into disrepair.
Fire in a barrel
Metal box Some gardeners build more reliable stationary structures. If you have a welder, you can make a box out of thick pieces of sheet metal. Such a fireplace is characterized by maximum durability. In addition, according to the size of the box, you can cut a cover, which is convenient to cover the fire in case of unexpected rain. After precipitation, the combustion process can continue without problems, and the wood ash remains dry. Wet ash loses its valuable properties.
A brick kiln can also be created as a kiln for burning brick strains. Such a construction, of course, requires considerable effort and certain abilities, but allows you to acquire an excellent design that will be admired for its durability and efficiency. For a stationary kiln, the location must be chosen carefully, as you can no longer be near plants and buildings.
You can not puzzle out a ready-made oven, but simply buy an oven specifically designed for this purpose. Currently there is a wide range of such stoves, which differ in size (up to 160 liters), shape and variations of performance – with wheels and handle, without the handle, and even with a cooking stove in the upper part. Such incinerators are reliable and durable because they are made of steel with a high line, eliminate the spread of sparks to the surrounding area, have no problems with the possibility of collecting ash from the chamber due to the presence of ash, and above all look aesthetically pleasing.
By the way, some of the branches for burning can be left in the grill, as grilling on the coals of fruit trees – apple trees and plums – is especially delicious.
2. shredding
An alternative option for disposing of wood waste can be its subsequent shredding with a garden mill (shredder). This technology is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners, as it helps to get rid of several branches in a few minutes and turn them into sawdust and wood chips in one action.
Before turning on the garden shredder, the branches must be cut into smaller fragments
What kind of hinges are there?
- Household – designed for processing a small amount of raw materials, have a capacity of up to 1.5 kW, are compact, relatively light (up to 20 kg) and cope with branches up to 2.5 cm in diameter.
- Semi-professional – have a sturdy engine power up to 3 kW, are large in size and weight (up to 40 kg) and cope with a fairly large amount of work, branches with a diameter of 3-3 cm;
- Professional – equipped with 6-9 kW motors, perfectly cope with volumes, long work without a diameter of 5 to 8 cm.
Additional functions Different models of shredders differ not only in the main characteristics, but also in additional functions that can be provided in the device. For example, the following options are useful: Automatic feeding of the material, adjustment of the setting, etc. Of course, such points affect the cost of the unit.
- The cutting mechanism, which are the blades. It works due to the high speed and is suitable for shredding small branches and grass.
- Power mechanism. It takes the power load and provides a larger chip at the output.
Smaller chips are obtained by shredding with a wind chipper.
Depending on the type of motor all types of shredding can be divided into two main groups – electric and gasoline, which have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, an electric shredder requires the additional purchase of a fire bracket with a core of more than 2 mm², which ensures uninterrupted operation. But even in this case, the electric unit must rest every 25-30 minutes.
Gasoline grinder will be more mobile and will not suffer from power surges in the network, but requires proper care during operation: freeing the motor from fuel to prepare for winter protection, cleaning candles and regular lubrication of the insides.
How to choose a cutter?
When choosing a garden chopper, first of all, you should be guided by the amount of waste. For example, a gardener, where only berry or ornamental shrubs grow and there are no large trees, a household unit is quite suitable. And for those who have to annually prune an extensive orchard, it is better to buy a semi-professional model.
- A special hopper for collecting the shredded material. In its absence, “the unit fills the entire surrounding room with sawdust and shavings;
- The hopper is preferably conical in shape. The wider the neck of the receiver, the more convenient it will be to feed the waste into the machine.
- Large bikes and an ergonomic handle make it easier to move the weighty machine around the area outside;
- Reverse function, which retrieves the branch between the knives in the inverse (reverse) direction;
- simply replaceable cutting elements, which are sold for free and can be purchased after the old ones are rooted out.
Safety precautions when working with a helicopter
- Be sure to wear gloves and goggles that protect your hands and eyes from scratches and damage. Even the most ergonomic recipient and precise laying of branches you will not keep in it until regular flying splinters. Particularly strong “shooting” is characteristic of the mighty models.
- Many peepers are equipped with a natural mechanism. On no account try to push a branch into the funnel with your hand – it is fraught with injury. If the set with the unit did not provide a pusher or paddle for a particular purpose, instead they adapt a thick branch.
- In most models, the function of locking the motor is carried out with an open protective cover that covers the blades. Therefore, regularly check the maintenance of this mechanism.
- The device should be used only for its intended purpose and not try to shred unsuitable materials in size or texture: thick branches that are contained in the instructions, plastic, glass or metal, and sticky branches. Strong cutting elements can handle a particular material, but will hopelessly dull it;
- It’s worth shredding raw rather than dry branches, as they separate better and put less strain on the blades, which prolongs the life of the device.
Using shredded debris in the garden
The garden shredder is really an indispensable device, because with its help you can get useful wood chips from unnecessary waste, which can be useful in every personal household.
Mulching shredded wood chips and shavings from the shredder are excellent mulching materials. A 3-5 cm thick layer of such mulch spread on the floor surface in vegetable beds or in a circle next to the stems of garden plants reduces watering and eliminates tedious weeding. The mulched floor stays moist and quiet, weeds have no chance to survive without light, and the shredded wood chips fill the soil with valuable organic compounds when they decompose. Filling with shredded wood waste is not only useful, but also pleasing for its decorative effect. Landscape architects have long appreciated this wonderful material and often use it to decorate flowerbeds or other garden décor elements.
Hack schnitzel can be used both in the garden and in the vegetable garden
- Choose a sunny, well warmed place for the compost pile;
- Mix wood chips and sawdust with other organic tissues such as manure, poultry manure, grass or food scraps when putting in compost, or if these are not available, mix the soil layers with urea;
- Break up the contents during the dry season and cover with foil during constant rainfall to prevent acidification;
- Shovel the compost regularly to allow the oxygen needed for an efficient decomposition process to enter.
Sawdust and shavings from the coffee grinder can be used by the gardener to insulate plants for the winter. It is possible to cover beds with winter cereals, strawberries, bulbs or other heat-loving plants that need additional protection during the cold season. In addition, shredded scraps are great for constructing an air-dry winter cover for finicky plants such as clematis, grapes, roses, rhododendrons, etc.
3. Disposal
In more rare cases, gardeners resort to the help of organizations that deal with the disposal of waste. To avoid wasting time and energy on burning or shredding wood waste, you can simply open a newspaper or find a suitable ad on the Internet and call the specified phone number. For an additional fee employees of such a service will arrive at the agreed time, will load and remove all the garbage from the garden as soon as possible, and the owner will only admire the beautiful, neat landscape of his garden. which became even more beautiful after cutting. This type of garden trash disposal only makes sense if you have to trim a lot of wood.
Where to dispose of branches after pruning trees in the countryside: ways to dispose of cut branches of trees and shrubs
Tips
After the pruning of trees and shrubs, there are many branches that can be used for the benefit of the garden. First they need to be sorted, remove those affected by diseases and pests, and give the rest a second life.
A nest for beneficial insects
Two kinds of insects live in the garden – harmful, noxious, harmful and useful, they fight the first, pollinate plants and help in other matters. To attract such helpers as ladybugs, you need to build a special nesting house from cut branches, in which they prefer to live.
To do this, choose or cut off small branches, glue or bind them together so that small plates with cracks remain. They are put in a wooden box and filled. Such a construction is very liked by insects that settle in it.
A vegetable garden for a flower garden
To weave a decorative hedge, longer and more flexible branches are required. Such a hedge can be constructed in two ways.
- Dig deep into the ground with thicker and stronger branches and trim them to the right height, with an interval of around 15-20 cm;
- Find thin branches between each other and start alternately on the other side (according to the principle of weaving a basket).
- Put the thin branches on the floor and cut them of equal length;
- Tie them together with a strong rope or knot to make whole screens;
- Attach them to poles previously dug into the ground (similar to the first method).
The result will be a beautiful mini bar that will be suitable as a fence for any flower bed.
The role of
For such a support, choose thick parts of the branches, which are simply bent and fixed in the ground or joined to get a more voluminous structure. To make the entire length of the branches attractive, they are glued with thin branches and cut into equal segments.
A really large arc is constructed in a similar way, so that it is possible to leave a climbing rose or other plants with large vines. And if the intertwined branch plates (like for a hedge) are also made separate, they are even used to make a pergola.
Water outflow
From the cut branches it is easy to construct a drain to divert rain and melt water from the garden or vegetable garden. First, a ditch is dug in the selected area so that there is a slight slope towards the trench. This ensures the diversion of water in the right direction without flooding the areas.
The bottom of the prepared trench is lined with branches or small beams, of which a path is designed along the bottom. To strengthen the twin base, fine sand is poured on it, and a layer of earth is placed on top of it.
Trenches for planting plants.
Such trenches are designed for planting berry bushes with a cellular, even, lush root system. But before planting them, you must first grow a vegetable garden here.
