Bark chip in gateways (time sensitive!)

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

We've got the power company up just now cutting back trees from the power lines. They're obviously producing a tonne of chippings.

I wouldn't bother paying for chippings, but if they're here, and if I can get them for free, would it be worthwhile asking them to dump a load on my driveway so I can distribute them to my 2-ft-deep-in-mud I-can't-believe-it's-only-October gateways/fence line?

Would it help, or will it just go soggy and even more slippery?

 

[TheHairyOne]

If you have enough it will help for now. We have local tree surgeons who do all our gateways.

You will want to be able to dig it out next year though. Keeping on adding just leads to a horrific mess.

 

[scrat]

A friend did this, also after a visit from power company. She put the clippings on to poached areas outside field shelters. Unfortunately the whole area became a deep muddy smelly mess of rotting wood chip. Maybe on top of a membrane they might work. Also be careful as ponies try and eat the stuff.

 

[dorsetladette]

At my old yard we had a large woodchip area in front of the shelters for the horses to stand and hay to be fed.

It worked for a while, but like others have said it just got to deep as they/we kept adding more on top. The woodchip rots and then adds to the deep mud.

So as a shot term solution (ie this winter) it would work but be prepared to dig it out and put fresh down rather than add to it next year.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

This site is such a goldmine of useful information! I defo won't be arsed to dig it all out again next year, so I won't bother putting any down. (my budget this year is all going on a field shelter, but hopefully I'll be able to afford some of those magical mythical mud control mats next year.... ) Thank you!

 

[Gloi]

You could put them inside the field shelter as bedding but don't put the where they will end up rotting into mud.

 

[TPO]

I think it depends how deep and "sucky" your gateway mud is

Last year we put a a load of pea gravel and bigger gravel (not type 1) in a gateway and it was good for a week or two then sunk without a trace.

Put another load in last week just to flatten the area before laying mudslabs and it had all but gone before the slabs were laid.

I'd imagine that wood chips would make a slippery mess. Even if enough was laid to give a deep footing as a surface it is slippery.

I know they are expensive but I've only had one gateway of mudslabs laid for a week and the difference is phenomenal. I've got 140 slabs arriving on Thursday to do the other gateway, make a walkway and for around a trough. Hoping to have enough to make a wee hard standing area but probably pushing it. They are expensive but the 26 I laid have made such a huge difference.

Sorry went off on a tangent. I feel your pain its rained here all "summer", drains have blocked because of the volume and our gateways looked like mud soup from the beginning of august. Its soul destroying

 

[poiuytrewq]

I think it depends how deep and "sucky" your gateway mud is

Last year we put a a load of pea gravel and bigger gravel (not type 1) in a gateway and it was good for a week or two then sunk without a trace.

Put another load in last week just to flatten the area before laying mudslabs and it had all but gone before the slabs were laid.

I'd imagine that wood chips would make a slippery mess. Even if enough was laid to give a deep footing as a surface it is slippery.

I know they are expensive but I've only had one gateway of mudslabs laid for a week and the difference is phenomenal. I've got 140 slabs arriving on Thursday to do the other gateway, make a walkway and for around a trough. Hoping to have enough to make a wee hard standing area but probably pushing it. They are expensive but the 26 I laid have made such a huge difference.

Sorry went off on a tangent. I feel your pain its rained here all "summer", drains have blocked because of the volume and our gateways looked like mud soup from the beginning of august. Its soul destroying

? where on earth does it all go!
Agree the woodchip may help temporarily, I have a woodchip pen which is *as I recall. Membrane, stone then woodchip. Last year it was an absolutely disgusting bog, it’s about to be dug out now and replaced. No idea what with. In all honesty possibly nothing but I’d never put woodchip down anywhere again in a hurry I don’t think ?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

I think it depends how deep and "sucky" your gateway mud is

Last year we put a a load of pea gravel and bigger gravel (not type 1) in a gateway and it was good for a week or two then sunk without a trace.

Put another load in last week just to flatten the area before laying mudslabs and it had all but gone before the slabs were laid.

I'd imagine that wood chips would make a slippery mess. Even if enough was laid to give a deep footing as a surface it is slippery.

I know they are expensive but I've only had one gateway of mudslabs laid for a week and the difference is phenomenal. I've got 140 slabs arriving on Thursday to do the other gateway, make a walkway and for around a trough. Hoping to have enough to make a wee hard standing area but probably pushing it. They are expensive but the 26 I laid have made such a huge difference.

Sorry went off on a tangent. I feel your pain its rained here all "summer", drains have blocked because of the volume and our gateways looked like mud soup from the beginning of august. Its soul destroying

I know what you mean about soul destroying- at the moment I feel like every time I look out the window, a little bit of my soul dies (and then I do less and less with the poor pony, and then that obviously makes me feel even guiltier. For what it's worth, the pony herself appears to be completely oblivious to all my angst, and as long as she has hay she's as happy as a pig in, well, muck!) .

That's actually really good to hear about the mud control mats, because however awful it gets this year, I can console myself with the promise of these life changing mats next year ?

 

[Milliechaz]

don't put it on top of a membrame as effectively you will be creating a pond and water will pool on it and rot the bark chippings.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

A yard I was at made an all-weather turnout area using woodchips. Unfortunately it became very deep gloop.

I'm saving up for mudmats, once I've figured out where gateways, etc., are going. Though we might consider stone with type 2 on top. Need to research.