What would you do with this rare organic resource?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by S.O.P, Jun 16, 2012.

  1. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I've saved a log from a chipper. The heartwood is just at the right stage of rotten. I've suffered multiple cuts and had 3 splinters punch up right underneath my fingernails.

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    I've ended up with this:

    [​IMG]


    The only way I can describe it, is clay. But how can it be clay? It's timber heartwood many metres from the ground. It had some termites in it, but theoretically it's 100% organic matter. It's entirely moist, and feels like it would never dry out. Very fine, very dense, sticky (which is why it reminds me of clay).

    At the moment, I'm considering maybe a 5% addition to a potting mix recipe. It seems that dense, any more would cause anaerobic conditions in the mix.

    Any other ideas?


    [​IMG]
     
  2. pippimac

    pippimac Junior Member

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    That looks yummy!
    I've got a collection of trunk sections waiting for me to get it together to try hugelkultur. In the meantime, they're sprouting some lovely funghi, and there's many, many happy worms underneath.
    They're turning into big, water-retentive sponges as they break down; I think it's a soft wood like willow.
    I assume your log would have similar water-holding abilities...:)
    By that stage of breakdown, would the microbeasties have munched enough carbon for nitrogen tie-up not to be an issue ib potting mix?
     
  3. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Feed it to your worms?
     
  4. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    That looks like great stuff. I'd be tempted to sprinkle it around the garden under the mulch and put some in the compost too.
     
  5. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    The log, for the most part is now a hollow log, not rotten, just hollow. If anything, the inner surface is amazingly smooth. I'm not sure if it's the termites that turn it into that, there isn't enough 'air space' for them to even move in it, in places. In others, there were a few hundred moving about. The branch is from a Scribbly Gum (e.racemosa) which is one of the most important gums leftover for us now, as it's the youngest one to turn hollow (habitat space). I've seen others in varying stage of decay, never have I been able to pull out the rotted timber at this stage.

    The worms would love it, it would probably be a very interesting casting mix with that in it. I can't explain how sticky and weird it is. I'd sell some sort of Super-Casting-Humus - *Now with Added 100% Hardwood Fibre* for millions.

    I did consider spreading it about, but to me, there isn't enough to go around and in this strange, concentrated form, I feel it could be used for another purpose.

    Speaking of Willow, any SEQLD'rs know of a Willow tree around? I wouldn't mind trying to Willow Hormone mix...
     
  6. andrew_k

    andrew_k Junior Member

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    willow - mt cootha botanic gardens, near the big pond.
     
  7. deee

    deee Junior Member

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    It probably looks like clay because a good portion of it is. Termites live in a mix of finely chewed wood, mud and saliva (delish!). I'd check out how your termite by-product behaves when its wet before deciding what to do with it. Can you roll it into a sausage, like clay? Can you see wood or another fibre? If its clayey, it could be used as a liquid fertiliser or an additive for sandy soil. If not, you could mix it with some coir peat to make potting mix. Safest bet would be to compost it, but that seems a waste of a weed-free resource (I know, I know, composting isn't wasting it, but its a bit of a long wait!).

    Re the smooth surface: Didgeridoos are made by termites. Yours is probably a bit heavy, though ;) Meanwhile, go and tip some ti-tree oil down your fingernails - hardwood splinters are nasty!!!!
    D
     
  8. Terra

    Terra Moderator

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    Im thinking about the log , how big / long is it , thinking bat house , lizard habitat .
    We get a similiar rotted product in some sugar gum logs .
     
  9. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I was thinking the same way. Too often with Permaculture we think of the zones we visit all the time, but what about using that in say zone 4 or 5 as a habitat.
     
  10. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    The log is being donated to a Native Bee farmer that is a naturalist, as opposed to a 'farmer' with limited-sized hives. Considering I posted a long 'diatribe' about habitat not too long ago, I thought it would be self-evident.

    Dee: it could be clay, I've done the ribbon-test and it behaves similarly, but it's not clay. It has differing qualities that I suppose could be evident of inorganics being shuttled in. This was over 20 metres in the air and I do tip my hat to the termites if they could exchange an entire heartwood of a branch with soil and pack it in just as tight as wood. I had to jam a star picket into this log and beat the hell out of it and only loosened an inch at the time. The rot is also differing from other heartwood rot I've seen, most are taken by 'white rot', turns spongy, becomes light and is easily removed.
     
  11. cottager

    cottager Junior Member

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    May I suggest seed balls, specifically using local (native) seed, for regeneration purposes?
    aka: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_ball

    It would probably work fairly well, if you could also find the fungi that arrive after the termites, for that plant in your area, so a bit of leafmould from the ground around the log would be nice in the mix, if you can get it.

    PS. That's classic termite. It's boot-stickingly clingy, like clay indeed!
     
  12. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I am making a lot of seed balls this fall for when the monsoon winter rains come. I can't wait!! :D
     
  13. deee

    deee Junior Member

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    Wow, that's a great idea! I hope you'll keep us posted on the outcome
    D
     
  14. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I don't have the space to need seed balls plus there is no point throwing them out in the park near my house as I planted stock that was over a foot to 2 feet high and they were all sprayed out as it was. Natural regeneration isn't allowed in our parks due to god-awful stupidity in spraying anything that is green and mowing everything else.

    I am very, very close to leaving this state and the rumour is that all of our jobs are going to contractors anyway (the ones that spray the weeds now) so I don't see it getting better until it gets much worse.
     
  15. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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