Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
The Different Types of Wood Chips & What They Are Used for
The Different Types of Wood Chips & What They Are Used for. Wood chips are, as the name describes, pieces or "chips" of wood. They are a byproduct of a variety of lumber industries, especially logging companies and sawmills. They are many types of wood chips, as well as several general uses for them.
Wood chips are, as the name describes, pieces or "chips" of wood. They are a byproduct of a variety of lumber industries, especially logging companies and sawmills. They are many types of wood chips, as well as several general uses for them.
Types of Wood Chips
There are as many types of wood chips as there are types of trees. For grilling, wood chips from fruit trees are preferred. Mesquite and hickory chips are also used for grilling. For use in gardening and landscaping, cedar, cypress and pine are popular for their more lustrous appearance and agreeable odor. Wood chips from hardwood trees, such as oak, are often used for burning as fuel.
Cooking With Wood Chips
In grilling, the smoke that rises from chips contains trace amounts of the wood. These particles of wood are absorbed, imparting flavor to the meat. Wood chips from fruit trees like apple, cherry, and peach result in a sweeter flavor, naturally. The physical properties of certain types of wood chips mesh more effectively with different types of meat.
Landscaping With Wood Chips
Wood chips are favorites for gardens. Wood chips improve the productivity of a garden or landscape. Mulch maintains the soil's temperature. With a relatively stable temperature, plant life can germinate and grow more easily. At the same time, wood chip mulch prevents the growth of invasive plant species, or weeds. Finally, mulch retains moisture, allowing plants to survive longer periods of dryness. Cypress is the most widely used wood chip for mulch.
Wood Chips As Biofuel
An increasingly common use of wood chips is as a biofuel. As oil and gasoline become more scarce, some industries and groups have turned to biofuels to help run their facilities. Some hospitals, for example, use chips to heat their facilities. The benefits of using such a source are immense. Wood chips are far cheaper than many other sources of fuel, they burn with a lot of heat, combust quickly and the carbon emissions from wood chips are significantly lower than many competing fuel sources. Wood chip burning devices will soon be available for the public.
