Tree guilds to help with chickens scratching around wood chip mulch?

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’m in Zone 9b, Northern California. Previous owners planted the main orchard as 4 rows going straight up/down a long hill, sloping from near-flat to roughly 25+ degrees angle at the top. I think most of the trees were planted on the natural slope without any cut-back into the hill or any berm on the downhill side, to make a flatter spot. The natural soil type in my area is like a weathered decomposed granite, and there is grass planted everywhere in between.

2yrs ago I started getting wood chip drops to mulch a lot of my property for weed suppression and to add organic content to improve the DG soil, such as underneath the fruit trees. We had chickens before mulching and this wasn’t an issue, and then we lost most of the flock to predators and stopped ranging, so I didn’t see any issues with the mulch on the hill. New flock of chickens gets free ranged on the weekends and now all the wood chips have been cleared away from the trees and flung everywhere :frowning:

Mainly the trees I’m having the trouble with are my non-citrus trees that have space under the canopy: pears, apples, plums/pluots, nectarines/peaches, and pomegranates. I’ve started establishing more of a notch in the hill for each, cutting back and adding a berm, now that the soil is looser after the compost and wood chips have broken down. Before I get more wood chips I wanted to try and better contain the mulch, which is why I started thinking about adding plants to the downhill side - but there are over 25 trees that need the upgrade. I suppose what I’m now doing is establishing some tree guilds under the fruit trees.

Some plants I have around the property that I thought would be good to transplant: Pineapple Sage, Rose Campion, Feverfew, maybe some Mint varieties, Lemon Balm, or Oregano. I also have some Irises, Geranium, Lavender, White Sage, and Rosemary I could propagate more plants off of. Bought some Bocking 14 Comfrey and Horseradish cuttings recently and split them into more plants, which are starting to wake up now. Though of maybe just tossing some flower seeds under each tree and maybe dropping in some vegetable seeds, such as: Radishes, Beets, Carrots, Fava, Bush and Pole Beans.

Anyone have experience with chickens vs mulch on a hill and using guilds to try and contain mulch better?

Not the best pic, but to give an idea of the orchard:

IMG_0077
IMG_00771920×1440 472 KB

3 Likes
#2

Are you looking for the word “guard” to keep chickens out of the mulch?

A roll of 1/2" hardware cloth can keep birds at bay. I used to keep ducks (some of which could fly) away from shrubs, trees & out of mulch by cutting the 4’ roll in two, cutting again to the desired diameter & attaching the edges with hog clips. You need heavy gloves & long sleeves for this project, but it doesn’t cost much & will last as long as you need them.
If that doesn’t seem tall enough due to the slope, you can find longer rolls of hardware cloth to cut in half. Take your time when making the rings. I bear a couple scars from learning how to manage it.

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#3

I’m more looking to making living rings out of plants vs having an object like fencing, logs, stones, bricks, plastic edging, etc

#4

Interesting; I’d not run across the word, “guild,” used in that way. So you look to create hedgerows on a limited scale to keep mulch in place while chickens hunt for pupae & cutworms amidst the mulch?

A whole different approach to how things grow that could serve your purpose. Please keep us posted on how this idea works out.

Among the herbs, you might consider winter savory: a useful herb I grow; definitely perennial. I have to cut mine back each spring, a small task. Also, yarrow; even easier to maintain.

#5

I’m not really sure what to call it. Originally I was just looking to make a living border/edge in a ring around each tree, of something that would grow about 1ft tall and block some mulch movement; also just to break up the aesthetic. My searching got me looking at permaculture info, that’s when I discovered “guilds” with the different types of plants under trees; my searching also helped me discover this site, as I figure some people here have orchards that chickens forage in. Perhaps it’s not so much of a problem for those who’s orchards aren’t on a hillside where a chunk of mulch will fly 20ft downhill

#6

Maybe look for some plants that the chickens do not like to be around?
I am under planting my trees in the food forest with things like lavender, geraniums, oregano and nepetas - all very fragrant - to repel rodents as an experiment. I am also hoping it could confuse some unwelcome insects.

Another thing to consider is to sow perennials on soil covered with chicken wire.

#7

The added bonus to planting nepeta, oregano & lavender Is how useful they are to all kinds of bees. BTW, winter savory certainly draws the pollinators in the latter half of summer.

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#8

I grow it in my perennial veg beds. It is a must in my kitchen but very hard to buy as dry herb.

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#9

I planted chives under some of apple trees, which has proven perennial. Might try shallots & garlic. Trouble with alliums is they might not build a year-round vegetal barrier to keep wood chips/shavings in place.

#10

The first thing my chickens do if I let them out is scratch out all my mulch. I feel your pain. all of my fruit trees are heavily mulched with clover outside of the mulch. I dont let the birds out anymore, I just feed them greens in the pen