Wood Waste Chipping Project
The Central Okanagan Regional District is offering a free program for Central Okanagan orchardists who want to chip wood waste material that has come from an orchard removal. This type of debris typically includes stumps and branches. Pruning material will not be considered for chipping within this project.
Due to a decline in the tree fruit industry, hundreds of acres of orchard trees are being pulled out within the Central Okanagan each year. The most common method of orchard debris disposal has been burning in large outdoor fires, similar to forest slash burns. This often creates a smokey haze in the region, since the topography of the Okanagan inhibits the atmosphere’s ability to disperse smoke out of the valley. To help keep our air clean, please consider applying for this program.
Who may apply?
If you live within the Central Okanagan Regional District and have wood waste derived from an orchard removal, you may apply for this program. The wood waste should be stumped and piled in a location that is accessible by an excavator and preferably in a location that is also accessible by the tub grinder. All efforts should be made to salvage firewood from the wood waste as well. It should be noted that there is limited funding for this project so not all applicants may be accommodated through this program.
Wood Waste Chipping Project Application Package
Project partners
This project is being coordinated by the Central Okanagan Regional District Air Quality Program with funding support from the Agriculture Environment Funds and the Central Okanagan Regional District. In-kind support for this project is being provided by the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association, the BC Fruit Packers Cooperative, the Okanagan North Growers Co-op and the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre.
How will the debris be chipped?
A portable tub grinder will be towed to participating orchards where it will be set up to chip stumps and large branches into 1 inch diameter sized chips. After chipping, the ground wood residue will be left on the property for the farmer to use as he or she wishes. It is recommended that the chips be spread between the orchard rows to increase the moisture retention of the soil and to control weeds.
Benefits of wood chips as a mulch
A mulch of wood chips or similar materials, applied along the tree row, can help keep the trees’ root zones cool and moist. Although wood chip mulch will not entirely control weeds, it will suppress them. Growers whose trees are mulched can attend to the few weeds within the rows on a more flexible schedule than growers who maintain a herbicide strip in the rows. Wood chip mulch also has a positive effect on soil properties and leads to improved tree health and vigour, as well as increased yields (Source: University of Minnesota).
For more information
Agricultural Wood Waste Chipping Project
Environment Division
1435 Water Street
Kelowna B.C. V1Y 1J4
Phone: Corey Davis at Kelowna City Hall at (250) 469-8984 Fax: (250) 862-3338