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the rate of one to two tons per acre, so that 80% to 90% of the ground is covered. Long <br />fiber straw and hay are more desirable for surface erosion control than are shorter fibers. <br />Hay or straw is spread after seeding, unless the mulch <br />material is incorporated into <br />the soil surface during the <br />surface roughening process. <br />The straw, hay, or alfalfa <br />mulch can be applied with a <br />straw blower, tub grinder, or <br />by hand. Surface <br />applications of straw and hay <br />will need to be anchored to prevent water or wind erosion. <br />This can be done by: <br />Figure 3.4: Straw is hand carried <br />and spread in rough terrain. <br />Crawford Mountains Phosphate <br />Mines. <br />Crimping or poking in a manner which leaves a <br />stubble effect while enhancing surface <br />roughness. <br />Spraying with chemical tackifiers. <br />Covering with netting. <br />Wood chips <br />Wood chips are available from lumber mills municipal dumps, <br />or whole tree chipping from on-site trees (Chapter 3, Section 4). The <br />decision to use wood chips as mulch or soil amendment will <br />probably depend on the proximity of the wood chip source to the <br />reclamation site. Wood chips decompose more slowly than hay, <br />wood chips: <br />pieces of wood <br />that are 1/4" to <br />4" length and <br />less than 318" <br />thick. <br />straw, or wood fibers and make a longer-lasting soil amendment or <br />mulch. Chips have a high carbon (C ) to nitrogern (N) ratio (615:1) making <br />decomposition last from eight to fifteen years. Composting the wood chips with 20 <br />pounds of nitrogen per ton of chips prior to application will moderately accelerate the <br />decomposition. <br />Note: 5 pounds of Ammonium Sulfate = 1 lb. actual nitrogen <br />3 lbs. Of Ammonium Nitrate = 1 pound actual nitrogen <br />2 lbs. Of Urea = 11b. actual nitrogen <br />Ammonium Sulfate is 21% nitrogen <br />Ammonium Nitrate is 34% nitrogen <br />Urea is 46% nitrogen <br />Wood chips are generally applied to a two-inch thickness as a soil amendment <br />and 1/4" to 1" as mulch. A two-inch layer of wood chips will require approximately 270 <br />cubic yards or thirty tons to cover one acre. Sawdust rapidly decomposes and demands a <br />high level of nitrogen from the soil. Because of this high nitrification and rapid <br />decomposition, sawdust it is not recommended. <br />113