Use of fir micro shaving - Ask Extension
I purchased fir micro shavings in a 3 cu. ft. bale to use to store dahlia tubers over the winter. Are they also helpful to put around the drip line ...
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Use of fir micro shaving #922483
Asked November 28, 2025, 5:43 PM EST
I purchased fir micro shavings in a 3 cu. ft. bale to use to store dahlia tubers over the winter. Are they also helpful to put around the drip line of blueberry bushes? What about hydrangeas, (blue) mop heads and paniculatas? Hellebores? Natives like evergreen huckleberry, Oregon Grape, and snowberry?
Clackamas County Oregon
Expert Response
Wood shavings and sawdust are fine to use around your plants, with a caution that they can pack tightly, blocking water & air exchange to the soil (more here). Consider mixing it with some mulch of various size and thickness to keep it open, or apply a thin layer.
Woody mulch generally doesn’t change the soil acidity, and in our landscapes it doesn’t matter which tree the mulch is from, so use it where you like. Check out some of the mulch myths published by WSU’s Linda Chalker-Scott. Wood chips as mulch are excellent for woody landscape plants and are often free as arborist chips (here).
Woody mulch generally doesn’t change the soil acidity, and in our landscapes it doesn’t matter which tree the mulch is from, so use it where you like. Check out some of the mulch myths published by WSU’s Linda Chalker-Scott. Wood chips as mulch are excellent for woody landscape plants and are often free as arborist chips (here).
