Wood Chips

[Fithaly]

In the past few years, the apartment complex where I live has been using this new type of wood chips to lay around the trees and bushes. Besides it smelling terrible, it seems to be real dry. So dry in fact that there have been small smoldering fires that have started because people are throwing away their cigarettes and they land in the chips.

It takes more than a couple of buckets of water to put it out. The residents have complained about that chips and have pointed out the fires. Is there some other types of chips to recommend to the manager to prevent the fires and what could be making it smell as bad as it is?

DCMerkle

Don't know what people think and throw away the cigarettes always in the wrong place. But you can use another thing that can help you or do something that people can not throw the cigarettes on it.

[LIcenter]

I get mulch/wood chips delivered in bulk. Ten yards at a time, and yes it does stink because it is still composting in that big pile they are getting it from. I live four miles from a site that makes bagged mulch for the big box stores. If the wind is blowing in the right/wrong direction, the smell will bowl you over. I would suggest using pea gravel in the beds of your apartment complex. No fires, and very little addition each and every year,if any.