Gardening With Gutner: Wood Chips And Crushed Stone
BOSTON (CBS) - Wood chips are among the best materials to use for playgrounds. They are great shock absorbers, much better than other substances like sand or gravel. They also can shed rain very quickly.
You should look for wood chips that are smooth, flat and no larger than two inches long.
As for depth, there are charts available from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
A nine-inch layer of wood chips is considered reasonable to protect children from serious head injuries to a fall from a height of ten feet.
You will need to rake and replace them frequently to be sure that you keep an even, thick layer. Many times in areas that are frequented (such as near a swing or slide), the chips can become displaced.
Watch Gardening with Gutner: Wood Chips
Likely by this time in the season you have most of your flowers and veggies planted and your garden beds are near completion.
We all have those spots in our yard where you just can't get anything to grow.
Watch Gardening with Gutner: Crushed Stone
Dave Canney from Dr. Mulch in Westford has a wide variety of stone and crushed stone ranging from to stone dust and 1 ½ inch stones used for landscaping, walkways, driveways and foundation drip edge.
Dave also carries wood chips designed for children's play areas.
These wood chips are made to cushion the fall off of play structures and look nice in your yard at the same time.
You can learn more about these products and more at Dr. Mulch.com