We sell raw wood chips for $20 a cubic yard.
Mulch
We have raw wood chips, perfect for mulch for preparing gardens or other planting areas. These chips are all natural, without dyes or chemical growth inhibitors, so they can be used in areas where plants will be grown for consumption. We use these chips to cover our hugel beds and garden beds.
Mulch is excellent for inhibiting weeds, for holding and slowly releasing moisture, and covering and preparing soil. Mulch provides a ready environment underneath for soil microbes and worms to thrive. It insulates the soil surface both from the low temperatures of freezing nights and the high temperatures of summer days. Wood chip mulch doesn’t blow as easily as straw and leaf mulches, and can aid in holding other mulches in place when applied on top of them. Wood chip mulch does not decompose as quickly as many other mulches, which can be used to advantage in many applications, alone and in combination with other mulches.
Mud Control
We use raw wood chips for covering areas such as driveways and paths to control mud and rutting. Applying wood chips to these areas before tires have made them into a muddy mess, can prevent that from happening. A thick layer of wood chips can support large vehicles. One of the ways they do this is by absorbing much of the moisture before it gets into the soil and then releasing it very slowly. This permits the underlying soil to retain is strength under pressure. This action is quite different from gravel and can be used in applications where gravel would be inappropriate or undesirable. Wood chips are also much lighter weight than gravel and easy to spread.
Mulch Pests and Predators
Raw wood chips used as mulch can attract or harbor pests, such as snails, squash bugs, aphids, and many others. Learning how and where to use raw wood chip mulch can be very important in vegetable gardens and around other plants. For example, given time, wood chips will also harbor lady bugs, native wasps and predatory beetles that pray on these pests. Applying wood chips at certain times of the year can change the effectiveness of keeping these naturally controlling predators. The age of the wood chips, how they have been kept, and their state of decomposition can also have a significant effect.
Fungi
Wood chips are fantastic for reintroducing or fostering the healthy development of diverse fungal populations. Fungi are a very important source of many nutrients necessary for certain life forms, such as trees. Wood chip mulches, with appropriate management, can be used to foster the health of woodlands, shrubbery and orchards.
Compost
These chips are also good for producing your own compost. We use them in ours. Popular, but misguided opinion is that wood chips take a very long time to decompose if ever. The breakdown of any carbonaceous material is dependent on the biology performing the decomposition. In sterile environments, wood chips can last a very long time – many years. However, environmental conditions can be nurtured to produce biological decomposition of wood chips in 90 days or less. Using a product that provides for such a diverse performance has many advantages when coupled with appropriate skill and knowledge.
