I put my free woodchips though a chipper a second and sometimes even a third time. Then only add about 1/2 inch after I've already planted my sprouts. The only time I'd use 6-8 inches of woodchips would be if I'm just starting a garden for the first time and ONLY working on the soil and not planning on actually growing anything for at least a year. Then add plenty of bone, blood, and kelp meals, loads of compost, and a little lime. Then plant my sprouted plants (they're usually 4-6" tall), and THEN add my sprinkling of woodchips, just barely enough to cover the ground. About 1/2 way through the growth of the plants, I'll add a smidgeon of year old composted chicken manure. Other than that, a puff of diatomaceous earth if the bugs show up. Love your channel BTW!

So , what you're saying is , you meant to title this video , "wood chips are just fine" .

Thank you so much for the information my husband and I are just starting our veggie garden and we are super excited and gathering all the information we can. We grew a lot last year but everything was in pots this year we are grounding most of it.

Great details on the pill bugs. This was our first year with 9 yards, and the pull bug population exploded. Very few of my direct seeds made it. The exception were very fast growing plants(Squash, zucchini, beans). Glad to hear the larger pants do the trick. Out of the 200 kale and chard, about two survived. Glad to know the solution has been confirmed.

Really good overall assessment. My area is similar to yours and I have learned my lesson. You are an asset.

Very timely advice as we are having a load of bush mulch (wood chips) delivered and spread on Monday morning over our front garden beds. The beds are mixed shrubs and perennials, many in flower now as it's spring. We hand water plants individually currently so after listening to your video, it looks like we will continue that practice. I'm really hoping the mulch will reduce the amount of watering we have to do over summer.

I have been looking into this and you have provided very useful information. Thank you very much.

Thanks for this info Dan, I've learnt tons from you, I still don't have my own yard, but I find really interesting all what you share and surely will keep this in mind for when I get my yard 🙏🙏😁😁😁

All of this info is super fantastic! Thanks for putting your ideas out there, as a new home owner and a very green gardene,r I am stoked. Thanks!

I have to object to #2. I'm in Perth, Australia. We're practically a desert on a super sandy soil. I use overhead watering from a bore. Through summer, I water 3 times a week for about 20 minutes. The woodchips hold the water perfectly. It's just the top inch or so that's dry.

@VincentGonzalezVeg

3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I've learned about straw used as a sponge under the woods chips to hold & slow release water

I so appreciate all this information and things to be aware of. Thank you so much!

great info, i brought in a small load several months ago & ready for some more!

Very educational video. Thanks a lot for posting. Very important information.

Our ranch is a great drop point for the wood crews cleaning up along the power lines in N Cal. Last year we were given 20 loads of over 15 cubic yards per -- usually close to 20. So figure roughly 360 cubic yards times 27 cubic feet per yard = a bunch. We started out putting chips in paths between raised beds - basically leveled the garden off. This does multiple things. The raised beds no longer have the sides dry out. The paths keep moisture in - which goes into the side of a raised bed, especially a double dug bed if you start that way. Worms go crazy under there. Nutrients break down and when rains/real heavy irrigation hits the paths it washes into the beds - the soluble nutrients do. It reduces compaction. Pretty nice to kneel or sit on too. With all the chips now - we spread them under the fruit trees especially, since trees and perennials prefer fungal dominated probiotics under them, and annual vegetables and grasses prefer no more than a one to one ratio. We have piles breaking down, and mix that with regular compost so that we can get more of the preferred (fungal dominant) 5 : 1 ratio for bushes and vines, canes and other perennials. The deciduous trees like the 5 : 1 as a minimum, but can handle up to a 100 : 1 ratio of fungal dominant compost.

@lidoerlindaquinones9291

6 жыл бұрын

Landa Roon 4*4)’mmmm 2)

the pill bug issue is annoying. :-) thanks for the info for sure. glad to hear about your experience with the supposed 'allelopathics' given I live in a cedar / pinon forest. I have built my hugelcultures with pinon and some cedar and had really amazing results.

You are awesome! Huge Thanks for such a wonderful informational green earth video!

Sage advice, and it is good to be aware of the dangers from woodchips made from trees that died from unspecified diseases, pests, etc. I already have Honey Fungus in my garden, so I don't concern myself with introducing any more of it by way of woodchips. Honey Fungus mycelium has been known to grow as far as 100ft from source - and that covers pretty much all the ground where my new allotment is going. However, because of its ability to break down trees and wood so quickly into nutrients, and then transport those nutrients by way of the mycelium network, it is going to be fine for this particular allotment, since that will be primarily down to salad and short-term crops (my fruit-bearing trees and bushes are far from this area). There are types of fungi that can be used to hold the Honey Fungus in check, but to do this successfully you start getting into a whole new side of gardening and environment control. It's complicated. I'm glad you mentioned the supposed 'problem' of allelopathy between plants. I too have heard this term bandied about with 'dire warnings' not to plant this with that. But I too have never had a problem. I have a young walnut that has absolutely no effect even on the grass around its base. I have several sizable Eucalypts that regularly drop leaves and bark over plants beneath them - again, to no effect. I'm aware of the effects they are supposed to have, but I have never seen any reason to clear this debris away. Perhaps they are more apparent if you live next to a forest of such trees. One extra problem I would like to add is Woolly Aphid and its habit of living in tiny cracks of certain trees. Essentially, they too could survive the woodchipping process. Woolly Aphid is a problem in southern Britain, not so much where I live in the north. But from my days working in the south, I do remember being tasked with treating them on apples and cherry trees. So, again, piling up those woodchips to get them good and hot would probably finish them off.

Thank you for listing all the pros and cons of woodchips !!

Great thorough and helpful advice. Thanks for posting.

Thank you Plant Abundance! Great informative video :) Take care!

Thank you. I had not thought of some of these but none seem like what u deal with in gardening period. So chip on.

Love your channel man! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiance!

Following the research on shredded ramial wood (bois raméal fragmenté in French in the research) I am digging in and mulching with shredded green Red Alder, leaves and all. I found that fast-composting it first for 4 months is like a year of composting on the ground so is about half soil. No-diggers note: digging in the amendment at least 2"-4" is considered of "paramount importance" in the soil science taught in Laval and McGill Universities. The rest goes on top. Five years later it is important to turn the beds to alleviate compaction in the middle of the beds. This, according to 25 years of research into shredded ramial wood applications. I have huge numbers of sow/pill bugs and they have lots to do without bothering the plants. I'm not exactly using chips; I gather young trees and branches for the purpose and make smallish shred with a Mackissic hammer mill chipper/shredder so it composts pretty fast and isn't in big chips. It's hot in the bin but the fungi mat it solid in 1 month, before I turn it even the first time.

Well said. Thanks

hope you're having a great day man!

Thanks for letting us know! 💕 😁👍

Wonderful presentation. I belonged to a Permaculture group here in where I live and became a little dismayed because of the over-exuberance of using wood chips. If you take the time to observe nature, say, as in a forest, you'll notice there aren't exclusively "wood chips" on the forest floor. There are leaves, roots brought to the surface by gophers,small twigs, old blossoms...in short many things. If you flood your yard with wood chips, now you have to deal with a changed mini ecosystem. Use this stuff cautiously and remain aware that there's never just "one" thing that answers all the eco-questions we're trying to deal with.

I have been following several other farm channels on you tube, and they love using wood chips

Great video. Thank you for sharing with us.

Thank you for making this video and sharing it! Good advice here folks

that ghost in the cave is big time distracting lol, thanks for the great info as always

Thank you.

excellent video, thank you friend!

Thank you for the information.

I'm doing a massive project with woods chips. Already started in fact.... Thanks!

Thank you 😊for sharing this woodchips information 🙏😊

Thank you, I haven't had a single seedling make it to get it's true leaves this year so far..

Thank you for the explanation. ...I was getting discouraged.

Thanks a bunch!

Thaaaanks you - much needed info here! Always encouraging bro 🙏🙏

Hi i enjoyed your video, what is your advice on using coconut fibre?

Great Info... Thank you

I prefer to use composted hay and straw. I tried the woodchip thing but it just didn't work! There were a lot of black locust chips in my delivery and they take forever to break down. It's important to know where your chips come from

Good advice. Thanks.

Would it attract termites also? Thank you very much for your very helpful information.

Thanks for info on chips i am on list now

Thank you for the info!! Many people think a chip drop is a magical thing...

Great content

Great information Dan. Thanks. Best wishes Bob.

@plantabundance

6 жыл бұрын

Thank Bob. Same to you.

Great video! Just subscribed...thanks!

Thank you very much for the informations of wood chips, greatly appreciated sir❣️❣️❣️Vân

Great Video, Did you ever consider taking some of the dry wood chips and turning them into bio char? If you can get your hands on such a large amount of chips, I would char half of it and toss that into your food forest.

I learned about nitrogen deficiency many years ago from 'Prevention.' This is a very helpful source of information which covers health issues and also the importance of supplements as well as growing a garden. My whole family has reaped the benefits of the knowledge we gained from "Prevention."

Thanks for the info! Good stuff!

@plantabundance

3 жыл бұрын

You bet!

Can you do upside down sodas bottles half buried per plant so it bypasses the wood chips

EqI plant my direct seeds in a shallow cardboard box and put it on top of mulch and let the box rot and the plants come up. I use wood chips around the box

Thank you very much , 🙏🙏🙏🙏

The circle for life I live it

It's the damn earwigs that mow squash sprouts for me and even plant starts. They are just as damaging as aphids. The key is to use a small chip mulch that will leave less space for bugs to get in. I use 1/8 inch sized for gardens and larger for flower beds and tree mulch. The stuff you get from commercial sources is often too big.

Good info.!

Thanks I plan use my Jerry Baker clean up on my wood chips. Also I do not plan use fresh wood chips in my veggie garden just yet will use leaves. Thanks

I use plastic juice bottles with the bottoms cut off and screening wired to the tops on top of my planted seeds to circumvent pill bugs, giant cockroaches, and field mice in my garden. I use yellow plastic and Vaseline as traps for whiteflies in the summer time.

I have a lot of woolly aphids on my kale. How can I get rid of them organically. Itried washing them of and bringing in beneficial insects, but that did not work.

Nice job. Thanks for the wood chip info!

Run irrigation tubing before the mulch

Mulching has caused me to use less water, not more. I run sprinklers for the same amount of time as before. Water soaks down. I water less days per month.

Just signed up for chip drop all raised beds just suppressing weeds around the beds .I’m in Florida all sand I’m hoping it will improve my soil and water retention. Believe it or not we go from swamp to desert in the dry season

@chunri1626

3 жыл бұрын

Same!

Does wine caps help with the problems?

If you're not into weeding and watering your garden consider purchasing a bagging mower. Them lawn clippings are garden gold. Leaves too. They attract worms and ...well you know.

I have had very little success with wood chips. I pull back the chips and plant my seeds. However my plants don’t grow. They normally get 2 inches tall and stop. I can grow tomatoes and potato’s but no leafy greens or carrots. I think my soil has too much clay and the roots can’t get established.

Little tidbit, "rolypoleys" are more closely related to lobsters than bugs/insects.

My neighbouring allotment holder laid around his plot a 6 inch layer over about 100 square yards of wood chip in the winter. This spring where ever he laid the wood chip a forest of mares tail have sprouted.

@AbideinChristFully

2 жыл бұрын

A big load of wood chips needs to sit for a few months before spreading to compost, and kill any seeds or disease.

Are you concerned about roundup or other herbicides that may have been used around or on the trees before they were chipped?

@rmcowdery

6 жыл бұрын

As a pro landscaper for 7 years, nobody uses roundup or other chemicals on the trees that get chipped. In the case of the company i work for, the chips come from hazzord trees or trees that have become damaged. There is no profit to the company chipping the trees in using chemicals on the tree or chips. Do look out for trash that the tree guys have thrown in the back of the truck after lunch though...

Thanks Would you recommend using Hay as mulch?

@elizabethglover5464

5 жыл бұрын

Check out Ruth Stout Method. That uses hay.

What about termites and Carpenter ants?

Won't DE have a negative impact on beneficial nematodes?

Started my first no dig organic cottage garden this Spring 2017. Was told by lasagna style gardeners it was OK to add pine bark mulch to the soil. I did and dissapointed in results. Do they leach nitrogen out of the soil? What should I do about it?

@wildrangeringreen

6 жыл бұрын

technicaly, yes. however, the amount of nitrogen the bacteria use is negligible

@sonofjapheth5382

6 жыл бұрын

Using wood chips is a patience game, it doesn't matter what type of tree the chips come from, just don't till them into the soil. I planted my first plants in an area I had placed wood chips nine months prior, and the results were good, but not great. The next year after they "kicked in" was better. The third year the plants really took off and produced like crazy. My wife saw the results and wanted me to put wood chips on the beds around the house, and now she has some of the prettiest flowers and rose bushes you ever saw. All this in a heavy muck to sandy concrete clay type soil.

I got really sick not once but twice on two different jobs,after I shoveled several big piles of wood chips that had mold and mold dust released into the air as I was shoveling. A feeling of extreme fatigue, labored breathing, chills,low grade fever, and soreness all over and some other strange symptoms.

@hotdogfrenchfries5707

5 жыл бұрын

It sounds like you're allergic to wood particles my guy

@lilywondertwin

4 жыл бұрын

Mold is very dangerous for your lungs ...

Will sawdust work as well as wood chips? I have access to sawdust from a sawmill and can get all I want for hauling it off. The wood sawed is primarily cottonwood for now. Any downside to this? I have mulched all my trees and they seem to be retaining moisture well. I am wondering how it will work for the back to Eden method.

@ikke1970100

6 жыл бұрын

No

@RedFarmerGreen

6 жыл бұрын

Any details on why? Does it shed rain? Do the small particles not allow oxygen once it packs down? I'm in the dark on this one and could use any advice I can get.

@ikke1970100

6 жыл бұрын

watch somme videos aboud woodchips , i am not a pro , my answer is NO it's not the same . It is hard for me to explane , i am from belgium and my english is bad ... watch back To Eden Garden

@RedFarmerGreen

6 жыл бұрын

I've been watching such videos and have not seen anyone using sawdust. I have access to sawdust but not the coarser chips. Looking for any information I can find.

@bluemarlin2004

5 жыл бұрын

@@RedFarmerGreen Saw dust should do great as covering. DO NOT MIX IT WITH SOIL. I made that mistake and I had nitrogen issues. But I fixed it easily by applying little bit of fresh manure at a time few inches away at the base of the plant. NOT ADVISABLE FOR VEGGIES THAT CAN BE EATEN FRESH. Any nitrogen rich fertilizer such as blood meal, fish emulsion, biogas effluent etc should work as well. Probably one issue in applying it in BTE method is that the saw dust particles is almost uniform. They will all decay at the same time. BTE continuously builds the soil by decaying smaller particles then the bigger ones. If you use saw dust you have to layer more often than that of wood chips.

Do wood chips help to get rid of slugs in the garden organically?

@winnipegnick

6 жыл бұрын

I read somewhere that wood chips help slugs hide and live in moist environments. Let me know if I am miss informed.

Hey I did hear you say black walnut trees. Don’t plant tomatoes under them. They tend to die. Vic

@VicsYard

6 жыл бұрын

My experience and others in my area. Thanks for commenting back. What you think? Vic

@VicsYard

6 жыл бұрын

No I like your comment. Thanks!

@debralpateart8862

6 жыл бұрын

Victor L. Fazio III I grow my tomatoes under pine trees and they get up to 10 ft. Tall. ( Indeterminate plants) I have signed up with a online company who are in contact with tree services all over the country. They give the tree service company addresses of people who have signed up and the tree service brings you wood chips free. I'm wondering if anyone has done this and did it work out ok??

@laurafrey5244

4 жыл бұрын

Black walnut trees make beautiful shade trees. ... But black walnut trees are not always good companions in the garden and yard. In fact, they can be toxic to nearby plants. Very often, when sensitive plants are grown near the roots of black walnut trees, the plants die.

How do you deal with snails?

yea compost all of it first so everything can eat it, basicly cook it for them, i had 6 inches of woodchips and it was difficult forsure, birds made a mess of it aswel

What about termites? Has that been an issue for you? I had a bunch of wood chips delivered for gardening and landscaping and as it sat there in a pile for a few weeks, I'm concerned to put it around my house because I feel like it'll make my home more prone to termites.

@GRDray

6 жыл бұрын

ZachLazarHoffman I was told cedar wood chips resist insects. It may include termites. I've never had a problem with cedar in the years I've used it. Hope this helps.

@judyhowell7075

5 жыл бұрын

My chips are live oaks and I’m in Florida no issues with termites

@carolsummers2185

5 жыл бұрын

I got wood chips for a Mulch around my House,the Termites had a field day eating out the Floors in 4 rooms of my House,and the pile was filled with Fire Ants,,, No wood Chips for me!

@judyhowell7075

5 жыл бұрын

I guess it depends on where you are and home construction. No issues here with any but my home is inspected annually per contract and it’s been fine,

@DonnieBrasco-dy9yd

5 жыл бұрын

Termite experts recommend leaving 9 inches of ground between woodchips and your home. They also say that any mulch from woodchips to rocks can serve as a pathway inside, it makes no difference. Nobody seems to do research before doing things or even think about other mulches possibly creating a pathway to their homes though...

The one thing that I've been worried about is getting batches of blackberry wood chips and sprout tons of blackberries where you don't want them

@1voluntaryist

6 жыл бұрын

B.B. grows from canes. Is that considered wood? Pile it up until the sprouts are composted, then spread.

Wear high end protecting mask when doing moving mulch. It is really critical you do this or else you'd inhale mold and all that stuff. Otherwise, very good stuff.

@plantabundance

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I haven't always worn a mask and I survived : ) I do recommend wearing a particulate respirator mask when moving woodchips. They're not very expensive and the filters can be replaced. I use the mask for other jobs as well. I made a video discussing this and other tips about moving chips here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qpp-zrxqYa3SobQ.html Cheers!

@virginiamoss7045

4 жыл бұрын

I would think not too much of a problem if it's wet, but then it's heavier when moving a large amount when wet. It's the dry dust that can be inhaled. Still, the wet mold can trigger allergies and maybe even pass on harmful spores. Best to wear protective masks.

I had an old stock pot that I put in the back yard and filled with kitchen scraps and covered the top with some wood, so the air could get in and a small amount of rain water.. It became a pot of rich manure that I used in the spring, to enrich the soil in my yard, which allowed my rose bush and other plants to grow and thrive. Never throw away an old stock pot. You never know...

@Joshua-bp9nl

5 жыл бұрын

Only way to turn kitchen scrapes to manure is to feed it to a animal. It probably became a rich pot of compost.

@DonnieBrasco-dy9yd

5 жыл бұрын

@@Joshua-bp9nl That's not actually true. Manure doesn't have to be animal waste. Common mistake.

8 inches of chips seems like an awful lot... I'm no expert but i think 4 inches max

@Tinyteacher1111

4 жыл бұрын

It is way too deep! My previous owner put about 4” of mulch over his other 4 or 5 “, and it started to grown weird fungi all over different places, including slime and shotgun mulch, which shoots out spores onto siding and cars that is extremely hard to get off! I also had been exposed to mold and was susceptible to molds. I got sick every time I gardened! I talked to a really knowledgeable man who worked at a nursery for 25 years, and he said he heard that all the time! He told me no one will remove the mulch now. I did find some guys to remove all the mulch, brought in more dirt and now I’m putting pine bark nuggets that doesn’t mold. It’s NOT worth getting sick!

Maybe compost is a better mulch!

@wileym

6 жыл бұрын

I use both. Compost + leaves + wood mulch in that order.

What about cockroaches and toads?

What eats the pill bugs? Is there a natural friendly predator that eats them that causes no harm to the garden?

@surfviewgardens2396

4 жыл бұрын

@Andrew Brent thanks. I see this doing a Google search: Creatures known to eat roly poly bugs include spiders, centipedes, ants, birds, toads and frogs. The roly poly bugs also prey on each other. If they are not eaten or killed in some other manner, roly poly bugs can live for up to three years---- I wonder if lizards will munch on them. If toads and frogs, why not lizards? Thanks again.

@lilywondertwin

4 жыл бұрын

Surfview Gardens Chickens

I call them Potato bugs.

🖖😊👍

Can they cause issues with slugs?

@hotdogfrenchfries5707

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, but when the woodchips are contiuously maintained slug predators should establish themselves pretty soon and you shoudnt even notice them at all after the first year, but if you live in suburbia it may be an issue

@lilywondertwin

4 жыл бұрын

Put out shallow dishes of beer for slugs it works

What about TERMITES?!? Won't I be attracting wood eaters to live near my wood house?

@carolsummers2185

5 жыл бұрын

Termites love wood chips,and cost a fortune to repair my House!

@Joshua-bp9nl

5 жыл бұрын

@@carolsummers2185, I understand termites eat dry wood, do let moist places hang around your house. You probably mulched right up to your house inviting the bugs. Hey great place to live and short walk to the dinner table.

@carolsummers2185

5 жыл бұрын

@@Joshua-bp9nl yep,right around my house!Big Mistake!

Booger

@MidEastAmerican

6 жыл бұрын

I hate that I laughed when I read your comment, but I was needing a laugh. This really was a good video and he seems like a nice guy, but man ... Let's just say I hope 'karma' doesn't find me. lmao

Amazing video, you also forgot about nitrogen sequestration if they are turned into the soil in any way. The bacteria rob the nitrogen to break down the carbon and leave the plants yellow and stunted.

@lindafriedman900

6 жыл бұрын

I have not had that experience. I have used woodchips for 4 years, and they get turned into the soil. my hugleculture does not stunt the plants either...

@gwenwilliams5940

6 жыл бұрын

Nitrogen sequestration usually happens at the very start of using wood chips. The microbes in the soil need nitrogen and will keep it from the plants as they grow. Once these microbes start to die off, the nitrogen will be released and available to the plants. Using a nitrogen rich compost is a great way to keep from having this issue. Since the first year of wood chips is the hardest for plants, many people stop using the wood chips before they turn into wonderful soil building blocks.

@1voluntaryist

6 жыл бұрын

How about adding your urine for nitrogen? Or put the chips in a pile/urine for the first 2-3 months, spread.

@gwenwilliams5940

6 жыл бұрын

Can use urine... I have heard of people using urine to jump start a compost pile too!

@gwenwilliams5940

6 жыл бұрын

I personally have not tried urine.

Here's a handy tip; don't use ChipDrop in the US.

@kingdolo23

2 жыл бұрын

Y not tell me more

@jwow4698

2 жыл бұрын

@@kingdolo23 Because I requested chips and they dumped a tree on my driveway. 90% tree, 10% chips. And did nothing to rectify the problem.

@ashleyrocha1028

Жыл бұрын

It asks if you want logs. I got wood chips from chip drop.

@jwow4698

Жыл бұрын

It asked if a few logs were okay, I said sure. Instead they literally dropped an entire tree. Trunk and all.

@jlynnb1

Жыл бұрын

They can’t control what the person drops. I’m pretty sure in one of the vids it says if you accept logs you might get some pretty big pieces.

just use wood chips for making compost and to path walkways. 100% wood chips is obviously a bad idea.

@zinknot

2 жыл бұрын

Why is it obviously bad? I'm planning to go 100% in my garden.

@WillAsplund

2 жыл бұрын

@@zinknot nitrogen depletion. Use well composted wood chips at the very least. Do a little reading.

@ashleyrocha1028

Жыл бұрын

@@WillAsplund you can just add some nitrogen back in like fish emulsion. They will take some nitrogen as they begin to break down but over time they will give it back.

@certified_boogeyman

Жыл бұрын

It doesn't deplete unless you mix it into the soil But as a mulch it can only affect the uppermost layer

Booger!

@yeezee6642

6 жыл бұрын

LOL!!!!!Thanks for making that the focus of the video, for me.

@chrismazz7757

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, OMG that’s all I can see!! I had to just listen and not watch.