How & Why I Use Wood Chip Mulch in the Garden!

[@D_J_R_S]

beast of a channel. you get straight to the point and dish out the goods. much appreciated!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@michellecardenas609]

I got a delivery for mulch from chip drop smells like fruit trees. Do you have issues with gnats or small flies? They are everywhere.

[@MIgardener]

Great episode about woodchips. We mulched our asparagus in our cottage garden under 3 inches when the plants were already growing like yours and they did terrific.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Luke!

[@importedtermite8]

I know this comment is three years old but it's great seeing fellow gardening youtubers enjoy each other's videos, especially when it's Michigan's own migardener!

[@bryanwickizer7485]

Aside from my decision to start gardening, I would say covering my yard and garden beds in woodchips is one of the best decisions I have made. My backyard is no longer a slippery mud mess in the winter, and I don't have to mow and weed eat anymore. I will admit that a small smile comes across my face every time hear my neighbors mowing their lawns on a beautiful summer day.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I know the feeling, Bryan! I don't miss mowing the lawn at all!

[@dominiqueamore9180]

I've tried doing the same - covering my yard and garden beds with wood chips and I love the appearance and ease of maintenance. My problem is the mosquitos have gotten out of control. Any suggestions on how to combat them.

[@dbendele]

mosquitos need standing water to multiply so treat any water near your garden area for mosquitoes.

[@mannyhappy]

Same. I also have mosquitoes. But my yard is also fairly shaded. No standing water and still a problem. Too much heat and humidity this year.

[@rbrassard7620]

It is said that mosquitoes can travel up to 1.5 km from their birth place. If you live near a swamp, it is likely to be a normal issue. However, if you live in an urban area, there are many things to check to make sure you don't grow your own mosquitoes. Ensure there is no place where water holds still for more than a couple of days. A mosquito grows from an egg to an adult in approximately 1 to 2 weeks during summer. The hotter the water, the faster it develops. Make sure to dry up the ends of tarps, have a look in your gutters to ensure debris aren't holding up water, empty wheelbarrows, buckets, kid toys, the inside of tires, anything holding water really. Put in clean water for bird baths; mosquito larva needs to eat nutrients in the water such as grass and decomposing leaves. Having a decorative pool of water with a fountain system is fine since the water is moving and thus creating an undesirable area for mosquitoes to lay eggs. You can share this information with your neighbors since mosquitoes don't care about fences :)

[@johndonatz6630]

This guy is like the Bob Ross of gardening - an ASMR enthusiast's dream! Thank you : D

[@kikiscomment]

Holy cow! I signed up for Chipdrop when I watched this video a couple of hours after you posted it. Today a guy showed up with an entire truck full of wood chips FOR FREE! I am amazed! Thanks for the tip and, as always, for the great videos. :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Kimberly! I'm glad it worked out so well!

[@knitnpaint]

You are so lucky. I have been signed up for 2 months and got nothing. I just added a $20 donation to see if that will get me some. It said it might increase your chances if you make a donation.

[@kikiscomment]

It probably helps that I live in the suburbs.

[@nicolasbertin8552]

Hi, Wood chip and organic matter in general is essential for the soil, it recreates the litter that exists in forests, so thanks for using it and spreading the word. Vegetable farmers in France are actively using it on no-till farms (many use straw or hay as well). A soil works this way : it eats up carbon, and craps nitrogen. Basically bacteria, fungi and worms eat carbon. Then the bacteria fix the nitrogen from the air (it's bacteria similar to the ones in symbiose with the legumes), the mushrooms eat the lignin in the wood and create glomalin, a mucus that keeps the soil together (which is why you get better water retention) and then worms eat the organic matter several times, crapping it and digesting again, creating worm castings rich in nitrogen, and they also pee ammonia on the plant roots. Their galleries help drain water, keep the soil oxygenated, and are guidelines for roots. Once you have fungi, these guys will dig up phosphorus and potassium from the rocks and give them to the plants via the mycorrhyza. The structure created by these organisms is humus, and it stores nitrogen in organic form, leaking a bit of it in mineral form. The organic form is stable : it's your bank, storing money. It's water proof, doesn't wash away in the rain. The mineral form is your bills : it's readily available for plants, you can use it right away. But it'll wash away under the rain. That is why wood chips and humus are better than compost or manure. Because compost and manure don't feed the soil (unless they're not fully degraded yet), they feed the plant, because they have nitrogen in mineral form. If you put on your soil in autumn thinking it'll feed your soil over winter, you'd be making a mistake (which I did...). The worms won't eat it, there's nothing to eat for them. And it'll be washed away in rivers by the winter rain. Anyway, keep using wood chips, you get amazingly fertile soil doing this. French farmers testify of giant onions and cauliflowers, so much that they need to plant them close enough so they don't grow too big (no one will by a 1 kg onion). They also measures sugar contents, and in a living soil you get higher sugar in the vegetables so they taste better. Also the added sugar makes them stronger against diseases like mildew, and the added biodiversity in the garden creates a balance so that pests are less of a problem. PS : don't forget to mention the nitrogen hunger a carbon mulch like wood will induce in your garden. If you put a mulch like that on a soil that's not rich enough in nitrogen, you'll have a deficiency in nitrogen for up to 6 months. That's because to start to degrade the mulch, the soil will use up its nitrogen stocks. That's only once enough humus has been formed that you get the nitrogen back. So when first using a mulch, it's best to either add nitrogen in the form of compost for example, or to only grow legumes. Normal plants will survive, but will stop growing for a few months, which might worry you.

[@charlenekociuba7396]

ugh! So I have a question, is there not a strategy to build up soil over winter? I have been creating mounded rows with pulverized wood chips, composted leaves and greens. I want to make these at least four inches high. In between rows I have put down unrotted wood chips, to step on. I have added egg shells and coffee grinds for added mineral and nitrogen. Is there anything I can do now? I was planning on putting down more composted leaves. From your synopsis, I deduce you don't recommend this task. It's all hard work for me as my "no dig" is upward from where I park the car so I have to haul. I'd like to make my top level productive, food wise. Any suggestions, advice? I will keep your paragraphs and refer to it. Thank you

[@nicolasbertin8552]

@@charlenekociuba7396 The only way to build soil over winter is if your climate is very warm. Worms do the bulk of the work, and they work best when the soil is at around 12-20° C. So in climates where it freezes and snows in winter, you'll have very little improvement of your soil over winter. However, on the coast of California for example, or in Florida, you definitely will. Also, worms work easier in loose soils, so if your soil is full of clay like mine, and it rains a lot in winter, asphyxiating the soil, not much will happen, and the work will happen starting around March. So it's a slow process. Also, don't put your nitrogen rich elements before winter, it's useless. They'll just get washed away by the winter rains. They should be used as fertilizer, when you plant stuff, or a few weeks before, in Spring. I myself use spent barley from breweries, it's full of nitrogen and phosphorus, and mineralize very quickly (faster than compost). Or if you do use those in Autumn, right now, then sow some green manure crops, like rye, oat, winter pea, fava beans, so they'll benefit from those minerals immediately, grow tall, produce a lot of biomass, which you can roll over or cut and use as mulch in Spring when they flower.

[@mnossy11]

@@nicolasbertin8552 so what would you suggest I do right now in Autumn to make a brand new garden (on top of a grass lawn) to prepare for next year? I was thinking of putting down some paper or cardboard to cover the grass, and put compost and/or wood chips on top to hopefully degrade until next spring. Is that a good idea?

[@ericwilliams1124]

​@@mnossy11This is what I'm thinking about doing.

[@vladimus9749]

This is the best single post I've ever seen explaining this in one place.

[@peterdienstmann2498]

Chip Drop also serves Canada. Got my chips yesterday (Markham, Ontario).

[@williammanning3174]

Power companies are constantly having to trim tree branches back to keep the power lines clear. They're usually happy to bring a dump truck load right to your house too. If fact, a few years ago, the local power company went all along our road (which has a lot of trees) and they had so many wood chips on hand that they went door to door asking people if they wanted them.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Great free resource for wood chips, William! It's great that the power company thought to give them away.

[@williammanning3174]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Til I saw your video I had forgotten about it. I'm gonna have to hit them up for another truckload soon.

[@kaval1er]

I put about 8" of wood chips on my asparagus last fall. This spring the emergence was delayed a bit, but the overall harvest was the same or better. I also got many compliments on how sweet my asparagus was. I attribute the delayed growth start to the chips possibly keeping the bed cooler longer. The delay didn't bother me. Also, nearly no weeds.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Kathleen!

[@carpentryfirst3048]

How's the asparagus? Any tips? I'm planting some this year for the first time

[@pennyharper419]

This is valuable info for me My asparagus bed is totally overgrown with Bermuda grass. I didn't know how to suppress the grass and fertilize the asparagus. I just discovered that 5" of wood chips stops Bermuda grass from coming up. I was afraid the deep chips would stop the asparagus from emerging. But reading your info, I learned it will not. Thanks for sharing your info.

[@damarenster]

High quality content as always. It's a great idea to use a bottomless bucket to fill the bags! Never thought of it. Will definitely use it!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, José!

[@mngardener6016]

José Luis Damaren z I stole that idea too. Lol

[@melanievarela4048]

Good info. I had 2 truck loads of arborist mulch dumped by the local electric service. They were pruning the neighborhood trees. I asked and they delivered. So easy. The second load came late in the afternoon, so I gave the boys some adult beverages for their trouble. Now when they're in the area, they check in with me! Garden looks great. Thanks.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Melanie! I'm glad you've found a great source for free wood chips!

[@singleman1986]

ABSOLUTELY! WELL done! I've found that ANY sort of 'tip' insures I'm close to the the top of 'the list'. I can get more free mulch and fill dirt than I can use. 30 years ago, I lived on a property with my 'driveways' on a VERY busy rural road. I also had a rarely used road on another end of the property where I wanted to change my access to, but I couldn't afford it. When the county decided to 'improve' the main road, the contractor stopped by one day and asked for permission to park his equipment on my lower property. (saved him a 30 mile round trip EACH day). I said, "sure, just delete the 2 access points on the busy road, and cut me in a single access on the less traveled road". I came home from work 3 months later to discover that they'd not only paved in a new access, they'd laid and compacted 530ft of gravel up to the house. When I thanked him, he told me I'd saved him 10 TIMES the cost of the driveway. WIN, WIN!

[@A宇宙之大]

Hi How are you? I need wood chips a lot, and could you please tell me how to contact right company, I tried to contact them but I could not go through. Thank you for your information.

[@markb8954]

@@A宇宙之大 Where are you located?

[@dowfor7]

I just got notified by ChipDrop that my first delivery will be in the next two days. They gave me the name and contact of the arborist, who is a local sole-proprietor arborist who can coordinate directly with me. Thanks for the tip!

[@OneYardRevolution]

I hope the drop went well!

[@dowfor7]

@@OneYardRevolution It was great! I think the best part was that it linked me and this local guy up, and we've been able to discuss and coordinate future drops directly.

[@iamorganicgardening]

Great explanation and answering some of the main concerns using wood chip mulch.. All Positive. Thank You Patrick

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Mark!

[@mikegrass6629]

I AM ORGANIC GARDENING p

[@lorikcoquat]

I loved what you said! You explained so simply a very complicated process! And it does work! Be encouraged. Pay no attention to any bad comments. I'm 60 and have been gardening for over 40 years and and have used leaves because they are cheap. I have had very successful gardening in the past and I still do. Thank you so much! It makes me happy too! I think we would enjoy having a chat! God bless you

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Lori!

[@garretthohn]

You're like the Bob Ross of gardening. Such a soothing and gentle vibe!

[@MidwestGardener]

You're preaching to the choir here Patrick :) I love the results you are getting. I just wish I would have started using wood chips sooner. I really like the results I've seen in my garden. I think it is especially beneficial on my sandy loam type soil.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad to hear it, Jim! Yeah, wood chips are great for sandy soil.

[@111Lky]

Loved the video! Thank you for sharing all the great info! I dumped about 6-7 (free wood chips delivered by tree cutting company)truck fulls of wood chips into my garden. Started in winter all the way through early spring. When we had high temps with no rain the area under the wood chips was still moist compared to areas without mulch which has become crusted and very dry. Less weeding to do.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I'm glad you're seeing positive results from wood chips.

[@juanbuddha4202]

Woodchips are a huge benefit to my garden. Not only does it retain moisture which saves me money and friendlier for the environment but it's also loaded with microbes and mycorrhizae. Less dust flying in the air as well. easier to control bug populations, and smells kinda nice when wet.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad you've had great results using wood chips too!

[@georgeblumer1496]

In my small orchard I use chips to level ground. When the grass grows through I get the benefit of more efficient irrigation and improving soil over time. I love it.

[@brandonlowe2773]

I have come full circle! This was the first video I heard mention chip drop. I finally got my drop yesterday and in their confirmation email they linked me back to this video! Love your channel. Keep doing what you're doing!

[@MeiNatureGarden]

Thank you so much! It took me four days to watch all the videos on May this year and totally changed my garden theory. And now I start to follow your method this year to gardening. Wow! Less work, Less weeds, Less pest, no fertilizer, more harvest and feel much much better, feel not only gardening but to keep the earth balanced and better .Thanks! Learn something from your video every-time.

[@OneYardRevolution]

My pleasure, Cuimei! Thanks so much for letting me know you've had great results following the methods I share in my videos!

[@veggiemom5]

Enjoy your videos. So much great information! We got free mulch from a local tree trimmer who brought it to our house. We mulched our asparagus with 2-3" and it came up great. Plan to put more on to help keep the weeds down. Also use mulch in our garden paths and around all my perennials. Missed the kitty! :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Heidi! Oscar doesn't work when it's hot out. It's in his contract.

[@catfunksfabulousfinds]

I ordered a chip drop in spring of 2020 when I saw this video the first time. Due to the Pandemic & I live away from town I finally got a huge load of wood chips in late May 2021. I'm very excited to see how it approves my soil in the years to come. Who needs a gum when you have 20-30 yards of chips. They were indeed ground leaves & branches. It looks like a very good ratio of 2 brown to one green. I am composting some of it with thin layers of grass clippings & compost. Happy gardening!

[@brendachapman4559]

I use wood chips also and love them! When I get them from the wood chip pile I use a pitch fork. It seems like it wouldn't work but it works great! It goes through the pile a lot better than a shovel and it heaps up so you are really getting more each time. Much Love and Blessings

[@TheNakidGardeners]

Great tips on how to use the wood chip for mulch. I just started to use it for our walkways since our soil here in North Texas is heavy clay. When it rains it is hard not to track mud all around the garden and in the house.

[@katday1335]

I started mulching with wood chips this year! I did have a problem with both slugs and earwigs initially, but it helped with my grasshopper problem. I'm glad to hear that eventually it evens out, and I'm already seeing less pressure from those pests after just a month or so. I'm excited for next year to see how they do. Thanks for yet another helpful video! -Kat

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Kat! Best wishes with your garden.

[@Ann-dj6kr]

Kat Day Earwigs are beneficial : they eat aphids.

[@bw83m94]

Kat Day Don't know your particular situation, but if you have the room ducks decimate slugs. They also do it without tearing up your garden, and digging up your beds. Not to mention ducks are hilarious to watch waddle around chasing every bug they see. Had an initial problem with slugs destroying my strawberries after I mulched the entire area. Now between the ducks, centipedes, and beetles the slugs are few and far between, just enough to balance the system.

[@katday1335]

Ann De Nys - yes, in normal numbers they're great, but we had an explosion of them and I came out several times at night to see what was eating all of my plants, and it was earwigs and slugs both! Just covering my seedlings, and eating them down to nothing. I'm hoping their habitat evens out.

[@katday1335]

Blake Wheeler - I actually am fostering 3 mallards right now! But they only want to hang out in my chicken coop 😂they're still pretty small, but maybe when they get a little bigger, I will try that. Help them hear the call of the wild, so that when they have flight feathers they can fly away and know how to catch bugs on their own! I'd let them all out, but my chickens do damage my garden quite a bit.

[@Matt_j593]

This is outstanding and simple to implement. I heavily mulch my garden and found that my town's public works department has a pile for use, because I learned you had one in Chicago. I'm a 3rd gardener and two things have made a huge change and they are woodchips and coffee grounds. I have first year asparagus, from seed and a thick mulch has really helped them. Thank you Patrick for all the help you've given me and many other gardeners.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're very welcome, Matt! I'm glad to hear you're having success with your garden and wood chips and coffee grounds have helped.

[@kimberlyguimond4186]

I too have been using wood chips in my pathways and anywhere there is dirt to keep away the mud in the winter. I have been lucky to have a local tree service that dumps them in my back yard just where I want them. Hoping to get another truck load this fall when it is cooler. I love the way my yard looks with them and in another year ( year three) I will see about planting in the pathways like you have done. Thank -you, Patrick, you have been an inspiration to me.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Kimberly! I'm glad to hear you're putting wood chips to good use in your garden.

[@jillhumphrys8073]

Ive always been big promoter of woodchips esp in flower beds bc it looks so nice. I used it last yr but had half the beds i have now. So im kyping junk hay from the calf pens that has been trampled and bleached out from the sun. It no longer has seed heads and what little remains is easily managed. Mulch is so so important for many reasons and wood chips are by far my favorite.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad you're using wood chips too, Jill!

[@constantinaolstedt]

I keep rewatching because of the lovely atmosphere and superb teaching. Thankyou from Stockholm Sweden 🤗 I so hope you are well and just busy with the music....

[@AlHaqimBarrett]

Thank you for another great video. Here in Lee County Florida, we do not have the best county waste dept, it does dump mulch but it is transported in garbage trucks and smells like a rotten corpse for week and is only every palm tree core. But have feet will travel and I got lucky to make contact with a local tree service that was happy to drop mulch. This year only I have had 200 yards of live oak mulch dumped along with some whole logs of that same oak. Indeed mulch of all kinds have been great for our sugar sand soil here. I noticed since January that the top inch or so is black as pitch and loaded with all manner of creatures. Wood chips is one of the best things for a family garden to have. Again thank you so very much for you videos and if you can do them daily I know I would be happy to view them all. LOL! Be well and safe, and thank you again.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Wow, that's a lot of wood chips! You're right. Wood chips are great for sandy soil. They make an amazing difference.

[@AcornHillHomestead]

I also started using chop and drop in our garden. It leaves a more interesting texture to the beds. We have several vines and shrubs. It cuts back on waste bags when cutting them back to the ground and the beds look great too.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great, Janette! It sure is a lot easier than making compost or hauling in mulch from outside the garden.

[@judeirwin2222]

Great job. Clear and concise, with excellent videography. We are in Portugal - so badlyt affected by forest fires, drought and erosion - and have an industrial size chipper. We help people clean up their land by chipping waste wood and brash, but few here understand the huge value of wood chips for soil health and water retention, so we will no doubt be educating our client base for a few years to come.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks Jude! Thanks for spreading the word about wood chips.

[@JebGardener]

That was a very informative video. I love wood chips!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Jeb!

[@smeedgar]

Hello, Jeb! Nice video!

[@becca4736]

I'm sharing this video with everyone. I turned quarry tailings into an amazing garden using wood chips.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Becca! Congratulations on the success with your garden.

[@kevinwharem6464]

When I first read your comment, Becca, I took it to mean you were hauling in and mixing quarry tailings with wood chips in some sort of renegade composting system! Had I not read Elizabeth's comment, I'd still be confused! :-) I guess in a way, you ARE composting wood chips into quarry tailings... just not the way I misunderstood it at first! Thanks for sharing your results!!

[@finac6194]

I have a first year asparagus bed I built this year. I plant 2 year old rooting, and covered with woodchips. I just had 5 new shoots come up in the past week, mid-July! Mind you that I'm in zone 7b. So I'm surprised every time I see one coming up. I love woodchips, and I love your channel. Picked up some new hints in this video.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Fina! I'm glad to hear your asparagus is doing well with wood chip mulch!

[@jjinnc50]

I have a small 20' × 8 ' area in my woodchip garden reserved specifically for the 2 varieties of Asparagus my family likes. It grows very well and in my area is fairly insect resistant on its own. Also seems to be fairly fungal tolerant/resistant as well. My yields have improved every year since planting the first donors 2 years ago. I would rate the growing experience for this veggie to be very good. Great yeilds that build stronger shoots with each season. I cut/harvest the shoots below the wood chip line and more shoots replace them very quickly. Very clean operation. No disease yet from fungals present in chips. As a wood chip gardener fungal blooms can actually be common as the environment stabilizes hygroscopically.. I also keep a keen eye on this crop because they grow so fast. Best of luck with yours... great info, keep up what you do so very informative.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! And thanks for sharing your experience growing asparagus with wood chip mulch.

[@pamjones6465]

I use wood chips. Great source for the garden. I started out using about 10 in depth and add 1to 2 each year as needed. Thank you for sharing. It is much appreciated.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Pam! I'm glad you're using wood chips with success too.

[@TheSchellb]

We had our trees trimmed last year so I ask the tree trimmer guy to leave the wood chips, not only he left ours but the rest of his truck load onto my driveway. OMG it must have been almost a ton. Lordy, lordy thought it would take forever to get this stuff into my flower garden beds. Previously, I have used my mulch leaves from the year before but always ran out before I could get all the beds done. The wood chips took care of all my garden beds and still have a couple of wheel barrels left over. I had to spread this stuff pretty thick and was afraid my plants wouldn't come up this year. I was wrong they all came up through this thick mulch and looked very healthy. Didn't see many weeds and only had to weed once so far. The soil underneath is very rich and moist. I sure can't see spend any money on mulch ever, when you can get this stuff. I didn't know you could use it for the vegetable garden, but now I will.. Thanks for posting this video..

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome! I'm glad you're getting great results with free wood chips too. Yes, wood chips are great for vegetable gardens, though we don't use them on our smaller annuals.

[@AviSLeigh]

Just signed up for chipdrop! Can’t wait to get this soil as beautiful as yours!!!

[@azgardener79]

Did you put some down yet? If so, are you seeing results? I can tell you that I'm on year 3 now and the soil in parts of my yard is black and rich

[@jenjenr3066]

I ordered chips from ChipDrop, & it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I have a big garden, & weeding was my biggest issue every spring/summer. But not any longer! Bringing in wood chips has dramatically cut my weeding-I’d say by at least 80%. The chips are easily raked away when you’re planting your starts/seeds, & placed back as soon as needed.

[@davesallotmentdiary3945]

loving the tyrion inspired t shirt. woodchip is amazing for my heavy clay soil

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Dave! Glad you got the joke.

[@josiew47]

Patrick I love your straightforward approach to gardening. It is enjoyable to watch. bye from Brisbane Australia.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I hope you're having a great winter!

[@josiew47]

We are... of course its not really winter here in Queensland... More like Florida weather I'm told. Although it was 6 c yesterday morning. A bit chilly.

[@fire7side]

I finally scored a couple small pickup truck loads of wood chips this year. I did the strawberry patch, the trees, and between wide rows in my garden. They leave me a lot more grass clippings for my garden.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great!

[@Ihaveausernametoo]

Soothing to watch you garden. It's clear you've become very competent. Sharing is caring. Thank you for all your wisdom. Speaking for me, it's been put to good use in my own gardening. All the best to you.

[@eddieleong6490]

Hi, I live in Singapore. Have started to network with an agriculture graduate in Rwanda. He and his team are enthusiastic to advance new ideas. Will pass this video to him.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Eddie!

[@debraarizona4809]

I always wondered how to use wood chips. Watching this video I know how to use woodchips,and the benefits of using them in your yard/garden. This video was very helpful,and interesting.You have an awesome garden,very green and healthy looking. Thank you for sharing.🌹

[@sujannna]

Excellent instructional video. This is the first video where I didn't hear 'filler' words like; um, uh, and uh, so uh, and so, basically and usually. looking forward to all your posts. Thanks

[@vegemitegirl1971]

I'm in South Australia and love woodchips. We get summers of 130°f and we found woodchips retain moisture really well.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad to hear it, Lee! I would absolutely melt in that heat. I hope you're having a "cool" winter.

[@vegemitegirl1971]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening cold enough. It's currently 45 where I live. We have similar weather to Houston, minus the humidity

[@dianeholycross]

Once again, you ROCK! You are truly gifted as a teacher.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Diane!

[@zacjohnson1425]

The shirt truly is the unsung hero of this video.

[@OneYardRevolution]

LOL

[@maz5148]

So glad I happened on your vid! I am somewhat a newbie at gardening however thought that wood chips would be the way to go re weeds, moisture retention (min water use), neat appearance, and easy to replace/add-to. Liked your ease of presentation and learning new reasons for using wood chips. Thank you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@carpentryfirst3048]

I messaged a bunch of tree service companies in my area on Kijiji and within 24 hrs I had around 5 yds dropped off on my driveway. Very clean, finely chopped pine tree. Great mix of needles, bark and wood.

[@terry5274]

I've had volunteer asparagus all over my yard where I put wood chips. it didn't seem to matter how deep the chips were. I had also spread seeds and forgot and those have sprouted amazingly.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Terry!

[@elysejoseph]

Glad I'm not the only one using the word allelopathic :'D I would say 2 inches (5 cm) is what I've put on my asparagus, but last year it was wood shaving given to me for free by one of my brother in law. The asparagus didn't seem to mind and the King Stropharia are loving it ;-) Great job as always Patrick!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Elyse! Good, I went about 5 cm deep too.

[@carlyrich8241]

My husband works for a tree service and we were literally drowning in wood chips and put them EVERYWHERE. We have heavy clay soil, which after several months to a year has turned into this INCREDIBLE almost worm casting like rich soil under the chips. I'm so sold.

[@chpbd]

I am EXTREMELY envious! I have been trying to get "free" chips for months here in Olympia WA with absolutely no luck. Signed up for ChipDrop...nothing. Contact Asplundh directly...no luck. I am sad...LOL...but very happy for you.

[@carlyrich8241]

@@chpbd I'd just keep trying and if possible go to the smaller tree services. My husband's company is very small and he gets to choose what he does with the chips (not worth some of the big companies' time). They literally take them to do the dump fairly often and pay to dump them. If possible if you have a location they can access easily and dump whenever regardless of whether you are there that'll probably sell them as well. Just thoughts because I have a whole list of people I tried to coordinate locally for my husband's job because once we couldn't take any more I was like there are people who would LOVE this, why waste it.

[@pershop4950]

I also had good success mulching with pine shavings. I had an extra bag from no longer needing it for my little pets, and I decided, i wanted to give it a try out in the garden. As the pine shavings decomposed down, the following year, that area was amazing, rich and black and moist. But the main idea is to mulch...so mulching is good, even in an area that you will be growing in (not just the paths of the garden).

[@OneYardRevolution]

I agree. We use organic mulch on our entire garden.

[@marknetteler7016]

Still the best gardening channel on KZbin. Thanks again Patrick for all the useful info. I have already contacted Chip Drop and my local arborist. Sure hope I can get my wood chips for free!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Mark! I hope chip drop works for you!

[@MalarkusD]

Also the metric conversions on screen are very helpful!!

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad they helped!

[@DeBiotuin]

This year, I started my community garden with 2 freights of woodchips dumped at the site! Friends and family looked like I was somewhat of a goof, but results are tremendous. I do get some weird funghus/mushrooms growing on top of my woodchip pile: White/orange/brown, bubbly and sometimes oozing orange liquid. Suppose it's nothing to worry about? Tip: Maybe an eposide about all the funghus, mosses, weeds you've had growing in your garden, and how dealt with them? Keep it up!

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad to hear your garden is doing well with wood chip mulch! Don't worry at all about the fungi on the chips. That's how they chips break down and it's a good thing.

[@Wakwaw796]

that's the good thing. fungi will breakdown the wood chips and it looks cool though

[@bernieshomestead6416]

Great video I just got my first chip drop today and I’ve already started to spread it all over my gardens and even in my chicken coop as a deep bedding for the chickens and I’ve also given it to neighbors and friends so it’s really a great service I was very happy with the service .

[@singleman1986]

You know what Patrick, I don't think you really realize just how GOOD you are at what you do. I open my e-mail every day looking for notifications from YOUR channel. I'm easily old enough to be your dad. Until I discovered the internet, I had NO idea YOUR knowledge FAR surpasses what my Momma taught me about gardening. Don't get me wrong here, she had the 'greenest' thumb I've ever known. But weeding sucks!

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's very nice of you to say. I'm glad I've been able to add to the wealth of knowledge your Momma already gave you.

[@robertrembert4818]

So far i read no one mulching asparagus with wood chips...i do not add much, a few inches, but it would not be a problem going 6 inches... all depends how developed your soil is, or how much potential weed problems, and of course first, how much wood chips you have. For growing asparagus, it is such a pretty, tasty, and hardy plant, i want to recommend using it as an ornamental, like along with perennial flowers. i think a few crowns would look great in your front yard Patrick, like against the house... And i wanted to add that the T-shirts are a nice addition! Thanks for all the great info and videos... and we do miss Oscar!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Robert! From other comments I've received, it sounds like people have had great success mulching asparagus with a few inches of wood chips. Oscar refuses to work when it's hot out. It's in his contract.

[@jereomemoore7269]

Thanks for the information. I live in a rural area and finding mulch and compost can be daunting. But hopefully with Chipdrop I should be able to get some wood chips for my garden.

[@rik80280]

Well, I finally did it! I contacted a local tree service, and they are going to give me a dump truck load of wood chips in the next day or two! I can't wait to stop having to weed-whack around my beds. I'm a woodworker, so I've been using drill shavings and sawdust, but with my garden expansion this year, I haven't had nearly enough. Not to mention kiln dried wood takes a long time to break down.

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great! Congrats on getting the load of chips!

[@allotmental.]

I use wood chips on my Allotment over here in the UK, I find the only downside is seeds from the trees are sometimes mixed in and start to grow but overall they are great 👍

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad to hear you're using wood chips in the UK!

[@nsshields83]

I got my delivery today. I waited for over five mths but they didn't disappoint. They put it right by my garage so my car was block but my son help me move it to get the car out. I'll be doing some gardening this week.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm happy to hear the delivery went well!

[@lesleyannehorst]

CHIP DROP IS THE BEST!!!! Wish I knew about it before spending so much on mulch deliveries in the past.

[@salvadorpatino6248]

thank you for the arborist link. I have been trying to find a cheap/free way to get chips.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome, Salvador!

[@gratituderanch9406]

Salvador Patino with chip drop, if you've been waiting too long to get your chips, you can choose and amount to pay for it. it can increase the speed or likelihood of you getting wood chips. seriously, you could pick any amount. We waited forever, then opted to pay $20, and after that almost immediately we got a HUGE pile. and we've got a large garden and walkways as well too, and we still have some left. was well worth the $20. 😊

[@bw83m94]

Salvador Patino Honestly just drive through your area in the summer. If you know of an area where new roads are being constructed, or see the power company out working on lines, a trimming/shredding operation isn't far away. If you see the guys out trimming and chipping just pull over and ask them. They'll GLADLY drop them off at your house for free assuming your driveway will fit their truck. They have to drive them somewhere anyway, and offering to take them saves their company money on dump fees. If you can get the chips dumped near where you use them all the better. It takes MANY trips with a wheelbarrow for a single truck load of wood chips.

[@punkyroo]

Chip Drop doesn't always work, even when you offer money. I waited a year, offering the max amount of money, and got nothing. Even talking directly to tree services may not work. In my area wood chips are sold as mulch or burned for energy. As a result they have a significant value and it's really difficult to get them for free.

[@AlecMuller]

I got my first two truckloads from ChipDrop last week after signing up 2 years ago. It's definitely not something you can rely on, but saves a ton of work if you luck out.

[@acebuggers2744]

LOVE wood mulch! Only problem I have had is finding a ton of grubs in my pile, but digging through and collecting them for our chickens made for some happy chickens. :)

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad you like them too. If you have ground beetles where you live, they'll help with the grub problem (they eat them).

[@Lizbeth120]

Since watching your channel we decided to start using hardwood mulch this year, spread 3 inches thick over cardboard to kill the grass. I'm already seeing an improvement and can't wait to see what it does to our yucky, heavy clay soil over time! It's awesome that you have a source for free, reliable wood chips. I'm really hesitant to use the free sources in our area after hearing and experiencing some horror stories (poison ivy and crab grass contamination that took WEEKS to get rid of!).

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad you're seeing positive results, Elizabeth! Wood chips will work wonders on clay soil. Poison ivy and crab grass from wood chips?

[@Lizbeth120]

the poison ivy roots grow up the trees here, a friend of ours got chips from the power company trimming along the roadways and he suspects the poison ivy roots get chipped up with everything else. we got an infestation of crab grass at our master gardener demonstration garden from the woodchips supplied for free from the county dump. I bet the chipdrop chips are way better since they are coming from legitimate arborists! for now, we just order 10 CuYards from a local nursery but I think we will try chipdrop next year, thanks for the rec!

[@Lizbeth120]

the poison ivy roots grow up the trees here, a friend of ours got chips from the power company trimming along the roadways and he suspects the poison ivy roots get chipped up with everything else. we got an infestation of crab grass at our master gardener demonstration garden from the woodchips supplied for free from the county dump. I bet the chipdrop chips are way better since they are coming from legitimate arborists! for now, we just order 10 CuYards from a local nursery but I think we will try chipdrop next year, thanks for the rec!

[@jtdavies3]

I put about 2 inches of wood chip mulch on my asparagus. But after batting asparagus beetles all last year, I decided to remove and in the fall when I prune the asparagus and replace it in the spring. This year there have been very few beetles. Mulch, pruning, weather, predatory insects? Who knows, but I know I don't have a beetle problem so I'll keep up the fall mulch removal.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, John!

[@Madredante]

I asked the tree trimming guys who were clearing the electric lines for some wood chips. They dumped off three truck loads from the neighborhood. One thing I did not plan on was it had poison ivy in there somewhere. 😬 I will have to cover it up with something else but it put a good layer down that's keeping out weeds.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm sorry to hear that. Are you seeing new plants coming up or the chips contain chipped ivy?

[@Karl_Degraa]

The evidence put forward in this video lead me to heavily mulch trees in my orchard with wood chips. The mulching works. Thanks.

[@JohnMartinez-sm1sk]

Great garden, looks very healthy

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks John!

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

I ALWAYS MAKE A TOP SOIL FROM WOODCHIPS PLANTS LOVE IT

[@_dave4460]

at 2:15 this is the second video that says no carpenter ants or termites in woodchips. i had a dumptruck load delivered and we have both and even fireants and centipedes! we’re working on a way of ridding them without hurting bees (or anything but them)...

[@charlie99210]

Here in my town, the City has a yard waste yard that takes in all kinds of yard waste. They grind up the tree branches and other wood waste, and stockpile for residents to use. Leaves and grass are kept in a separate area, and left to break down on their own. All are free to residents to pick up, as long as you are willing to load them yourself.

[@JastaAdventures]

We love your channel! Thanks for the Chipdrop tip. We signed up and got a drop a week or two ago. We've reached already used up all the woodchips and are going to request more.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Krista! I'm glad chipdrop delivered for you!

[@bw83m94]

Wood chips are easily the best kept secret in gardening. The difference from one season of having some fruit trees mulched heavy and others 10 foot away not mulched is staggering. I'm talking 3+ feet of growth staggering, though some could be the result of certain cultivars being more suited for my yard. Hint on walnut concerns. It can still be used around certain species of plants and trees. A quick search shows which species aren't affected by juglone, pears for example. The others, if you let the pile sit for a season they'll be perfectly safe to use (hence my one year growth experiment). The real concentrations of the juglone are in the roots and hulls around the nuts. Never used wood chips on my asparagus, but I mulch and bag all the leaves I can get my hands on every fall. I run them through a leaf blower with a yard-vac/mulching feature. A simple ride down the streets in town yields me handy, pre-bagged, free mulch. The asparagus is in a double-dug raised bed of cinder blocks, so I usually top the bed off to level with the blocks. Probably 3 inches worth. No issues thus far. Only two seasons in, so next year I should really pull in a harvest.

[@OneYardRevolution]

I'm glad you've seen great results with wood chips too, Blake!

[@littlecougarkitty3063]

Great video. I love woodchips, thank you so much for turning me on to them.. But where's Oscar? Last April (2016) when we planted asparagus crowns, I covered them with 2" of woodchips. This year, around February, I put on 3-4" more. The second year shoots had no problem coming up, in abundance.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Oscar doesn't work when it's hot out. It's in his contract.

[@peterloizeaux7824]

I have a horse arena just down the road from me where I can get all the wood shavings I want. In addition there is plenty of horse manure in the mix. The one additional thing I do is lay down newspaper (about 3 layers think) and then add the compost of horse manure and wood chips on top of that. I have little to no weeds as a result. In the spring I turn it all with my tiller. The top layer of chips and compost have been rotting over the past summer and winter and as a result I've never had need of any soil additives. Anyone that keeps horses is more than glad for you to take all you want. I try and get some that has been rotting (aged) for some time and has already started to break down.

[@eyesopenwideawake7057]

Great little video. Really appreciate the excellent sound quality, thank you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@bonsaibean2971]

Wood chip mulch (and compost) is free in my town for residents. This is made from the yardwaste, fall leaf pickup, & tree trimming the city does. It's $20 per truckload for the mulch, or free if you just scoop buckets full yourself.

[@HighDesertGarden]

Your video quality keeps getting better. Good to see you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! How's your garden doing this year?

[@HighDesertGarden]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening my tomatoes and sun chokes are doing great. Had a good strawberry harvest too. Potato tower seems to be doing good so far. Hopefully will have an unavailing this fall. Not sure if I'll get any peppers this year.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Make sure to do a video on the potato tower if it works!

[@stealthtrees96]

put about 3 inches of wood chips on asparagus, came up fine although a few had a little damage from pushing through

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks!

[@Acappellaoke]

I searched for the definition of a word you used (Alilopathic?) but couldn't find it. I wanted to research other trees whose chips I might not want to use, particularly Eucalyptus. Informative video. Thank you.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Here it is: al·le·lop·a·thy əlēˈläpəTHē,ˌalə-/ the chemical inhibition of one plant (or other organism) by another, due to the release into the environment of substances acting as germination or growth inhibitors.

[@Acappellaoke]

Thank you. " )

[@LolitasGarden]

Great video. The shooting quality has reached an all-time high. Thanks for the info and look into your process.

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks, Ian! How's the new property coming along?

[@LolitasGarden]

OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening It's taking a lifetime. Imagine that. :)

[@shesanalien89]

Do the wood chips need to be aged before applying? I have an arbourist friend who drops off mulch and I cant find any info on if its ok to apply right away.

[@jaredkjones1]

Patrick great videos as always! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. This may be off topic but i was wondering what your process of cleaning your greens is. Specifically im talking about the dirtiest of all...lettuce. i find myself using around 3 gallons of water to triple rinse a couple days worth of salad. We have had a bad experience with a giant spider crawling out of our dinner plate before, not to mention the potential for roundworms from consuming trace amounts of soil. Do you use similar amounts of rinse water or am i just paranoid? I figured if anyone had figured out a more efficient process it would be you!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! I typically wash them in a large pot with a couple gallons of water. I completely submerge the greens and shake them under the water. I then use the water on the garden. I hope this helps!

[@2fluffybunnies]

i've waited 3 years. but we are finally able to accept a wood chip drop today. i can't wait to follow your lead

[@routeram]

Hi Pat, I have watched a lot of your videos but this is my first comment! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. Do you see any roach problems with the woodchips? I like your use of the bottomless bucket and will use it. How many buckets do you do in a bag? I find it is hard work to transport! Also if you use a garden fork to collect the mulch instead of a shovel, it will be much easier.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're very welcome! I've never seen any roaches in the wood chips. As a rule, wood chips don't attract roaches, but wood roaches might be attracted to mulch (I'm not sure because there aren't any here). I put 5 buckets in a bag (they're quite heavy). I much prefer a shovel.

[@SteveSilverActor]

I just used chipdrop. It's a great service, but just be aware that a whole dump truck of wood chips will be delivered. Make sure you have the space!

[@OneYardRevolution]

Great point, Steve!

[@mlong1968]

Thanks for the link to the wood chipper. Hopefully they'll have something here in Vegas.

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome! I hope they help you get some wood chips!

[@Jonathan-tr9tx]

cool, I usually use leaves for asparagus, but those chips will do a good job too

[@OneYardRevolution]

Yeah, leaves work great too.

[@jackiehorsley9263]

Enjoyed your video iam glad your able to use wood chips in your garden I did that at one time but the only thing was I had to buy it buy the bag I was not able to have it brought in by the truck load for free I live in town and don't, have the room

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Yeah, it's too bad they won't deliver a smaller load.

[@tauceti8341]

3:10 Chip Drop, Local Arborists possible free to avoid dumping fee

[@persistentone3448]

Very well done presentation that covers all of the important issues.... Do you ever see a need to add animal compost underneath the arborist wood chips, as an additional fertilizer?

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! Yes, when I plant crops, I brush the wood chips aside and apply a little compost or vermicompost.

[@KatWilton]

We're switching over to wood chips ourselves. We have a good chipper and quite a few trees that have been felled and are ready to chip. However, with the summer heat, we are considering going to get chipped wood from the county so we have a large amount to get all the initial mulching done on our property. Big question: how much should we worry about any diseased trees that the county has mulched?

[@OneYardRevolution]

That's great, Kathryn! I wouldn't worry about diseased trees. I've been doing this for many decades without issues. This article briefly addresses that topic: puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/wood-chips.pdf

[@OneYardRevolution]

This article has more information on the topic: puyallup.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/wood-chip-pathogens.pdf

[@KatWilton]

Thanks so much!

[@OneYardRevolution]

You're welcome!

[@Frozen518]

Could anyone tell me the cheapest, simplest way to sheet mulch or lasagna over my existing lawn? I'm having a hard time finding consistent information. Seems like it's anywhere from just cardboard with wood chips dumped on top, to grass clippings and manure and compost and straw and amendments and... You get the idea. First time home owner, first time gardener. Any advice would be very appreciated! Thank you for the lovely information Patrick. Best gardening channel I've found. Looking forward to starting to grow things for the first time after I murder my grass! ;)

[@OneYardRevolution]

Thanks! You can pile any type of organic matter on top of the cardboard. For walking paths, I cover the cardboard with wood chips. For future garden beds, I cover it with compost, leaves, grass clippings from untreated lawns, used coffee grounds, and ground eggshells.

[@pershop4950]

Your mention of not finding consistent information is because you can do all of that. You'll either want the wood lower down or on top as a mulch, or put it in but wait a while to use it.