Viewing post #2467471 by Intheswamp

mmolyson said:Ed,
I know this is a very late response, but for future reference. Arborist (tree trimmers) are always looking to get rid of a truckload of wood chips. The good news is that it is not from road work, it is from people's properties where they had a tree die, or one had to be taken down, so pesticides are not normally a concern. You can arrange one online at this website: https://getchipdrop.com The woodchips are free, it saves the tree cutters from having to pay to dump them at a landfill. The thing is, you usually have to take the whole load which is 15-20 cubic yards!!!! The Extension Service research says this is the absolute best mulch for slopes because it interlocks and does not wash down if you put it down 4-6 inches thick. That is primarily what I've used it for as well as paths. There is another problem, while it is a great weed suppressor for the weed seed bank already in the soil, obviously need weeds will come along. The new weeds are usually very easy to remove if you put the mulch down thick enough. The exception is oak and hickory seeds. A study out of Rutgers demonstrated that this type of mulch actually accelerates the germination of acorns and hickory nuts because it simulates late-stage forest ecology. Most of these nuts are not more than 30 feet from their parent trees, so if you do not have this type of hardwood close to where you want to lay your paths it should not be a problem. I did not know this at the time I put in my paths and the path by my oak trees looks like a little oak forest. Every time I walk my path I bend over and pull 5 oak seedlings. I figure that maybe in 5 years the path will be clear or I'm just fooling myself!

Here's a *very* late "thanks!" for your reply, Moggs. That is indeed some good information and it makes sense...it's creating a forest floor soil ecosystem. I do have three white oaks in close proximity to the garden...probably 40-50 feet away. There's a big field pine between them and the garden...it's probably only 25 or so feet away. I'll keep this in mind when/if I get some wood chips in the paths!