13 Ways Wood Chips Benefit Your Garden

There are many types of mulch to use in your garden beds. Some, like compost, add extra nutrients, while mulch like straw decomposes quickly. However, for me, there’s nothing quite like using wood chips in my garden. 

Wood chip benefits include sealing in moisture and promoting a healthy ecosystem for living creatures under your soil. They’re made from branches and trunks of trees. They can be sourced from old Christmas trees or trees cut down during landscaping jobs. 

They’re larger than most mulch types and are some of the easiest types of mulch to find. You can even get arborist wood chip mulch for free in many areas. Besides this, there are several key benefits to using this effective mulch for your plants. Keep reading below to learn more about the many benefits of using wood chip mulch in your garden this year. 

Helps Soil Structure

Wood chip mulches come in a variety of sizes and cuts. As they decompose, they slowly blend into your soil. This helps improve its structure and adds a variety of nutrients and plant matter for microbes to feed on. 

After microbes feed on the decomposing wood chips, spaces form These tiny spaces give beneficial microbes more air pockets to breathe. The result is less compaction and more belowground life.

Prevents Erosion

Wood chip mulch can help stabilize hillsides and sloped garden beds over time. As it decomposes, it improves the soil structure and seals in moisture. 

In heavy rain events, it prevents the top layer from eroding by giving the soil more time to absorb water. Because it doesn’t absorb water as fast as the dirt, it redirects water from heavy rainfall downslope. 

Conserves Water

These pieces of wood block out the sun’s powerful rays before they hit the surface. This prevents moisture from evaporating, sealing it into the root zones of your crops.

When you irrigate or it rains, water gets trapped underneath the mulch. This gives it time to slowly absorb into the root zone. 

This is especially helpful in drought-stricken areas such as Southern California. The outer layers of wood play a crucial part in blocking the drying sun and protecting your garden’s moisture before it evaporates. 

Protects Against Pests and Pathogens

Are you sick of spraying for bugs and diseases in your garden? Wood chip mulch may be your secret weapon to creating a pest-free ecosystem in your garden. 

Various wood types contain natural aromatic chemicals that can repel some pests. Cedars and other pines are great examples of pest-deterring tree species. 

These trees contain essential oils that studies show repel some of the worst garden pests. Some species, like cedar and cypress, are highly effective at preventing fungal pathogens from entering your garden beds. 

Keep Good Bugs in

Although it keeps bad bugs out, it can be a great home for good bugs that keep your garden healthy. Insects such as earthworms are great to have in your garden because they decompose organic material and leave behind worm castings. Although you can buy worm castings online, it’s always good to have a regular supply in your landscape. 

Many types offer tons of protection for other beneficial insects such as ladybugs. Because of the size of the chips, these insects have plenty of room to hide from predators and look for food. After applying the chips, you’ll start to notice a healthy ecosystem come alive. 

Promotes Healthy Biodiversity

As mentioned above, a major benefit of wood chips is that help keep keep bad bugs out and good bugs in. They also seal in moisture and protect the living creatures in your garden. 

Over time, these conditions encourage diverse microbes, like bacteria and fungi, to live in your garden beds. Although some of these microbes can be harmful, most are highly beneficial. As long as you don’t overwater your plants, the good microbes will have control over the system. 

This biodiversity under the surface brings in more insects and more predators like birds to your garden. Soon, your garden beds will be thriving homes for multiple living creatures that will protect your plants. 

Provides Nutrients

These biodegradable bed covers provide valuable nutrients to your soil. They break down and decompose slowly, releasing macro and micronutrients in tiny increments throughout the year. If you have heavy feeders or plants that like the occasional feeding, wood chips may be your secret weapon. 

They provide nitrogen and other macronutrients like phosphorus and potassium. As they break down, you can apply more wood chips over old layers, which will break down further into the soil. 

After a few years of applying this, your beds will be full of complex nutrients. This will help your plants grow strong and healthy more easily. 

Keeps Temperatures Stable

Mulch absorbs heat from the sun before it reaches the soil. In the summer, this keeps the underlayers much cooler than the outside air. In the winter, it helps trap in heat before the surface. 

For your plants, this is incredibly beneficial because it helps relieve the stress caused by swings in temperature. This is especially important for developing roots to grow undisturbed. 

Improves Gas Exchanges and Airflow

Although some mulches may trap gases in your soil, others, such as wood chips, help to free them. This encourages healthy gas exchanges and airflow within your soil’s ecosystem. 

As microbes break down organic matter in the soil, they release gases that are sometimes trapped. As the wood chips break down, they create gaps in the soil where the escaped gases can mix with air. These gas exchanges help aerate your soil and improve its overall health. 

They Help Prevent Weeds

Wood chips block out the sun from reaching the soil. This prevents unwanted plants, such as weeds, from growing and taking up precious energy and space. 

Apply the mulch around the base of your seedlings, leaving only a small space between the plant and the chips. Any plant that’s covered will have a hard time getting enough light for photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, weeds simply can’t grow. 

If you have a bed with weed problems, add a thick layer of mulch on top of them. You won’t have to use harmful weed killers or manually remove them. This saves you time, money, and having to use chemicals. 

They’re Easy to Apply

One of the best benefits of wood chips is how easy they are to use in your landscape. You can buy them from arborists or nurseries in bags. Although they’re large, they’re usually not as heavy as denser mulches such as compost. 

Wood chip mulches are easy to move around in your garden after applying. It normally takes several weeks until they form more stable mats on the surface. 

Once you add your material, you can keep applying after the first layer decomposes. Over time, microbes will convert it into healthy soil. 

They Look Amazing

Almost every mulch, aside from maybe compost and plastic mulch, adds a touch of style to your garden. For me, there’s nothing more aesthetically pleasing than wood chips. 

You can find chips that are made from a variety of trees. They can be multiple colors and hues. Use diverse varieties of wood chips to create an eye-catching barrier for your garden plants. 

Use them in between edible plants or colorful hedges. They’ll work as a natural-looking frame for your most stunning plants. 

They’re Affordable

Wood chip mulches are also very affordable. You can find them in many nurseries, online stores, and local arborists for dirt cheap. Sometimes, arborists will give them out for free. 

Unlike coconut coir and some other popular types, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to use them. This gives you more freedom to use a lot in your beds. 

The other cost-saving benefit of wood chip mulch is its longevity. Although it eventually breaks down into healthy soil, it will keep its mulching power for several seasons.