[GrowinGrowinGone]

The foot paths on my plot I covered in Wood chip, and leaves, to about 8 inches deep approx 18 months ago.  I had noticed for a while how it looks almost like its largely black soil, and when moving the top surface away that it's absolutely loaded with worms big and small.  I have sieved 3 wheel barrow loads full of it and it looks and feels better than anything I have ever purchased in bags, but looks can be deceiving.  I have now put it all around my fruit trees as a kind of mulch.  I know I can get lots more of this from my paths, but the thing I am concerned about is if I was to add it to my raised beds?  I have heard that when wood chip breaks down it uses up a lot of nitrogen?  Without sending some of it off for a soil test I have no idea what it would be like, or if it would have a negative impact on my raised beds?  Any advice would be helpful.

[mumofstig]

It only uses nitrogen while it's rotting down - but your has now rotted and it's lovely stuff, all good 

Use it wherever you want to.
There was a nice video on here about using it.........I'll try to find it

[GrowinGrowinGone]

Thanks for the reply, would be interesting to see the video if you find it

[mumofstig]

It was back to Eden - it was a bit heavy on religion, but chicken manure and wood chips are what works there.

A link to his FAQs here
http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/faqs.html

[GrowinGrowinGone]

Thanks, I have seen the BTE video a few times it's great

[sunshineband]

We get woodchip delivered to our site on an irregular basis and sometimes there is more than is needed. The pile rots from the base and I use some of this to add to bean trenches etc and it is certainly rich stuff. All the better for being completely free too 

[GrowinGrowinGone]

Thanks for replying Sunshineband, that puts my mind at rest enough now to add it to my raised beds

[wneva]

Composted bark, actually!  On advice from her teacher, my wife has bought a tonne of composted bark.  Teacher said to put a 4" layer of this everywhere as a mulch. 

So the question is - we want to yank out some old non-performing plants and get some new plants to liven up the beds.  Can we plant these new arrivals straight into the much or should we plant them in the soil and then add mulch round them afterwards?   

Any thoughts, please?

[snowdrops]

I would plant into the soil in this instance, if you had been building up the mulch over a few years I’d say plant into the mulch then mulch again. Hope that helps

[Aldi Pete]

We get sawdust in along with straw and manure courtesy of the stables next door.All i would say about woodchip is that it needs to come from untreated timber otherwise it will contain some very unpleasant chemicals that will contaminate the ground and therefore the plants.This thought was passed onto me recently and to be honest before i would not have realised.