[lock.r]

Hi All how long do wood chips take to rot down

[arh]

years and years.

[AussieInFrance]

Yes, a long time. But there robust structure makes a path 'walkable' in wet weather. The added benefit is that they provide an environment for wonderful fungal activity which is beneficial to good soil conditioning. That's why they are so appreciated by people growing the 'Back to Eden' method.

[Bing]

I heard coffee grounds helps it go down quick!

[solway cropper]

I mix wood chips with grass clippings and dead leaves and after it rots down it makes a decent addition to potting mixes.

[Beekissed]

Depends on your weather and the nature of your wood chips.  I applied mine in May and was showing a layer of black, rich compost under the chips by that fall. 

This was my soil in 2015, before the chips were applied, and AFTER being tilled 5 times in a row and then a rain...which took it right back where it was before the tilling, hard pan clay.  That depth you see the fork in was only after I stood on that with all my considerable weight....when I say "hard pan", I mean it. 



That fall, at garden clean out time.....nice, black compost starting under those chips.  This past garden season, more of the same except deeper.  I've already had to add new chips in several areas where they composted down quicker than other places.  When I pulled up clumps of grass or weeds, they came out easily and had this rich, black compost attached to the roots. 





So...it doesn't take years and years for them to compost, just the right depth, the right humidity and the right kind of chips.  The first chips I got were not even the right kind of chips, but those obtained later for deepening the layer of chips were the right kind~ramial chips.  This winter and last winter I added a light layer of leaves on top of the chips and that seemed to speed up composting in the chips as well. 

[mumofstig]

The wood chips used in the Back to Eden method, had been used in their chicken run first. 
The bird droppings will make them compost down much more quickly, than they would on their own.

The Ramial wood chippings that Beekissed has recommended are small branches chipped -  Wiki says this is good, but woodchips from larger branches and tree trunks is not so good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramial_chipped_wood

The UK equivalent would be shredded hedge trimmings (not conifer) I think, or perhaps bark chippings.

[lock.r]

Thanks for comments

[ARPoet]

I am on my 2nd year of Back to Eden, or no-dig woodchip gardening.
I took a free online course about soils a couple of years ago and discovered the method to improve poor soil.
If you want to find out more, thy a youtube search, of have a look at this lady's early video blogs.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTGYxXH21MTYnMoOZGvX6A/videos

[Beekissed]

The wood chips used in the Back to Eden method, had been used in their chicken run first.

Not on the BTE video I saw....Paul just used ramial chips and then side dressed with compost that had come from his chicken run but that compost didn't have chips in it, just garden waste he had given the chickens for eating. 

[Yorkie]

I think the point being made, was that the chicken poop made the wood chips decompose far more quickly, irrespective of whether it was top/side dressed, or incorporated from the chicken coop itself.

[mumofstig]

That's right Yorkie.

Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s9xZLjN5X8

at about 1.35 he says he throws wood shaving in for the floor, which with the chicken manure go on the garden.

[Beekissed]

It's recommended in the original film to add nitrogen the first year to encourage more composting...but wouldn't that be the case for any woody materials one would want to compost? 

[ARPoet]

Some good points of woodchip /Back to Eden method.
1) No digging. Thats good for my old back.
2) Weeding is dead easy. Also good for my old back.
3) Soil is warmer in the spring.
4) Apart from when you plant, not much need to water.
5) No waterlogged ground in heavy rain.
6) Lots more worms doing the work for you.
7) Less problems with slugs and snails.

[victoria park]

Here is a link to another excellent page on no dig gardening, including woodchip. takes you through much of the process, theory and some of the pitfalls, including the depth of mulch.

http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/no-dig-growing/no-dig-growing-preparation/ .