[Yana]

Hi All
Seeking advice re: using wood chips as a mulch for fruit bushes.
I noticed the other day that there is a huge pile of wood chips alongside the usual manure delivery. Some of the guys at the lottie are using this to top-up their paths and a few are using it to mulch around their fruit bushes.
I am not sure if this is OK as the wood chips contain chopped upleaves and (for all we know) might come from trees that have been sprayed.
What do you reckon? Should I use it as a mulch?
 

[simonwatson]

Wood chips will leach nutrients (nitrogen I think) from the soil as they rot down. That's great for paths where you want to suppress growth, but not so good for your fruit bushes. I'd stick to mulching them with manure.

[upert]

i mulched with manure then covered the lot with woodchip and my fruit bushes have grown like crazy the last two years. i doubt they'll crash from nitrogen deficiency as i will throw on fish blood and bone to counter that.

[JayG]

The chances of the trees having been sprayed with anything harmful are very remote I would have thought.

The chippings won't rob/borrow nitrogen from the soil if they are on it rather than in it, although there won't be much in the way of nutrients released when they do eventually rot down. OK as a moisture conserver and weed supressant though.

[angelavdavis]

I planted all my fruit bushes through weed suppressant fabric, then once a year, I roll back the fabric, top up with manure and a bit of bfb, roll it back and mulch on top with wood chips - the bushes have done really well since they went in three years ago.

[savbo]

I planted all my fruit bushes through weed suppressant fabric, then once a year, I roll back the fabric, top up with manure and a bit of bfb, roll it back and mulch on top with wood chips - the bushes have done really well since they went in three years ago.

me too... works well and looks nicer than just fabric too!

[Yana]

Sounds like a plan as the fruit bushes are planted through weed suppressant fabric.
Thanks