Wood chippings for the garden: what they're good for and how to use them

When tree surgeons prune or fell a tree, the branches go through a chipper on the back of the truck. What comes out is a mix of chopped wood, bark, twigs and, in summer, leaves. It's coarser and more varied than the bagged bark you buy at a garden centre, and it hasn't been screened, graded or aged.

That mix is a strength. The green material feeds soil life as it breaks down, and the woody pieces last a year or two on the surface. Gardeners who use a lot of it often call it arborist chip to tell it apart from shop-bought bark.

1. 1Mulch on borders and under shrubs: a layer 5 to 10 cm deep keeps weeds down and water in.
2. 2Paths between beds and across wet ground: soft underfoot, cheap to top up.
3. 3Chicken runs and pens: a dry, scratchable floor that soaks up droppings.
4. 4Gateways and muddy corners: spread thick where boots, barrows or horses churn the ground.
5. 5Around fruit trees and soft fruit: a wide ring of mulch helps young trees through dry summers.
6. 6Compost: mixed with grass cuttings or manure, it rots down into a crumbly soil improver.
7. 7Hugelkultur and raised beds: a filler layer between logs and topsoil.

The one rule worth remembering: spread fresh woodchip on the surface, don't dig it in. Microbes that break down wood need nitrogen, and when chip is mixed into the soil they take it from the soil around plant roots. That can leave plants yellow and slow for a season.

On the surface the effect stays in a thin layer where the chip meets the soil, and plants rooted below are fine. Once chip has rotted down for a year or more it's safe to fork in.

Tip: Keep mulch a hand's width away from tree trunks and woody stems, so the bark stays dry.

A typical 3.5 tonne tipper carries about a tonne of chip, which is roughly 3 to 4 cubic metres. Spread 7 to 8 cm deep, that covers around 40 to 50 square metres. It sounds like a lot, and it is: a load makes a pile about the size of a small car.

If you only want a little, say so when you list, and remove the listing once the first load arrives.

• Thorny prunings (holly, hawthorn, bramble) can turn up in a load. Fine on borders, worth picking out of paths and play areas.
• Yew is poisonous to livestock. If you keep animals, ask the crew what's in the load when they call.
• A big fresh pile can get warm inside as it starts to rot. That's normal; spread it within a few weeks.
• Freshly chipped willow and poplar can sometimes root. Rare in a mixed load, and easy to pull out.

Tree surgeons pay to tip chip at green waste sites, so most would rather drop it at a garden on the way. List your garden on Chiprun with a pin, what you'll take and the largest vehicle that can reach you. Local crews see you when they search, and you remove the listing when you have enough.