What Happens to Woodchips in the Base of a Raised Garden Bed?

Mandy Onderwater

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What a great way to save money and aid in developing your soil!
Have you tried this before? How did it go?


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Loux-Jeanette

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I really enjoyed this video and it came at such a perfect time as I am just planning on using raised beds for the first time and was wondering how to best fill them.

I had always heard that wood chips were terrible in the garden so I was happy to learn that that wasn’t the case.
 

Mandy Onderwater

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@Loux-Jeanette it can depend on what type of wood you use. Some woods are acidic, and not all plants like that. On top of that, they take a lot of nitrogen from the soil during the time they break down (they do bring it back into the soil when it's fully decomposed though) which can cause temporary issues.
But there's also lots of great benefits from it, and there's a reason why hügelkultur is so popular after all :D
 

Loux-Jeanette

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Oh thank you Mandy. That is all good to know. So I suppose that mulch might not be the best option if we won’t be staying in one place long enough for it to break down then. Or I could supplement nitrogen into the beds?
 

Mandy Onderwater

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You can always supplement nitrogen @Loux-Jeanette . But if you won't be there for a while I wouldn't recommend wood, as it can take quite some time to break down. Of course, the choice rests with you regardless. But you can mulch over the top of your bed with something that breaks down quicker, like hay or canetrash or something alike. It'll keep the weeds out, insulate the temperature in your soil and more. Also, it'll break down over time, becoming one with your soil anyway.
 
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