Arborist Chips

"One man's trash is another man's treasure ." - Unknown

Arborist chips are an organic wood chip substance sourced from the work of tree cutters/arborists. This material is generally made up of trunk, branches, bark and leaves that are removed from a worksite. These chips can be obtained, sometimes, for free through direct communication with arborist companies or through services that connect arborists with drop off sites due to many arborists incur a cost to dispose of the chips otherwise. The chips are varied in size and can be made up of a mixture of species depending on the work the arborist has.



Arborist chips provide soil erosion protection, conserves water, suppresses weed germination and provide a slow release of nutrients as it naturally breaks down over time. The chip size being non-homogenous assists the mulch into locking together in place so it stays where it is intended to be. Over time, soils underneath a mulch layer have shown to have reduced impaction, increased permeability and moderated temperature swings.

I find it beneficial to note that softwood chips tend to break down much faster than hardwood chips. Depending on their intended usage and availability, it might be best to fit your chip to your task. In my mind beggar's can't be choosers and I have a history of using whatever I can get my hands on. I like using softwood chips for my chicken run to balance out their manures while using hardwood chip for my perennial spaces to provide longer-term mulch.

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