Chip Drop has launched in our area. Chip Drop is a free service in which local arborists donate wood chips to hundreds of gardeners in Monrovia. Signing up is simple. Just provide your contact information and the spot you would like the chips delivered. Please note that the speed of delivery is mainly contingent on availability of supply from local arborists.
The benefits of wood chips to the landscape are many. Chips suppress grass and weeds, encourage fungal growth (making nutrients more available to plants), moderate soil temperature, prevent erosion, make compost where the chips meet the soil, protect roots from winter cold, lawn mowers and weed whackers and promote the health of soil microbes.
What will you be receiving with your order? Chip Drop delivers “arborist wood chips,” a mixture of varying sized brown chips and green leaves. Leaves break down quickly, while chips take one to three years – much longer than mulch. Studies have shown arborist chips to be the best type of mulch for trees and shrubs. By way of comparison, Beauty Bark, a popular commercial mulch, is also woody, but has no leaves and is a uniform, small size. It breaks down quickly, so it must be replaced relatively often. In reality, its “beauty” is a chemical dye that can damage soil.
Come home to find a fragrant, versatile pile of wood chips waiting to be spread in the garden, on paths, under trees and to share with neighbors. Visit www.chipdrop.in for more information and specific ordering details.