Mulch ?

[Bigmallly]

I'm a little confused as plants need moisture/water to survive so I don't see your problem
. Maybe I am missing something.

[veggiechicken]

I live in South Wales too - its not that wet!!
Last year I had a lot of wood chip after having some trees felled. I spread it on paths and beds, most of it has broken down already. If I could get more, I would.
If you're worried, pile it in a big heap, it will become so hot in the middle you won't be able to touch it. It will decompose and you can spread it then.

[Jungle Jane]

Are you wanting your wood chips to not decompose,wanting them to last as long as possible maybe putting too much down as a way of not having to do it again? I wouldn't use more than 3 inches thickness,you want some air to get into the soil. Bark chips last longer if you can get some,my family use them for shrubs,I would too if I had areas that I knew what I was doing with,most of my garden is veggie areas waiting to happen

[Nubber]

Bigmally - I understand it needs moisture but I'm asking what creates moisture is it a hot dry humid weather or is it wet weather.

Veggiechicken - no I know we are not that wet, but my first question I said I got the idea of woodchips from youtube gardening from Arizona and I was just saying wet because there it is a hot dry humid weather and compared we are wet if that makes sense. I just wanted to know, "can you put too much woodchips on my soil"

Jungle jane - I wanted to know if there's too much I can put on. And mainly I know moisture breaks it down, but what creates moisture a dry hot weather or wet weather

Sorry all if I have confused people

[veggiechicken]

You're overthinking it! Wet is wet, however it arrives.

Let's rewind and you tell us why you want to use a mulch? You said you have 3 fruit trees and the rest is grass.
If you cover the grass with the chippings it will smother it and it will die off. I put woodchip on half my lawn to turn it into a drier play area for the dogs. It worked, killed off the grass but I need to top up the woodchip as it has rotted down and the grass is growing back.

Do you want to get rid of the grass? If not, don't mulch it.

[Nubber]

Veggie chicken - I want to use it, to improve the soil, someone suggested I check out back to eden, I watched the video, and basically the guy grew great stuff thanks to "God and woodchips"...now, I cant get god to show up, but I can get woodchips, I want to use it to improve my soil. they said it breaks down and turns your soil into nutrient rich stuff. but I was just worried because our climate is different, so would it be harmful to my soil, or better. ... don't know If there is a difference, but im growing directly where my grass is.

[veggiechicken]

Don't know if this will help you!

As I said earlier, I covered half the lawn with woodchip in spring. The grass is now growing back through what is left of the woodchip as it has broken down. If I wanted to turn it into a veg bed, I could. It hasn't harmed the soil, just the grass by depriving it of light.

[Cadalot]

My paths on my allotment are woodchip and after 2-3 years I have been scooping them up and adding to the compost heap as semi browns because they are turning into a nice dark soil looking type material that once stopped the weeds but will now allow them to grow.

Your soil breaths it takes in moisture and releases some of it that does not make it's way down to the ground water table, on hot days it evaporates, a mulch assists in holding back that evaporation, so it's more useful with regards to water retention in dry hot weather. It lets water in, makes it difficult for it to get out again quickly, helps retain the heat in the soil. It's effectiveness depends upon the thickness and the rate of decomposition, which depends on erosion agents, weather worms, woodlice, foot traffic and time.

[Mr Bones]

Nubber, I did it in here in Nottingham last year and like it enough to be currently extending to the whole plot. The BTE guy (Paul Gautchi) uses chips that first go into his chicken run so a sprinkling of chicken manure pellets is probably a good idea too, it'll add nitrogen.
Don't worry about moisture levels, that'll sort itself out.
I know what you mean, it's not ideal to compare Arizona with South wales, it seems everything regarding BTE on uTube is non-UK. To put your mind at rest there's a few photos of my plot here, pity I didn't take any during the growing season. Allotment 37

In short, add 2-3 inches of chips and if growing veg give it a generous sprinkling of chicken pellets.

[Snadger]

Don't know if this will help you!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]70144[/ATTACH]
As I said earlier, I covered half the lawn with woodchip in spring. The grass is now growing back through what is left of the woodchip as it has broken down. If I wanted to turn it into a veg bed, I could. It hasn't harmed the soil, just the grass by depriving it of light.

You've got your own little 'Woodhenge' going on there VC!

[Bigmallly]

it seems everything regarding BTE on uTube is non-UK.

Not true!...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epoenRX4Gbk

Also take a look down the right hand column.

[Nubber]

Mr bones thank you, I think I will give it a go.