WOOD CHIPS--AGING

Fresh wood chips should be allowed to age a month before application to landscape material,though little damage will occur if used immediately. If chipped material is from dead trees, shrubs, or evergreens, there is no need to allow the material to age.
Fresh chips can temporarily deplete the soil of some available nitrogen, resulting in slow growth or yellowish foliage. Scattering a handful of fertilizer on new chips would reduce the tie-up of soil nitrogen.