How Wood Chips Help Farmers: Soil, Water and Erosion Control

Farms are always clearing something: fence lines, old windbreaks, bush encroachment, invasive trees. The chips from that work do not have to leave the farm. Used well, they go straight back into the land.

Holding moisture through the dry season

A layer of chips shades the soil and slows evaporation. Around orchard trees, young tree rows and windbreak plantings, that means more water stays where the roots can use it during the dry Highveld months.

Controlling erosion

Bare ground after clearing is easily washed away by summer storms. Chips break the force of the rain and slow runoff, giving grass time to recover. They are useful on bare patches, along tracks and where small gullies are starting.

Keeping weeds down

Chips block the light that weed seeds need. Along fence lines and tree rows, that means less time spent on weed control.

Better farm roads and yards

Spread on muddy access points and around handling areas, chips give a firmer surface in wet weather.

Turning clearing work into value

After debushing, firebreak work or invasive tree clearing, the chips can be spread where they are needed on the farm. Anything you do not need can be removed in a far smaller volume than the original branches.

What to watch out for

• Nitrogen. While fresh chips break down, soil microbes use nitrogen at the surface. Keep chips on top of the soil and give young plants extra nitrogen if needed.
• Blue gum chips. Fresh gum chips contain oils that can hold back some plants. Use them on paths, bare ground and erosion areas rather than around sensitive crops.
• Wattle seed. Chips from wattle carrying ripe seed pods should be kept off clean land.
• Tree trunks. Leave a small gap around trunks so bark stays dry.
• Big piles. Keep large chip piles away from buildings, as they can heat up over time.

The bottom line

Wood chips help farms hold water, protect soil and control weeds, and they come from clearing work you need to do anyway.

Chipperman provides land clearing, debushing, firebreak clearing and invasive tree removal for farms across Pretoria and Gauteng. Read about clearing blue gum and black wattle or see how wood chips are used.