Sign up for free wood chips

FALLBROOK – Chip Drop has launched in the Fallbrook community! Chip Drop is a free service in which local arborists donate wood chips to hundreds of gardeners in Fallbrook.

Signing up is simple. Residents just need to provide their contact information and the spot they'd like the chips delivered. Note: Speed of delivery is mainly contingent on availability of supply from local arborists.

The benefits of wood chips to the landscape are many. They include:

• Suppressing grass and weeds
• Encouraging fungal growth (making nutrients more available to plants)
• Moderating soil temperature
• Preventing erosion
• Making compost where the chips meet the soil
• Protecting roots from winter cold, lawn mowers, and weed whackers
• Promoting the health of soil microbes

What can residents expect to receive with their 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 of 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.