🌳 How Many Wood Chips Does a Gardener Really Need? (Spoiler: A Lot.)

A female gardener in overalls spreads wood chips in a rustic backyard garden, using a shovel and a black wagon. Raised beds and early spring plants surround her under golden hour light.

🌿 Welcome to the Wood Chip Hustle

After nearly two years of waiting, asking, and maybe lightly stalking the city clean-up crew, I finally got what I’d been dreaming of: WOOD CHIPS. Sweet, glorious, soil-feeding, weed-fighting mulch magic. And once they were dropped? It was time to get to work—wagon by wagon, pile by pile.


🌱 Why I’m Obsessed with Wood Chips

Wood chips aren’t just a vibe—they’re a whole soil strategy.

  • They feed the soil underneath as they break down 🍂
  • They help block weeds (not all, but it does make weeding easier!)
  • They hold moisture like a dream ☁️💧

🛑 One important rule: Never put weed fabric under wood chips!
That stuff will turn into a dirt sandwich, and you’ll be stuck peeling up layers like cursed lasagna. Ask me how I know…


🛒 How Deep Should You Mulch?

I’m layering mine 3 to 4 inches thick, sometimes more in high-traffic areas. The thicker the better if you want to choke out weeds and build that soil from the top down. 🍄


🚜 The Delivery Drama

Since I had to return the Skid Steer (RIP my shortcut dreams), I did this entire project by hand.

🛷 That’s right. Just me, my trusty black wagon, and 15+ loads from the front of the property to the garden.


🍓 What It’s All For

At the end of this mulch marathon?

  • A future strawberry patch 🍓
  • Beds prepped for gourds and flowers
  • A whole lotta satisfaction and sore arms

Was it exhausting? Absolutely.
Was it worth it? Also absolutely.


🌸 Final Thoughts

Gardening isn’t just about the bloom—it’s about the hustle, the sweat, the layers of soil (and emotion). And if you’re out there doing the work, carting your own mulch one scoop at a time—I see you. You’re not alone in the chaos.


🔉 Let’s Chat

💬 Have you ever hauled wood chips by hand? Do you use mulch in your garden? Drop your mulch wins and fails in the comments—I need to know I’m not the only one turning this into a full-body workout.


👩‍🌾 About Me

I’m Brennan Leigh—a dirt-loving, DIY-building, chaos-wrangling garden enthusiast sharing the real story of growing joy through imperfection.

Learn more about the Chaos Garden right here.


🌿 Keep Exploring the Chaos Garden: Coming Soon

Here are a few more muddy adventures and garden wins you might love:


Or hop over to the full blog archive and binge the chaos at your own pace. Bring snacks.

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