Wood shavings and chips save you a lot of work, water, and plants – and they don’t make the soil sour, as we have been told for years. They keep down weeds, retain soil moisture, and because of their size absorb very little rain or artificial watering. They prevent the spattering of mud on flowers, fruits, or leaves, keeping them cleaner and more disease-free. Lastly, neither shavings nor chips, unless mixed with the soil, tie up as large an amount of the soil’s nitrogen as does much finer sawdust. If wood chips are mixed into soil, add one-half pound nitrate of soda per bushel.
