wood chips will break down eventually into great compost but like any other organic matter, the denser it is, the longer that process takes. I would pile it in an unused corner of the yard and water it well and let it rot on its own. Unless you're looking to grow an acid loving crop like Azaleas, Camellias or Blueberries, I would let it break down for a while.

Here in Citrus county on the lakes we are blessed with the joys of nature and cursed with sugar sand. I did exactly what you are proposing and would have to say UF is dead wrong. We are lucky enough to have access to an unlimited amount of trims from Nelsons with just a phone call. You have to understand that not all wood chips are equal. If you get wood chips from a tree removal company where it is the entire tree that was chipped a large part of the chips will be from the heartwood, the trunk and large primary limbs which are low in nutrients and nitrogen. What you want is what you mentioned, the trims especially from the companies that do the trimming work for the utilities as that is mostly the smaller limbs, twigs and leaves. Those trims are packed with nitrogen and softer which speeds up the decomposition process.

Now you can just plop it down and wait and it will eventually rot but it will take a long time. I laid out a 40 foot long by maybe 25 foot wide or so area and with the front end loader dug it down 2 feet or so removing all that pure white fine sugar sand. I refilled the spot with I have no idea how many truck loads of tree trims until it filled the spot and was heaped up 1-2 feet so 3-4 feet deep of chips. I laid the irrigation on both sides on a timer to keep the chips damp which is crucial to getting the chips to break down fast. On top of the chips I added manure and used a tiller to work it all in and kept the area compacted just by running it over. Weekly tills and compaction with some added nitrogen and the "garden" started shrinking in depth as the chips broke down. It is not a over night process, took 18 months I would guess from ground break until I planted the first garden in that spot but the soil is now jet black, I actually had to add sand back to it to get the texture just right. It is a lot of work but on the plus side you will have ZERO nematode problems and the garden will grow anything. I did add 50 lbs of lime to the soil over a month or so right near the end to get the PH just right.

If that is too much work you can always use the chips between the rows of your garden or along the edges and incorporate them each year and the soil will get better over time.

I would say go for it.....Ph is easily adjusted with lime and not sure what pests they are talking about. Any organics you can add will just improve the soil, feed it, it is a win win.

I was under the impression that, besides the acidity, wood pieces mixed into soil will tie up available nitrogen as they decompose.

Unlike veggies, I believe most ornamentals & many fruit trees prefer a more acidic soil.

I would simply pile the chips ON the soil as mulch - you can make it really thick, IMPE, & it will break down rapidly in our climate. Micro & macro organisms will mix it in for you. & a pile will become really nice humus pretty quickly too - esp. if you add some soil to it.

& what bamboo rabbit did sounds an awful lot like sheet composting to me.

I use wood chips and bags of leaves and trimmings in my rose beds, keep it thick all the time... I also use lots of organics, Black Cow, Black Hen, Milorganite, Alfalfa pellets, Cottonseed meal.... and the roses love it all and I have loads of earthworms.... also I get bags of cypress mulch and pine bark nuggets and it all gets tossed on thick.. it all rots down and makes a rich black loamy topping.... sally

I have used them with great results. Yes, they can tie up the nitro, but I just added more green stuff as I could.

(I'm such a cynic.... was the ag publication written by someone in the fertilizer biz? Or influenced by?...)

Thanks all for the great information. There's a good percentage of leaves and twigs in this batch, and I now feel comfortable going forward with this, knowing that gives some more "greens" to start, and knowing others have had good results. I'll work on keeping it moist to break down faster, and just watch my greens to browns mix as I go, as I would for my compost pile. Thanks again! Oh, and I'm not sure who wrote the publication :) between all the UF IFAS stuff and real world experience from this forum, I feel pretty well equipped to try some great stuff!