I'm envious too, to think I have to pay good money for bags of it! To be fair, we do have a shredder but often don't produce enough mulch for my bark paths. I find they need topping up annually.
We also have huge piles of woodchip having had to fell three huge trees. I am stacking and turning it for a few months to let it compost and rot down, then planning to use it as a mulch on flower beds. The trees were not conifers so I am not worried about it being too acidic, but I am planning to spread compost and manure underneath it as rotting woodchip does take nitrogen from the soil. When it is properly broken down, however, it will enrich the soil.
Managed to get a ton of ‘mixed’ wood chip which I used to create a hotbed by mixing in grass cuttings and approx 100kg of used coffee grounds. Watered it day 1, turned and watered day 3, day 5 could not put hand into pile as it was way too hot.
Turned it every week ( not difficult as it kept a light structure ) and added more coffee/water each 2nd week, it’s now 6 months old and other than the odd larger piece it is ready to sieve and use as a top dressing.
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Now, THAT'S what you call a pile of woodchip.
Turned it every week ( not difficult as it kept a light structure ) and added more coffee/water each 2nd week, it’s now 6 months old and other than the odd larger piece it is ready to sieve and use as a top dressing.