How to Break Down Wood Chips
- 1). Build a pile. Start with a four- to eight-inch layer of wood chips. Cover that layer with two to four inches of grass or fruit and vegetable scraps. On top of that, add another layer of wood chips about the same depth as the first layer.
- 2). Sprinkle the pile with water while mixing the layers together. A spading fork works well for mixing all the layers together. Continue mixing the layers while sprinkling with water until the layers are well-blended.
- 3). Add another four-inch layer of wood chips, then a two-inch layer of grass, followed by another four-inch layer of wood chips. Continue in this manner until the pile reaches about three feet high.
- 4). Mix the pile with the spading fork and sprinkle with water until thoroughly blended. The pile needs to be moist but not soggy. The compost pile has to be turned weekly using a spading fork and, if too dry, will need water added to it. Keeping the pile moist and turning weekly will allow for a faster decomposition rate.
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