I have heard differing opinions on that subject, but from talking to other landscapers and permaculture practitioners, it's not as big of a deal as people seem to think it is. The woodchips only rob nitrogen from the soil if they are mixed into it, because of the large amount of surface area in contact with the soil. In the case of mulch like this, there is only a small layer of contact between the mulch and the soil. It mimics the way soil is built in a forest or under any tree, with a layer of organic matter being built up on top of the soil, and breaking down over time. In my experience plants and trees respond very well to a good thick layer of mulch, and the benefits of water retention and cooling of the soil far outweigh any potential downsides. As for the termites, I have never heard of that being an issue, or experienced it myself. If you use fresh woodchips that are still moist, like what you can get dropped off for free from most tree trimming services, the mulch layer starts to break down almost immediately and becomes almost compost like within a few weeks. It doesn't seem to be the type of environment that termites prefer. You will certainly get lots of mushrooms popping up after it rains, and a wide variety of insects living in the mulch layer, but this is a benefit. In a permaculture system you are working to increase the abundance and diversity of life in your garden. With increased diversity you can start to approach a balanced ecosystem, in which no one species can expand to become a pest because there are so many others to keep then in check.

Tam Phuong These earthworks are so minor, and there is such little rain at the site, that I felt that it wouldn't cause any issues. the basins close to the house only have a capacity to hold 2-3 inches of water, and will likely only ever fill up once a year, if that. The main large basin is further away from the house, where the fruit trees are. In this context, and to this degree I feel confident about the small basins next to the house. I wouldn't want to dig large deep basins there, or do this somewhere that gets more regular rainfall.

If you are in the desert, a good place to start is Brad Lancaster's "Rainwater Harvesting for Dryland Environments, Volume 1." For an understanding of permaculture I recommend "Gaia's Garden" by Toby Hemmenway.

@@oneheartfire Thank you so much for responding and pointing me in the right direction. You are a life changer.

Dawn, "Managing Cliche in the home yard." A good place to start.

Maybe for the very first few weeks, but not really. Once the chips start breaking down, and especially once they are filled with mushroom mycelium, they are no longer very flamable at all. If you are using fresh chips that are still green, they will start breaking down very quickly. If you are using purchased chips that are well dried out to begin with, I would just be sure to wet then down a couple times a week for the first month or so. Usually you are trying to get plants established at the same time, so you are watering a lot anyway.

I dont actually live there, but when I was doing this project I actually found chips by checking craigslist for tree companies that were giving them away. Since I needed them soon I actually called a few and found one who was willing to drive to my area and drop them off for 50 bucks, which for 14 yards is a great deal. The tree guys dont want to drive out of their way after working all day, so mostly it's about finding one who is working in your area.

@@oneheartfire Thanks Jesse, appreciate your inputs.

To keep the dogs from digging them up.

I actually dont live in Phoenix, I just did this project for some family there. I'm sure someone in tuscon has it in their garden and would happily let you dig some up. That stuff can take over if you dont control it. Check your local permaculture groups.

There will be critters of all sorts living in the mulch, but that is a good thing. When I build a garden or a landscape , I am trying to put together the pieces of a healthy ecosystem. If a healthy ecosystem is in place, it will support the health of the garden with all kinds of "ecosystem services" like pest/predator balancing and soil building, among countless others. Insects are a key component of a healthy ecosystem, so we aim to create habitat for them, and promote their participation in the cycles of the garden. When you first put down the mulch, especially if it is wet green mulch just recently chipped, there may be a series of population booms of various kinds of insects or other life forms. For example, tiny flies usually show up in great numbers a few days after putting in the mulch, but after a week or so that population boom dies off, and the conditions that produced it have changed. In that boom time, the presence of a large number of prey flies will have attracted their predator species into the garden, and if you have created habitat for them as well, they will stick around and prevent future fly population booms. The strategy is to observe without reacting right away, and to learn as much as you can about how the ecosystem around you is playing itself out. If you notice a large presence of one species, often if you wait a week the ecosystem will balance itself without you doing anything. As for the termites, I have never heard of them being a problem in this type of mulch system. I theorize that is because the wood chips are too small and breaking down too fast for them to nest in, and also there is too much competition in the ecosystem inside the mulch for them to get a foothold. If you are concerned about termites, or if you live in a fire prone area, you can choose to put stone, gravel or some other non woody material right up against the house and keep the mulch 3 feet away.

I live in Chandler and I think the earwigs would take over everything, and then that means the scorpions would move in even more. Any ideas of how to control the scorpions on a system like that with so many hiding places for them?

@@kabookiearts6199 permaculture aims to promote abundance and diversity of life, in imitation of how things work in a healthy natural ecosystem. Therefore, I wouldn't attempt to control or kill the scorpions. As I said in the above comment, the ecosystem in the yard will go through a series of changes until it settles into some sort of balance. A surplus of earwigs may lead to a surplus if scorpions, which will reduce the earwig population. If you have created a friendly habitat for a lot of other wildlife, then someone else will show up to eat the scorpions. Lizards, birds, owls, shrews, and mice all prey on scorpions, so as long as they are attracted to your little backyard ecosystem, the scorpions won't be able to get too numerous. The idea is to turn your yard back into a functioning piece of the larger desert ecosystem that exists all around it, and in the process learn to become a functioning part of that ecosystem yourself. If you observe and interact with the ecosystem m, you will see that the scorpions themselves are a benefit to have around, as they are predators and keep other insect populations in balance, including other scorpions. Also, I grew up in Chandler as a little boy roaming all over the desert. I saw plenty of scorpions but I never once was stung. Early on my dad showed me one and taught me about them, and I knew to be aware of their presence. Like most venomous things, you leave then alone and they leave you alone. Dont stick your hand into dar spaces or under rocks, and you won't get stung. And check your boots before puttin em on!