All this is very true but wood chips are very hard to get here and quite expensive. A few years ago we calculated we will need a 6 months average salary to cover all our paths with 15 cm of mulch.
Also, grass grows very well in the mulch as well. Just needs time.
We still spent some money on some mulch and tested on 2 paths. 10 cm deep. It was gone in less than 2 years. It's an impossible investment, sadly. Also one rooted in economy of excess.
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Yeah, you got to use what is available in your area. Straw or hay can be a good option too. My parents use those in their garden.
In my area wood chips are easy to find for free. There are multiple places that give them away all the time and I can often reach out to tree service companies and get them to give me large loads of chips for no cost. Otherwise they would just take the chips to the dump.
If wood chips were not available for free in my area I would not use them. It would cost way too much to buy them.
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