Theirs a company where in live near Austin Texas called Chip Drop that will drop off a huge load of wood chips for free. Because of the severe drought we are in i decided to cover my entire yard with wood chips because my grass was burned up and water restrictions are severe also. i wanted to do rocks buy the cost was out of my budget so wood chips i went with. Do you know what the disadvantages would be of doing this.

From experience, the only problems I've had were:

The chips may be more than chips (plastic or whatever) and you don't know what kind of wood was used.

As the chips decompose, you may need to add nitrogen. Even though the chips will be on top of the soil, nitrogen will still be used out of the soil to help with decomposition. The good news is when the decomposition is complete, the nitrogen levels will be better than ever.

I am wondering if the wood chips add fungus to the soil as they decompose. I have had a lot of puffballs this year and was thinking they may be a result of using wood chips.

I've used a lot of free woodchips.
First: don't leave a big pile sitting for days, waiting to be spread out. I almost had a fire from spontaneous combustion. Yes, that's a real thing. Spread them out right away.
Some plants showed signs of nitrogen deficiency the second year. I sprinkled on a very small amount of ammonium sulfate, once, that took care of it.
Slime mold likes wood chips! And I like slime mold. Don't be surprised if you see some. It's fascinating stuff.
Wind, rain and decomposition have removed most of the chips, but it took several years. You may need a refresher eventually.
My small dogs didn't like walking on them at first, but the chips softened up pretty fast.
If possible, find out where the chips are from. Don't get them during Siberian Elm seed season. Avoid chips that came from diseased or insect infested plants. Try to have a friendly relationship with your chip provider so you can get a good clean load.
I like the wood chips way better than a rock covering, and highly recommend them.

tigerpaws said: I am wondering if the wood chips add fungus to the soil as they decompose. I have had a lot of puffballs this year and was thinking they may be a result of using wood chips.

The best place to find fungi and mold is on decomposing wood. They are a good part of the whole process.

My question would be, what is your ultimate plan for the area?
Are you wanting to do away with lawn to replace with planting beds!
Or just do away with lawn, and keep it as a "mulched" area. I would agree that the "mulch" is a better, and cheaper alternative than stone.
I guess I'm just curious as to your final, or future goal. I like the idea. Lawns to me? A waste of space!

I think the idea is to keep everything from dying during heat and drought.

One more disadvantage could be that the wood chips would be attractive to termites, which could be a problem if the chips are close to your house and termites are a problem in your area.

Terraferma my ultimate plan i recon is to cover the front lawn with wood chips for a few years to help enrich the soil were i can plant some Crepe myrtle trees ( love those trees) creating more shade for the front lawn. Where i live, Dripping Springs Texas the soil is very rocky ( Limestone) with a thin layer of hard and dry clay type soil making it hard for roots to penetrate. I planted two Crape myrtles a few years ago and they been struggling to mature. Weedwhacker i gave it much thought about the woodchips attracting termites being that i have a log home. I've been in this home for 12 years and so far haven't had no termite issues ( knock on wood ). I have delt with every other wood eating insect though that comes with buying a log home and after many years of up keep i can finally say i got rid of them all but i will be watching the wood chips closely.

If you only have wet wood termites, making sure your logs stay dry is most of it. Those termites are endemic here but they can't eat dry wood, has to be damp.
If you have those dry wood ones,

Have you considered a food forest? It sounds like a lot of the hard work is done! Annuals, like a vegetable garden, would not love the wood chips, but perennial plants and trees do really well. Why not plant fruit trees, bushes and ground covers? You could plant a nut tree, or a little persimmon or pawpaw. I have these along with strawberries as a ground cover. Why not have free groceries and a stocked freezer! I have well over 40 types of fruit growing on my one acre and will be harvesting fresh fruit from May through January--not bad for my zone 5 Vermont climate! (The persimmons and medlars can hang on the tree through the winter, so maybe even longer!)
Mushroom spore is everywhere. The numbers are staggering. Wood chips would be a food source for the mycelium and the mushrooms are the fruiting bodies. Their job is to break down dead things, which wood chips are. It sounds like spores landed on the chips and started feeding; hence, the mushrooms! I'm actually growing wine cap mushrooms out back around some gooseberries, hazelnuts and mulberries. Each fall, I feed them leaves to keep them going and to keep the weeds out.

I think you didn't read the question...

Lucy68 said: I think you didn't read the question...

Yes, @VermontBarb, please see the original post.

Other than that, I did like your post, Barb - I'd love to see it moved to the Permaculture forum but I'll leave that between you and Calif_Sue .

I loved the post too Sandy but pulling out this individual post without context would not make sense. Barb would have to start a new thread there.

Dr. Chalker-Scott on wood chips. Probably everything you ever wanted to know. She talks about termites at the 41 minute mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

I would like to listen to that last link when I have time.

Another thought- they may (probably) not be as uniform and pretty as chips/mulch you buy. ( for me, as the chips are free, I don't mind picking out big ones that are too obvious.)

Here's a quick list of the pros and cons of covering your yard with wood chips:

Pros

Helps retain soil moisture which reduces watering needs
Suppresses weed growth
More cost-effective than landscaping with rocks
Improves soil health over time as they decompose

Cons

Can attract termites and other wood-loving pests
May temporarily deplete nitrogen in the soil as they break down
Requires maintenance to replenish as they decompose
Can be a fire hazard in dry conditions if not kept moist

Maintaining the wood chip layer and monitoring for pests are important. Also, to reduce fire risk, keep a defensible space around your home clear of wood chips.

I'm in Michigan.
I've always mulched with shredded hardwood.
Initially I rototilled, laid heavy duty weed mat down & anchored. I laid out a brick walkway, some trees, and a few boulders. When I plant, I just cut an "x" in the weed mat.
The weed mat & 4" of hardwood mulch have reduced my work load tremendously.
It's been 31 years. The wood chips are replenished every 4 years or so.

As the garden fills in, I find I need less wood chips.

Sure, it's hard work at first, but if you take time to plan it all out and think about what you want to accomplish, its easy sailing later.