Maple tree mulch may be allelopathic

I would not include a lot of bark mulch or stump grindings in a raised bed soil. They can tie up nutrient availability and cause poor growth, stunting and general ill health. You want primarily garden soil amended with a small amount of compost or composted manure and try to avoid any wood products mixed in.

Thanks for your reply! I should have specified that i was thinking of doing it at the bottom of the raised bed before adding multiple layers of top soil, or putting around the raised beds to walk on.

I read that there could be concerns with fungal elements... Do you think it's fine to put around the raised beds to walk on?

@A Mat would those chemicals impact neighbouring beds if I were to use them as ground cover around the beds?

No concerns with fungi. They just break down the dead wood. Also no reason not to use it as paths, except you say it is wood chips mixed with soil so pretty soon your paths will turn to compost. Better to use it as a mulch rather than mixing it into the bed. That way you’d avoid tying up nitrogen during decomposition.

Your idea is exellent ! I have done as you ask about for years and here's an example. Four years ago a group of small town citizens raised money for street beatification and asked that I join them. Despite nay sayers claiming money would be wasted,I persuaded them to bury logs,hay and leaves then plant trees,shrubs and annuals on a street intersection island. After seeing how well plants were doing with little irrigation, the city decided to do other sites. Research hugelkultur and keyhole gardening to see how this strategy has been used for decades where rainfall is limited and soil fertility is low. You could do a service coming back in a year or two and let us know if you believe "tied up nitrogen" is a scientific fact or an old wives' tale.

Amazing! Thank you all for the input!

wood needs 2 things to decay .. moisture and nitrogen ....

if there is too much wood in your soil.. then it can leach away the nitro that plants need ..

in your contract for tree removal.. you should specify removal of the grindings.. UNLESS you have a place you can pile it up.. and let it break down for a year or two... adding a few handfuls of nitro fert in spring and fall ...

its common to see a newly seeded space of grass trying to grow.. and being banana yellow... and you look closer.. and you can figure out a tree was ground out..

sooo .. your other option is to compost it for a year or two.. if you have the space for a pile

ken