Wood chipping of almond prunings, instead of burning, can reduce air pollution and return organic matter to soils. Its success depends on not depleting nutrients. In this experiment, soil with or without wood chips was placed in containers, each with an almond tree. There were more free-living nematodes, basidiomycetes and larger soil aggregates, and water infiltration was greater in wood chipped soils. Undisturbed wood chipped soils had more aggregates than disturbed soils. After the first year trees with chips had less shoot growth, but the second year they had more. After two years wood chipped soils had more calcium, magnesium, sodium, boron, zinc, copper, carbon, phosphorus, potassium, ammonium, and percentage organic, and less manganese, iron, and nitrate; pH was reduced. After one year trees with wood chips had less nitrogen, zinc, and manganese, and more phosphorus. After two seasons they no longer had less nutrient levels while phosphorus kept increased.