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Im starting a high density orchard

The bigger concern is the host of allopathic chemicals in wood chips from many species. I generally advise to age wood chips before applying to growing spaces for 3-6 months. Nitrogen lock up is not a concern as long as the wood chip is not tilled in. It only locks up the N on the surface of the soil, not beneath. 

Wood chips are rich in beneficial bacteria and fungi, they help retain moisture and are an excellent source of food for the soil food web. You couldn't have have made a better decision. Wood chips have been proven to perform better than both compost and compost teas for tree growth. Yes the microbes consume the N to break down the Carbon, but they only take it from from the immediate area. If you're using it as a mulch then soil N is only taken from the top 5-10 mm of soil.
People get into trouble when they till chip into the soil. Even worse if sawdust is tilled in as there is so much surface area in contact with the soil In some areas of Colorado, the soil can use as much organic material as possible. And some areas need quite a bit of water to grow fruit trees.
I planted Cherry, Plum and Pear trees in Colorado Springs -- dug holes 5 foot, in diameter - 4 feet deep and amended the soil with a lot of peat moss. And sloped the area around the holes so water ran towards trees. The major challenge I had was watering them enough and preventing the Magpies from eating the fruit. Beware of drought.
I'm starting a high density orchard. Fruit trees heavily pruned to 7-8 feet tall on 6รข€™ centers. I also had a huge problem with goat head burrs so I needed to suppress em.
In my experience and reading, it only ties up a small bit in the soil surface line, top 1/2 inch or so, and that is part of their weed suppression impact. Even though I have used tons of chips, I have never had nitrogen issues. But there are MANY factors at play that I try to cover in my book in the chapters that relate to this topic.
 I was under the impression wood chips leached nitrogen from the soil as they break down even on the surface, to the extent Ive heard people advocate for a base layer of manure under the chips to counteract the effect.
I'm also in a much wetter climate, so that may have something to do with it. That's exactly the goal. The soil is really dry, so mulching is extremely imperative, and the wood chips will break down creating a rich humus