Can i use bark chips in my vegetable garden?

Question

I've heard bark chips are a good weed suppressant. The bit of garden i want to grow veg in has just been cleared of weeds after being unused and untouched for over a year.
I don't want the weeds coming back, so I want to use something which will suppress them.
Are bark chips suitable for use in the veg garden, or is it best to just use them in flower beds etc.

What else could i use to suppress their growth?

Answer 1

Fir bark chips are okay. However, they use some of the nitrogen for decomposition that vegetables (especially corn, beans, potatoes) would otherwise need. Don't use bark that is high in oils (cypress, redwood, cedar). Those reduce worm and microbe activity (which provides beneficial nitrogen and a good ph) in the soil. Consider using peat moss for mulch to deter weeds. It decomposes easier than bark chips. And, a hoe is the most reliable thing to use to suppress weeds. If your "bit of garden... has just been cleared of weeds", it's highly probable that they have left behind many, many seeds. Don't get discouraged. It takes two or three years of persistent management to deter weeds in previous weed patches.

Answer 2

Bark and wood chips are ideal for flower beds where you won't be harvesting and tilling, but don't use either in your vegetable garden. They can harbor insects and disease, and use too much soil nitrogen when they rot. As already stated fine organic mulch, like dried, preferably chopped, leaves, peat or even dried steer manure are pretty good weed control, and will add to the soil rather than deplete it. No matter what you use, it's still hard to beat the old tried and true method of hoeing and pulling. If you get to the weeds while they are small and not too numerous, they are not that hard to stay ahead of.

Answer 3

we used bark chips in our communal garden - very soon the bed was a mass of weeds, brought in on the bark! as soon as I took the bark off again, hey presto, the weeds disappeared, so it had to be the chips that brought it in.



you'd need to make very sure that the bark you got was rated weed-free



you can buy weed-suppressing fabric that you put down and cover with a layer of dirt; then you cut through the fabric to plant.



or how about a mat-forming plant that will give you ground cover?

Answer 4

I wouldn't use bark chips, they have too many crevices for critters that want to eat your veges to hide in. They also take years to break down, so every time you mess with the garden you'll have to move them around.



I use a top mulch of organic matter - 2-6 inches deep. At the end of the season I can turn it into the garden or just let it set there and it actually improves the soil quality while it breaks down fairly quickly.

Answer 5

No, don't use wood or bark for growing veg. Its no good to the soil..If you are going to plant veg use a hoe between the rows...That's what they are made for... It doesn't take a few minutes on a nice afternoon to do this.. Use your bark for the flower side of your garden only..

Answer 6

Simplest answer and by far the cheapest one. Use your grass clippings after mowing your yard. Don't put it too thick as it will begin to mold. But you put a nice thin layer of grass clippings and not only does it keep the weeds down, but also help keep the plants moist during warmer weather.



Good luck

Answer 7

Your vegies won't appreciate the tannin that leaks from bark as that is a weed suppressor,try to go for a natural mulch or lay shade cloth down to keep weeds to a minimum.Also remember to encourage the worms with chook dung.http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1853871.htm.......Good Luck!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

i use lawn cuttings in between the rows of veg, it suppresses

the weeds and helps to retain moister for plants and then it

rots to help garden

Answer 10

i take advantage of leaves and pine needles from my personal trees, also i'm getting wheat straw in bales. do not get hay for mulching, its regularly finished of weed seeds. you are able to also use stuff like newspapers and cardboard. (organic and organic and could smash down) certain, you should certainly mulch. Mulch is like magic contained in the backyard. It does administration weeds and safeguard moisture, yet also because it breaks down it provides extra fertility to the soil. Mulch is the gardener's suitable buddy.

Answer 11

You can put down news paper(no colors) then cover with wood chips. They are cheaper than bark chips .