Kitchen Garden Forum

can i use wood chip between rows of veg to help weed control or will too many nutrients be used up by chips

Hi Futrot,
If the wood chips have been fully composted they they would not represent any problems. This would give a good soil improver when
dug-in at the end of the season but if they are not fully composted this would lead to Nitrogen depletion in the soil even when used as a mulch.
JB.

Dear Futrot,
if they are leylandii or other similar conifers then they will also release chemicals which will inhibit germination of seeds and the growth of nearby plants.
As a side note woodchippings should not be used as mulch when planting trees or shrubs for all the above reasons. Use garden compost, leafmould or weed supressing fabrics instead.
Regards Sally Wright.

thanks for your comments

I always use a line of home made wood chips from shredded prunings, including a few conifers to separate up some of my veg beds. They break down over a season and are always full of worms. I've not noticed any lessening of the crops nearby. You can then dig them in or top them up to keep the path in the same place. They do need weeding at the end of the season when they start breaking down.

They are fairly fine and break down readily. The coarse bought ones would probably have a different result.