Bark Vs Mulch: The Best Option in the Vegetable Garden Jenny Graham, October 27, 2023November 7, 2023 When it comes to deciding to use bark vs mulch in the vegetable garden or flower beds, you have many different materials to consider. Let’s explore the best options when deciding on bark vs mulch. But wait, there’s a twist! While I do think that mulch is the best option it’s NOT the traditional form of woody mulches that you may be thinking of. Bark Vs Mulch: And What About Wood Chips? Tree bark, woody mulches, and wood chips are all different types of mulch but all come from trees. Tree bark is exactly what it says, the bark form a tree. While wood chips are the inside of a tree all chipped up. Lastly, woody mulches are a blend of all parts of a tree. What is Mulch? Let’s be clear, mulch isn’t just woody mulches from trees. Mulch can be made from many different materials, both organic matter and inorganic matter. Simply put, it is a layer of material used to cover the surface of the soil to suppress weed growth, retain soil moisture, protect soil from heavy rains and soil erosion to support plant growth. Different Types of Mulch cedar mulch hardwood mulch shredded wood mulch wood chip mulch untreated wood chip mulch compost mulch pine needles river rock mulch or stone mulch shredded leaf mulch sawdust grass clippings straw mulch hay mulch bark mulch pine bark nuggets living mulch Inorganic Mulches Rubber mulch Sheet mulching with cardboard Plastic sheeting, silage tarps or weed barrier fabric Let’s Start with Cedar Mulch You guessed it, cedar mulch is made from the bark of cedar trees. This makes it a hardwood mulch. This means it is organic matter that takes a long time to break down, making it a bad choice to use in your annual vegetable plants or flower beds, as it reduces the available nitrogen. Don’t get me wrong though, you can use it in walkways in the vegetable garden for weed control and aesthetic appeal. For long term weed control you can use large pieces of cardboard under your mulch layer. What About Hardwood Mulch? Hardwood mulch comes from shaven pieces of wood from dicot trees. Usually oak, hickory, maple, and cedar trees. Like cedar mulch, hardwood mulch will also tie up nitrogen, robbing your vegetable garden of nutrients. As a result, hardwood mulch is more suitable for landscape design. Shredded Hardwood Mulch This type of mulch is often a blend of hardwoods. However, it is shredded up into much finer pieces. Consequently, making it decay faster, which makes it a better choice as it adds more nutrients and organic matter to the soil. In fact, it will not tie up nitrogen as long but should still be used sparingly in your vegetable garden beds. Using Wood Chips as Mulch Just like many other types of mulch, wood chip mulch can cause nitrogen to be unavailable to your plants. To avoid this, only use composted wood chips that have had at least 4-6 months to breakdown. Using composted materials as a top dressing is always an excellent choice to fertilize your vegetable garden. Compost Mulch Compost mulch, simply put, is using organic matter as a ground cover that will breakdown over time but not tie up nitrogen. This can be different garden soil amendments like compost, grass clippings, leaves, shredded paper, and chop and drop plant matter. These different materials are a good choice for mulch in the vegetable garden or flower beds. Above all, a thick layer of finished compost can also do the trick while providing valuable nutrients for plant growth. Pine Needles as Mulch Pine needles from pine trees can work as mulch but will lower the ph, making it less alkaline soil. This could be too acidic for most vegetable gardens. However, some acid loving plants, such as blueberries, thrive in lower ph soil. Pine needles also take a long time to break down. They may not be the best mulch for your vegetable garden or flower beds. River Rock Mulch or Stone Mulch While rock mulch isn’t really bad for plants they don’t do much for them either. Rocks do not breakdown and feed the soil or plants overtime. Too much rock can also cause compaction problems. Rock Mulch is a great way to add aesthetic appeal to your landscaping project but it is not a good choice in the vegetable garden. Shredded Leaf Mulch Shredded leaf mulch is an excellent choice for ground cover around your vegetable plants. Just be sure they are shredded so water can get to the soil. Otherwise, putting a thick layer of whole leaves can block water from reaching the soil. Leaf mulch is a great top dressing, gradually decomposing and releasing nutrients into the soil to feed your plant roots for healthy plant growth. Sawdust Mulch Sawdust is an extremely high carbon material. Carbon will absorb available nitrogen making it unavailable to your vegetable garden inhibiting plant growth. When considering different types of mulch, its a good idea to stay away from sawdust, as it could contain harmful chemicals. Grass Clippings as Mulch Grass clippings are an excellent choice for ground cover and vegetable garden mulch, as long as they aren’t full of grass and weed seeds. They are a great option to add nitrogen and decompose quickly. However, too thick of a layer can become slimy and anaerobic so apply grass clippings in thin layers only. Straw Mulch Straw mulch is a popular choice in the vegetable garden and flower beds for ground cover. It is cheap, good for your soil, and easy to work with. Furthermore, it provides weed control and regulates the soil temperature and soil moisture. Just be sure its straw and NOT hay, which can be full of harmful chemicals. Hay as a Mulch Layer When I first started gardening, I was a sucker for hay as a mulch layer. After all, it worked so well and was so cheap. Back in the day, Ruth Stout had great success using hay in the garden. But before you go out and mulch your garden with hay please know that it can POISON your garden soil with harmful chemicals. In fact, most hay these days is sprayed with a persistent herbicide which can stay in the soil for up to three years, some studies showing even longer. In my opinion, there are far better options that will benefit your garden and not destroy the soil quality. Herbicide tainted garden soil has destroyed many vegetable gardens. It can also be a fire hazard and full of weed seeds. Living Mulch This is an option that many gardeners often forget. Surprisingly, there are many different options for living ground cover to suppress weeds and add beauty to your garden. Living ground covers to consider are Perennial Peanut, Asiatic Jasmine, Powderpuff Mimosa, or Periwinkle. Inorganic Mulches in the Vegetable Garden When deciding what type of mulch to use in the vegetable garden for weed control or weed barrier there are various factors to consider. Do you have an area that needs weed suppression? Inorganic mulches such as plastic sheeting could be a good choice. Plastic Sheeting or Silage Tarps One of the best options for weed control is to tarp your annual garden between seasons with plastic sheeting or silage tarps. At the end of the gardening season, when the weeds have taken over, I simply cover my garden with a tarp or plastic sheeting until I’m ready to amend beds for the next season. You can also use weed barrier fabric Rubber Mulch Rubber mulch, as an inorganic mulch, in the vegetable garden is another toxic material full of harmful chemicals you should keep out of the garden. It contains high levels of zinc, which can ruin soil quality. Bark Vs Mulch: What About Tree Bark? Now that we know all about the different types of mulch, let’s talk tree bark as a ground cover. What is Tree Bark Mulch? Shredded into various sizes, tree bark mulch is just the bark of a tree. This makes it a heavier type of material than most mulches so it’s a good choice for extreme weather conditions and to control soil erosion. Using Bark Vs Mulch Using tree bark as a ground cover can work great in walkways and in your landscaping project. It is not a good option to use in vegetable garden and flower beds, as it’s high in carbon and takes a long time to decompose, which ties up nitrogen, inhibiting plant growth. Types of Tree Bark Mulches There are many types of tree bark mulches, such as hardwood bark mulch, pine bark nuggets, and pine bark mulch from pine trees. These can all cause nutrient deficiencies. Tree bark mulch does not have high nitrogen, which forces bacteria that is used in decomposition to use the nitrogen in the soil, robbing your plant roots of valuable nutrients. Frequently Asked Questions: Bark Vs Mulch Why Use Mulch? Mulch is used for weed control, moisture retention in the soil, and soil temperature regulation. Mulch is an easy way to give your landscaping project an aesthetic appeal making your garden look great. How Do You Choose the Top Layer of Your Landscape? When choosing a type of material for ground cover there are various factors to consider such as, what you are growing, how long you want it to last, and how you want your landscaping in your own yard to look. Mulches come in different materials, a variety of colors, different weights, and various sizes. Bark Vs Mulch Which Lasts the Longest? Topping the list of what mulch lasts the longest are going to be your large, hardwood bark mulch along with river rock or stone mulch. What is Mulch Made of? Mulch can be made of many different materials, both organic and inorganic materials. From tree bark, stone mulch, wood chips, leaf mulch, shredded barks, cedar mulch, straw, grass clippings, and plant matter to rubber mulch, plastic sheeting, cardboard, and silage tarps. Mulch comes in many different materials. Is Wood Mulch Good for Gardens? Hardwood mulch can be ok to use in the garden if it has been composted for 4-6 months. Fresh wood mulch can rob plant roots of nitrogen that they need for optimal plant growth. Is It Good to Put Bark Around Plants? Bark is often too high in carbon to make it a good choice to use around vegetable plants. However, bark can be used in traditional landscaping to help protect the soil, retain water, and suppress weeds. It is a good choice for areas that need protection from heavy rains, extreme weather conditions and soil erosion. What Depth of Mulch is Best? Generally speaking, 2-3 inches of mulch is a good choice to aide in moisture retention, weed control, and to help maintain soil temperature. Will Bark Stop Weeds? Bark mulch is a good option to stop weeds as it will be effective in blocking the sunlight. Aim to have bark mulch 3-4 inches thick to help control weed growth in your landscaping project. You can also consider sheet mulching with cardboard under your mulch. Why Not Use Bark Mulch? Bark mulch is not good to use in your annual vegetable garden. It will rob your plant roots of the nitrogen they need to produce good plant growth and a plentiful harvest. Bark Vs Mulch. Is it the Same? No, wood bark is the bark off of trees where as woody mulches are a mixture of all parts of the tree. Mulch can also come from different materials like shredded leaves, grass clippings, straw mulch, and such. What Mulch to Avoid? Topping the list of mulches to avoid, especially in a vegetable garden are hay and rubber mulch. Also avoid using any woody mulches that have not been composted for 4-6 months in a vegetable garden bed, as it may tie up nitrogen. What is Black Mulch? Black mulch is a decorative mulch that has been dyed with a non toxic black dye. Woody mulches come in a variety of colors, which can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your landscaping project. Can I Use Pine Bark Nuggets? Pine bark nuggets from pine trees are a good choice to use in walkways and in areas where you want the mulch to stay put and last a long time. It is not recommended to use in an annual vegetable garden bed, as it may inhibit plant growth. Can I Use Freshly Chipped Wood as Mulch? Absolutely. Wood chips can be used in walkways and in landscaping to help suppress weeds when used as a ground cover. It is only recommended to use it in a vegetable garden or flower beds if it has been composted for 4-6 months so it does not effect plant growth. What is Straw Mulch? Straw Mulch is often a by product of wheat, rye, rice, barely, and oats. The straw is the stalk of these grains after they have been harvested. Straw mulch is a good choice as a mulch layer. Just be sure it’s straw and not hay which can be full of weed seeds and harmful chemicals. Is Bark Mulch Biodegradable? Yes, bark mulch is biodegradable. It does however take a lot longer than regular woody mulches to break down. Can Bark Mulch Keep Your Soil Warm? Generally speaking, any mulch can help regulate the soil temperature, control weed growth, and help with moisture retention. Bark Vs Mulch: What is the Best Option As you can see, when it comes to choosing a ground cover for your annual vegetable garden and how much mulch you need, there are various factors to consider, such as Bagged Vs. Bulk Mulch. Topping my list of the best mulch to use in the vegetable garden or flower beds for weed control, moisture retention, and to help maintain soil temperature are… grass clippings that are free of weed seeds composted mulches silage tarps or plastic sheeting straw mulch chop and drop plant matter Living mulches For ultimate, long term weed control you can always add sheet mulching with large pieces of cardboard under your mulch of choice. You may also consider if amending with topsoil vs garden soil vs potting soil may help. You may also enjoy reading How Many Bags of Mulch On A Palllet? Happy Homesteading & Mulching! Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm Sources: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/documents2/messages/Important%20Warning%20Regarding%20Persistent%20Herbicides.pdf https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource007193_Rep10385.pdf Gardening Homesteading