Poplar wood chips to cover ground as weed supression

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Jennifertara
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Joined: Sat 01-Jan-2022, 20:22

Hi!
I am creating a new garden in a space that will need weed suppression. I have placed Poplar wood chips to cover the entire ground already, so they will have about 2 months to sit before planting anything. I plan to place my compost on top where my beds would be. I have read some cautions against wood chips in a veggie garden due to it stealing nitrogen. Thoughts? Would it be better to keep the wood chips to just the pathways?
Danoost
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Tying up nitrogen is a common concern for 'woodchip gardeners'. But this only becomes a problem when the woodchips are tilled or dug in and incorporated into the soil. When left on the surface, they will only "rob" nitrogen that's immediately in contact with the woodchips. It's important to remember that even though some nitrogen will be tied up, it's not lost. It's locked away in the bodies and biomass of the shredders and decomposers and released for plants when other organisms eat and excrete them.
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