[cheshirecheese]

Because I was going to be away from home a lot the summer before last, I sowed a wild flower mix into the six squares (i.e. very slightly raised beds) on my veg patch as I knew I wouldn't be able to tend any veg I planted.  Unfortunately, although I love them in small quantities, I have been left with a recurrent problem of California poppies self seeding in all the beds as soon as my back is turned!  I've cleared all six squares yet again, and was going to cover them with landscape bark chippings before transplanting my vegetables into them, but then wondered whether they would make the growing conditions too acidic?  The vegetables I'll be transplanting are courgettes, runner beans, green beans, tomatoes, etc., and those already in the soil include carrots, radish, beet and lettuce. Thank you for any advice! 

[Potterer]

Hi, I haven't done it myself but I understand that as long as you use the bark as a mulch and dont dig it in it should be fine. Clear a space of the bark before planting then push it back round after you've firmed the plant in and watered.

[cheshirecheese]

Thanks, Potterer.  I Googled it earlier, and the consensus does seem to be that it's OK.  Whilst it's slightly more acidic than 'ordinary' soil, the acidity apparently lessens as it rots down.  I think it's worth a go.  I shall report back! 

[JayG]

Main problem is that the soil micro-organisms which ultimately break down the chippings have to 'borrow' nitrogen from the surrounding soil because the chippings themselves contain little or none.
This can lead to temporary nitrogen depletion - not what you want when growing crops with high nitrogen requirements.

As Potterer has suggested, this is not really a problem if the chippings are used as a mulch (i.e. they can't 'suck' nitrogen out of the soil beneath them.)

I'm guessing that the chips would likely be from pine trees, which do produce more organic acids during the decomposition process than some other materials, but the consensus 'out there' seems to be that the effect on soil pH is very small, and in any case when used as a mulch they will only decompose very slowly.
I would only be slightly mindful of it if I knew my soil was already a little on the side of being too acidic.

[Mr Dog]

I've used this method over most of my plot for the last 3 years with the only noticeable difference being the much reduced weeding required.