In desperation of trying to rid my vegetable garden of weeds, I put newspaper down between the raised beds and covered it with cedar mulch. I then noticed that the cedar chips were less expensive and purchased those instead. Have I made a mistake by covering it with the wood chips instead of mulch? Is it more toxic and will it effect my vegetables? I can't seem to get a consensus on this. Help!

Thanks!
Faith

First some definitions are in order. The word "mulch" means anything that covers the ground to prevent erosion, moderate soil temperatures, & inhibit weed growth. So, both shredded cedar and cedar chips are mulch. But, mulch can also be rocks, leaves, pine straw, or even used carpet.

Wood chips, used as a mulch, can tie up nitrogen in the soil until they break down some. Some people think this is a big deal & others don't. The larger the pieces of cedar the longer it will take for them to break down. IMO, you've not done any harm to your garden by using the chips over newspaper in between rows in your veggie garden.

You noted that you went from shredded cedar to chips due to cost. If you used shredded leaves you would not have to buy anything. And, the leaves break down much quicker into the soil providing better tilth (structure) & minimal nutrition as an added bonus.

So, whatcha got growing for dinner?

Tricia