It's so simple. There is no need for herbicides or fertilizers. Watch the "Back to Eden" video to understand.

For many years I had a 20' x 12' garden. I used wood chips as Paul Gautschi did to maintain the moisture and fertilization through the natural decomposition of wood chips back to the earth. The wood chips provided all the minerals and nutrients needed to produce healthy and vigorous vegetables. Plants are no different than animals in regards to health. Only the unhealthy and weak are attacked by predators. The predators are inclined to go after the weak and unhealthy and do not attack healthy plants.

The wood chips act as a shield to the hot summer sun and insulate the moist wood chips underneath. Digging further down, one will see the bottom wood chips decaying and perfectly moist. A little further, the decomposition is near complete to a healthy dark moist silt loam. I live in the far north and the soils are poor and sandy.

The top wood chips repel and prevent weeds from taking root. The heat and their dryness prevents them from really taking root. If any weed did catch hold as a result of rainy weather, I would simply use my foot to upend them. It was so easy compared to tilling.

As far as insect attacks, I never really had any problems. I never used herbicides, but I did take precaution with the seedling plants by wrapping a strip of aluminum foil around their base. This prevented cabbage worms feeding on the new seedling plants. I don't know what it is, but they don't like metal.

I never watered my garden when I used wood chips. All of it was self contained. Again, watch the "Back to Eden" video.