A thought: was advised once that fresh chippings generally not a good idea - the composting process draws something from the soil... can’t remember what. Mats of any sort better to cut weed/grass competition, but keeping them in place troublesome..
Chas
Well , wood chippings are not too bad in relation of what you mean , but bark definitely needs thinking about the nitrogen , that is used from the ground while it composts over the years ... , so i learnt to to ad some N feritilizer to the plants before covering the ground with bark mulch , we used horn chippings , cause they take a while to be broken down by organism in the ground and changed to a form of Nitrogen , that a plant root can absorb , we avoided industrial or artificial N-based fertilizers that are instantly available for the plant , but did not fit the purpose of tree planting cause the plants need to develop roots first .... so for ecological reasons and economic reasons it did not make sense in winter times with lots of rain or snow to get those fertilizers washed away somewhere-else , before the plant can access - wood chips can be slightly different , if they include some "green" stuff cause the lively part of a stem or trunk or branch is between the bark and the wood and in that very thin layer , the living cells contain the food (fertilizer)
But sure as well , it all depends on the soil , but mulching in general is a good one , funny enough i convinced a few clients to use the grass clippings from their lawn ( if cut regular and no seeds involved) to sped it over the planting beds , sofar, very good results on established beds ,
