Veg Bed Question

Question on re-purposing Landscaping Bark.

I have 3 fairly large raised veg beds .. on the floor around the walls I paid a pretty substantial amount, to lay down Hardwood bark chips.

It was good initially and then after a few years became wet & sodden, full of spiders, worms & weeds, as a lot of it broke down.
I took it all up, and have 2 x 1 Tonne bags of this.
I know its not a rich growing medium, but is it any use as a soil improver?

Opt 1 …

I take top 6” off beds, layer on the bark, rotovate it in, then replace soil and rotovate that into the mix

Opt 2.

I am just about to open up some trenches for potatoes ….. wondering if adding 4” of this in bottom of trench, then equal quantity of compost … rotovate it together then plant spuds and back fill

Opt 3

Just use it as mulch around my hedges.

 

Opt 3 sounds best to me.
You could also use it as a weed suppressant around other plants.
The blackbirds will still chuck it around though searching for insects.