subject: What Is Bark Mulch? [print this page] Bark mulch is one of the most used mulches in landscape beds. Bark mulch looks good in your garden and does a great job in conserving water. Just like all mulches, bark mulch is a good way to control or minimize weeds. Bark mulch also does a great job of retaining moisture in the soil on which the mulch is placed. All bark mulch products must be at least 85% bark of the tree that it is named after to be considered bark mulch.
One down side to using bark mulch is that bark mulch often comes in large chips and doesn't look as clean as other mulches. Large pieces of bark mulch also tend to float away after heavy rains. As a result, bark mulch doesn't decompose as fast as other mulches. To some using the mulch as part of decor as opposed to using the much as nutrients, this is a plus. However, many landscape supply companies offer shredded bark mulch and double shredded bark mulch. By shredding the bark mulch it provides a much cleaner look. Shredded bark mulch also adds value to your garden. Shredding bark mulch will not only conserve water for your plants, but also when the bark mulch is shredded, it will decompose quicker. Shredded bark mulch will also ad nutrients to the soil.
Another benefit of using bark march is that bark mulch doesn't seem to be as effected by insects as other form of mulches. The one insect that greatly affects the benefits of bark mulch is a termite. Termites love the wood contents in bark mulch. When using bark mulch, one should place the mulch away from their home or building to reduce the chances of the insect getting into the wood of their structure. Placing the mulch a few inches away should be sufficient enough protection when using bark mulch.
There are many types of bark mulch that come from different trees. Bark mulch can have different colors as well. A bark mulch made form the spruce tree tends to be a uniform brown color and the mulch has a wonderful spruce smell. Mulch made from hemlock bark is red in color. The oils fond in this bark will repel against bugs, thus the mulch serves as a bug repellent. Pine and cedar are also a great mulches used for their wonderful aroma. Cedar mulch is a medium brown color.
Choosing to use bark mulch in your outdoor landscape can prove to be beneficial in many ways. Enhancing the looks of your landscape is the number one reason people choose to use bark mulch. The colors, aromas, and benefits are great when it come to choosing mulch. Bark mulch is reasonably cheap, readily available, and people are pretty familiar with seeing it in landscape mulch beds. Bark mulch can be easily turned over into the soil creating more nutrients. Some will argue that this causes them to lay more mulch, more frequently. When an individual chooses to use larger bark pieces, they fade and lose their look more quickly. So both large pieces of mulch and finer pieces of wood mulch need to be turned over.
The worst type of mulch an individual can choose to use would be trail mulch, the wood chips extracted from the wood chipper. This mulch provides little to no nutrients for soil. So, for growing purposes, trail chips are not the best choice in gardens. This type of mulch needs to go through a few changes before it breaks down. The changes require animals to break down the mulch. This means that the mulch we have laid actually competes with out plants for food because animals will then break down the mulch and use the plants for food. Unlike hardwood mulches, soft wood mulches break down easily into the soil.
When using bark mulch one must consider following the preceding tips to ensure the bark mulch is used effectively. First, when laying the mulch around a tree, make sure the mulch is less than two inches deep. Do not pile the mulch around the trunk. The mulch should also be pulled away form the base of the trunk. Mulch that is piled too high encourages insects to nest and inhabit the area. The trunk should be able to breath with the mulch placed around it. Lastly, when placing bark mulch in its desired place, the soil and plants needs a good watering where the mulch is going to go.
