Bark mulch is the gardener's ace in the hole for creative and low-maintenance garden design. This guide shows you how to use the natural material in a variety of ways and what the differences are to wood chips.
What is the difference between bark mulch and wood chips in the garden?
Bark mulch is a natural material made from peeled bark that suppresses weeds, protects the soil from drying out and releases nutrients. It differs from wood chips, which only serve as a decorative cover and have no weed-inhibiting effect.
What is the difference between bark mulch and wood chips?
Bark mulch consists of peeled bark from native spruces, pines or Douglas firs. Higher quality products are made from the bark of noble pine, maple or mahogany trees. Thanks to the tannins it contains, bark mulch has a germ-inhibiting effect and effectively suppresses weeds. As they decompose, the pieces of bark release additional valuable nutrients into the garden soil.
In contrast, the function of wood chips is limited to a decorative cover of the soil. Since there is a lack of tannins and decomposition is slow, the wooden mulching material cannot serve to suppress weeds. The option of different colors with which the wooden pieces can be colored is advantageous for imaginative garden design.
Bark mulch in premium quality – two important criteria
You can recognize the best quality bark mulch by its grain size of at least 16 to 25 mm. Smaller pieces of bark decompose into humus within a short time and significantly lose their weed-inhibiting effect. Freshness is the second, important quality criterion. If bark mulch exudes a pleasant scent of fresh forest floor, you are making the right purchase decision. An earthy smell, on the other hand, indicates old material that is already in the process of decomposing.
Mulching professionally – tips & tricks
So that bark mulch can develop the full range of its benefits, the material should be applied professionally. How to do it right:
- Remove existing weeds with a cultivator, hand shovel or weed cutter
- Apply nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as horn shavings (€32.00 on Amazon) or guano granules
- Distribute bark mulch in a 5 to 8 cm thick layer
The decomposition process of bark mulch initially removes nitrogen from the soil. The decomposing first layer of mulch contains enough nitrogen so that further fertilizer applications are not necessary. Rather, a nitrogen cycle is set in motion, which maintains itself when the mulch layer is regularly refreshed.
Tip
Bark mulch is a natural and inexpensive alternative to natural stone in the garden as a path surface. If the budget has been largely exhausted after building a new home, coarse bark material also acts as a decorative transitional solution for the terrace or seating area in the garden.
