Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Chipswith everything
Bark chippings are a gift for the garden – they’re a cheap way of fighting weeds, keeping plants happy and adding a sprinkle of style
Bark chips are every gardener’s friend. They might not be very interesting – but they have no end of uses. Visually, bark chips or composted bark are a great way of making an immediate impact, keeping weeds down and stopping the ground drying out in hot weather.
They bring neat uniformity around plants and shrubs in your border, whether you are trying to sell a property or just having a good tidy up.
Bark chips can also be used as an economical way to replace materials such as paving or gravel on paths.
There’s something appealingly rustic about them and they are cheap, durable and low maintenance.
But one of their great benefits is providing a natural barrier against weeds by cutting off sunlight.
They are also a great temperature equaliser – they protect roots from frost damage in winter and hold back the scorching sun in the summer.
And they will act as a mulch to retain moisture in the soil, helping maintain a healthy and balanced environment for your precious plants.
With these three qualities, they are a superb addition to your borders.
Bark chips need to be about 5cm deep, so check your measurements to ensure you buy enough material to cover the space thoroughly.
Now is the perfect time to stock up on supplies because garden centres tend to have spring deals on this sort of material.
Don’t try to use your own tree cuttings. Fresh chippings will suck nitrogen from the soil around the plants. It’s better to buy ready-made bark chips or composted bark.
Bark chips come in a variety of sizes. Smaller ones look great in pots and tubs, where they will have the same effect of keeping weeds down and moisture levels up.
That means less evaporation and watering and fewer dead plants.
Bark chips do compost down over time but it is a slow process and you should not need to top up too often – once every couple of years at most.
Over time, the process also enriches and aerates the soil.
Bark chips can stimulate plant growth – experts found that mulched plants and trees grow faster than those that remain unmulched.
If you use bark chippings for pathways, you will need to lay a membrane between the soil and the chippings that will act as a weed barrier.
You can buy weed-suppressant fabric by the metre at most garden centres and DIY stores. It has been specially designed to permit drainage but it will prevent weeds from forcing their way through the bark.
When laying a path of bark chips, it should be about 10cm deep because it
will naturally compact over time as people stomp all over it.
So make sure the base is deep enough by removing topsoil and any other existing material to a decent depth.
Peg out the area with string and use a nice sharp spade to make the job as pain-free as possible.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of different bark chip shades available, so you should be able to find one to enhance your garden beautifully. Personally, I love the ones that have a rich reddish shade to them, such as pine bark, which provides a gorgeous and warm contrast against the cool greens of other plants in the garden.
The down side to this colour is that it will show up more in the soil as it composts down.
You can buy bark chippings from any decent garden centre.
Reputable retailers will ensure the wood comes from a renewable source and this should be clearly labelled, too.
Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, which guarantees responsibly sourced wood that comes from renewable sources.
The FSC is the only wood certification scheme to be endorsed by major environmental charities such as the Woodland Trust, the WWF and Greenpeace.
You will want to be thoughtful if you have animals such as chickens and make sure you get a product that is suitable.
Also, there is a certified type of chipping for use in children’s play areas.
All in all, the benefits are tremendous, and whether you are putting it on paths or in borders and containers, chippings will add instant style to your garden.
And bring tons of other positives for your plants too.