Bark in the Garden

Bark mulch has many advantages. It reduces garden maintenance, as well as improving growth and fertility. The plants have more water available to them in beds mulched with bark. They grow better, and you can make savings on your water bill.
Bark types Both types of bark, Decorative Bark and Mulching Bark, are effective against weeds and evaporation.
	Decorative Bark Decorative Bark comes from French stone pines. It is reddish brown in colour and has a nice structure.
	Mulching Bark Mulching Bark is ordinary greyish brown spruce and pine bark that has been graded to a suitable size.

Combating weeds A layer of bark on top of the soil prevents weeds from germinating. This makes it easy to keep your beds free from weeds, with weeding being limited to the removing of isolated shoots from time to time. The important thing is that the bark should be relative coarse and the layer thick enough. Coarse bark dries out quickly, so any shoots will wither before they become established. Spreading bark With both types of bark it is necessary to clear the area completely of weeds before spreading.
It is particularly important to remove perennial weeds such as dandelions, goutweed, couch grass, etc. Otherwise the perennial weeds will grow up through the bark and possibly spread in the mulch/top-dressing. A layer of bark 5-7 cm thick is enough to keep most weeds out of your beds. Decorative bark is more expensive than mulching bark, so it may be worth using Mulching Bark underneath and putting a layer of Decorative Bark on top.
Planting Planting should preferably be done before you spread the bark so as to avoid mixing soil (containing weed seeds) with the layer of bark. Otherwise the bark will have to be raked to one side while you plant. It is a good idea to improve the soil by mixing it with nutrient-enriched moss peat when you are planting.
Mix the soil dug out of the planting hole with Pindstrup Plus in a ratio of 1:1. Hold the plant at the right level in the hole and firm the soil around the root ball. Be sure to water in well.
Feeding It is best to feed as little as possible on top of the layer of bark, as the bark will otherwise break down faster and use the fertilizer. You must therefore apply feed before spreading the bark and subsequently only in the areas immediately around plants. It is normal to use 30-40 g of NPK fertilizer per m². Ferti-Cote Tablets Another option is to use Ferti-Cote slow-release fertilizer, as this type of food is ideal for use with bark. When planting, put the fertilizer tablets straight in the planting hole. In subsequent years, simply push the tablets down into the soil under the layer of bark, close to the plant. In this way you can be sure that the fertilizer reaches the plant's roots and is not trapped in the layer of bark. Large pots and tubs Decorative bark can also be used in pots, tubs and window boxes. It looks good and reduces evaporation.