3 Ways To Use Bark In Your Garden This Winter

eco gardening, winter gardening

With wind, rain, ice and snow, the winter makes it tough to keep your garden in check. However, neglecting your garden completely over the colder months can leave you with a mountain to tackle when the spring rolls back around.

Make garden bark your best friend this winter and keep your maintenance to a minimum. Here, Compost Direct explains how garden bark chippings can be used in your garden this winter.

Tidying borders

If you’re tired of those pesky weeds popping up around your borders, bark chippings can help. By adding an additional layer to your soil, you can effectively suppress weed growth, keeping your borders neat and tidy, while also insulating the roots of your plants — essential when the winter frost arrives.

As well as protecting from frost damage, bark helps to retain soil moisture, which is essential for plant growth. If you do choose to apply the chippings around your plants, make sure it’s suitable and not fresh. Some types of bark aren’t, as they remove vital nitrogen from the soil. Always make sure you buy the right one!

Top your pots

Just like your borders, topping your pots with bark chippings is a simple and affordable way of keeping them tidy throughout the winter and preventing the growth of weeds. Bark does compost, although this is usually at a very slow rate. You won’t be topping up your pots every day but the process of decomposition will add vital nutrients to the soil, which could aid plant growth.

Perfect your pathways

Winter weather can leave your pathways soggy and muddy, especially if they’re not constructed with decking or paving stones. Wood chippings can make boggy patches more stable, if you apply them right. Line the pathways with a membrane and make sure you punch holes for drainage. The chippings should be around 10cm thick, so you’ll need to dig down deep enough.

By using bark chips throughout your garden, you can keep your outdoor space looking tidy and reduce maintenance next spring.