Neil admits his bark mulch addiction

I buy bark mulch in bulk. Not exactly by the dump truck, but the next thing to it. I buy 50 or 60 bags at a time, and I’m back to restock two or three times every year. My name is Neil, and I’m a bark mulch addict. Proud of it, too.

I prefer pine bark mulch, finely ground into nickel- and dime-sized pieces, with as little stringy fiber as possible. It works for all of my needs, and there are several.

Technically, a “mulch” is a loose covering of the soil. It functions to conserve moisture, retard weed growth, lessen splashing and erosion, and moderate the rate at which soil temperatures change. I use my pine bark mulch as a covering for shrub plantings and annual and perennial beds. I put it down 1 inch deep, but I replenish it with a thinner layer once or twice a year. As it decays, it enriches the top of my garden soil. As I rework the beds, it gets blended right in with my other soil amendments.

Speaking of soil amendments, I also use pine bark mulch there as well. It’s a part of the package of organic materials that I mix into the ground as I’m working the soil. I’ve given the formula out hundreds of times on the air: “2 inches of Canadian sphagnum peat moss, 1 inch of finely ground pine bark mulch, 1 inch of rotted manure and 1 inch of well-rotted compost, all rototilled with a rear-tine tiller to a depth of 12 inches.” If my caller is working with a native clay soil (as I do), I also recommend including 1/2-inch of expanded shale with the organic matter. The result: an almost perfect potting soil for your most special plants.

And, the final use of my beloved pine bark mulch: for my garden pathways. It pours out easily, and it lies flat in place. It gives a fresh smell to the garden, and it looks terrific. Sure, it washes in heavy rains. But, it costs only a few dollars to cover my paths, so I’m game for the gamble. We don’t get that many washing rains in our part of the state.

All those blessings – out of one little bag. Why, it’s almost as great as a Swiss Army knife!