I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as a
lawn.

Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

Advice please?

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as a
lawn.

Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

Advice please?


I'd get rid of them, which should be THAT difficult with the correct rake.
How big is this area?

Hint: Teenagers are always looking for work, it seems. Got any in your
neighborhood? Sometimes, high schools post odd jobs that people need done.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"Kevin" wrote in message
...
I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish
to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as
a
lawn.

Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

Advice please?


I'd get rid of them, which should be THAT difficult with the correct rake.
How big is this area?

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good for
the grass.


Hint: Teenagers are always looking for work, it seems. Got any in your
neighborhood? Sometimes, high schools post odd jobs that people need done.

On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

To each their own. If topsoil is inches deep and chips buried they wont use
nitrogen from above. I would do soil test anyway on topsoil and add what is
recommended for grass.

"JohnS" wrote in message ...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

To each their own. If topsoil is inches deep and chips buried they wont
use nitrogen from above. I would do soil test anyway on topsoil and add
what is recommended for grass.


You're right. ***IF*** conditions are right, they will break down.
***IF***. But, the OP sounds new at this. He also sounds like he likes short
cuts.

On Mon, 5 Mar 2007 00:01:19 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:


"Jangchub" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

To each their own. If topsoil is inches deep and chips buried they wont use
nitrogen from above. I would do soil test anyway on topsoil and add what is
recommended for grass.

And what then do you do when you have a huge sink hole where the chips
have decomposed? This is not a matter of "to each his own." This is
"fact" and "not fact." I don't have to list my credentials here, but
I don't say things arbitrarily when money is involved and turf costs
money. And what is "top soil?" Do you mean that dead as a door knob
"sandy loam" they put under sod when they build a house? It's not
topsoil. It's junk.

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 5 Mar 2007 00:01:19 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:


"Jangchub" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good
for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

To each their own. If topsoil is inches deep and chips buried they wont
use
nitrogen from above. I would do soil test anyway on topsoil and add what
is
recommended for grass.

And what then do you do when you have a huge sink hole where the chips
have decomposed?

What sinkhole? He don't say chips are over foot deep.

This is not a matter of "to each his own." This is
"fact" and "not fact." I don't have to list my credentials here, but
I don't say things arbitrarily when money is involved and turf costs
money.

How deep are these chips that sinkholes will form?

And what is "top soil?" Do you mean that dead as a door knob
"sandy loam" they put under sod when they build a house? It's not
topsoil. It's junk.

He didn't say how good the quality of the topsiol.

I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as a
lawn.
Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

If you want, but you'll need more N for the lawn.
On the other hand, it's easy enough to rake them up and compost elsewhere.


If this is next to the house, do be careful about raising the soil level --
it can provide a convenient pathway to the house for termites and similar
insects. A minimum of 12" between ground and siding is required in
most US building codes, iirc. May be different in the UK, but it's easier
to keep a good gap than deal with insect damage, imho.

Kay

"JohnS" wrote in message ...

"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 5 Mar 2007 00:01:19 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:


"Jangchub" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 4 Mar 2007 17:13:05 -0600, "JohnS" wrote:

Why remove them? They rot into humus under the cover of topsoil, good
for
the grass.

It takes both carbon and nitrogen to create humus, or as it's known
the finished product of compost. The bark will take too much nitrogen
out of the soil and the turf will suffer. I'd say to rake them away
and put them on the soil where garden or landscape beds are located.

To each their own. If topsoil is inches deep and chips buried they wont
use
nitrogen from above. I would do soil test anyway on topsoil and add what
is
recommended for grass.

And what then do you do when you have a huge sink hole where the chips
have decomposed?

What sinkhole? He don't say chips are over foot deep.

This is not a matter of "to each his own." This is
"fact" and "not fact." I don't have to list my credentials here, but
I don't say things arbitrarily when money is involved and turf costs
money.

How deep are these chips that sinkholes will form?

And what is "top soil?" Do you mean that dead as a door knob
"sandy loam" they put under sod when they build a house? It's not
topsoil. It's junk.

He didn't say how good the quality of the topsiol.


He also didn't define the word "slightly" in the original message.
Experienced gardeners develop a feel for how soil works, so nobody in this
discussion can really say much of anything until we know what "slightly"
means.

"Kevin" expounded:

I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as a
lawn.

Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

Advice please?

Are the chips fresh? If they've weathered for a year or two, I
wouldn't worry about nitrogen use. Just cover them with a good thick
layer of topsoil and forget about them.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
I have an area of garden that has been covered in bark chips. I now wish to
level and raise it slightly with a layer of top soil prior to seeding as a
lawn.

Will it be OK to cover the bark chippings?

Advice please?


As the others have pointed out, a thick layer of mulch should not be left,
but an older or thinner layer would not be bad. The best thing would be to
till it into the soil very well, and then cover with the new soil. When
your grass is established, I would use a water soluble fertilizer (Miracle
Grow) as per instructions for the first year. That will help offset any
nitrogen depletion as the mulch rots. We have very clay, very old soil.
When revamping some old beds, I have tilled in bark mulch to give humus to
the soil. When I have dug into those areas the next year, I have a layer of
rotting mulch that is really feeding the soil.

DP