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Decorative bark
I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on
the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. |
Decorative bark
"zzznot" wrote in message
news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. My experience is limited to cedar bark, in both chip and shredded form. In dry weather, the chips blow around. Either that or the squirrels play soccer with them. And, they don't form a nice mat. The shredded bark tends to stay put. I put down a 4" layer and it lasts a couple of years. Color fades, but never looks weird. Speaking of which, do not under any circumstances buy the stupid artificially colored mulch. Nasty. Ugly. My neighbor uses it. He says "When people see it, they know I've been gardening." Wrong. People know you think Fingerhut is an upscale shopping experience. :-) |
Decorative bark
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? Bill -- Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA |
Decorative bark
"Bill" wrote in message
... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? Bill Rochester, Nueva York |
Decorative bark
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "Bill" wrote in message ... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? Bill Rochester, Nueva York Sic the dogs on 'em. -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Decorative bark
"Billy" wrote in message
... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "Bill" wrote in message ... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? Bill Rochester, Nueva York Sic the dogs on 'em. -- Billy Dogs on this property are called "targets". |
Decorative bark
In article ,
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "Billy" wrote in message ... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "Bill" wrote in message ... In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? Bill Rochester, Nueva York Sic the dogs on 'em. -- Billy Dogs on this property are called "targets". Sorry. Sic the targets on him. -- Billy Impeach Pelosi, Bush & Cheney to the Hague http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/ |
Decorative bark
In article sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03,
"zzznot" wrote: I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. If you used a good mulch, like alfalfa, you would simultaneously feed your plants and make good soil as well hold down weeds and retain moisture. -- Bush Behind Bars Billy http://angryarab.blogspot.com/ |
Decorative bark
On Mar 13, 1:56�pm, "zzznot" wrote:
I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. �It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. �So, is there any downside to using it? �Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Pine bark nuggets work well. They're typically available in three sizes, small. medium. and large. I like to use a mix of large and medium piled about six inches deep. They are heavy enough that the wind won't blow them around and wood eating insects do not eat pine bark. The only drawback is if you have poor drainage causing large puddles, then they may float away... it's best to contain them with some sort of edging regardless, same as with any mulch. http://www.thelandscapeshop.com/Hort.../Pine_Bark.htm |
Decorative bark
On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:54:26 -0400, Bill
wrote: In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? This is for Long Beach, California, 90807. Good hint on the gap to the structure, which we pretty much follow anyhow - and then have the Orkin guy come once a month and spray the boundary. J. (excuse me posting from multiple workstations!) |
Decorative bark
On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:19:38 -0800, Billy
wrote: If you used a good mulch, like alfalfa, you would simultaneously feed your plants and make good soil as well hold down weeds and retain moisture. What's been done here over the years is, when a new bush or bed is planted, the adobe is modestly dug out, and the hole filled with some kind of bedding soil. But somehow, a year or so later, it seems like all adobe again! House could use a total relandscape, actually, I'm just patching for now. J. |
Decorative bark
In article ,
JXStern wrote: On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:54:26 -0400, Bill wrote: In article , "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote: "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. Try to keep chips away from wooden structures you value. How far you think? I'd go 2 or 3 feet depending on your clime. Termites and critters. Not good. For that matter the idea of foundation planting would benefit from space from the dwelling and those little plants can get big. Adobe soil means clay with little microbe life i guess. Where do you live about? This is for Long Beach, California, 90807. Good hint on the gap to the structure, which we pretty much follow anyhow - and then have the Orkin guy come once a month and spray the boundary. J. (excuse me posting from multiple workstations!) I'd look into what you have the Orkin guy sprays for. Than I'd deprive them of habitat. I have no idea what is bothersome in your area. Here I bait boric acid and sugar for ants with a yearly dose of pennyroyal essential oil along a few spots in my basement if I see any carpenter ant sign. The latter is not toxic but it is effective smell deterrent. Bill -- Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA |
Decorative bark
On Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:09:11 -0500, Jangchub
wrote: Stuff called Deco Bark is not very beneficial in any way that I can tell. It doesn't break down well, it mats and doesn't allow water to get into the ground and gives nothing back to the soil. It is far better to use any form of shredded mulch and use a three inch layer. Several times a year fluff it up and get some air in there. I cheat by putting a much thinner layer around the drip line of any plant, including trees, or herbaceous annual/perennial plants. Easy for water to get to the soil where the roots are that way. Hmmm. Well, I've only put down a modest amount so far, we should get some rain this weekend, see how that goes, but then I think I'll check out the local OSH for mulchey replacements. (I've tried asking questions about this or that at a couple of OSH's recently, and nobody seems to know anything about anything) (I'm pretty much novice regarding anything larger than a sixteen inch pot) Thanks to all. J. |
Decorative bark
On Mar 13, 1:56�pm, "zzznot" wrote:
I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. �It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. �So, is there any downside to using it? �Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? It's a bit pricey but for smaller areas buckwheat hulls make excellent mulch. https://tbmpy.com/product_yard.htm |
Decorative bark
Bark mulch is made up of mostly suberin which is long chains of fatty acids.
No cellulose avail. to feed the soil micros. That's the down side. -- Sincerely, John A. Keslick, Jr. Consulting Forester & Tree Expert http://home.ccil.org/~treeman and www.treedictionary.com Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss. "zzznot" wrote in message news:sVdCj.21308$Qy3.12475@trnddc03... I thought I'd spread some decorative bark on the ground of the flower beds and between some bushes, where the adobe soil otherwise gets cracked and bare. It's supposed to hold down weeds and retain moisture. So, is there any downside to using it? Or, is it just good organic matter anyway? Thanks. J. |
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