5 Benefits of Bark Mulch
You may have asked yourself about the benefits and reasons homeowners install bark mulch (also known as barkdust) into planting beds. It may even seem like an unnecessary expense. However, we believe that bark mulch in one of the most beneficial things you can do for your landscape.
There are many benefits to bark mulch in planting beds; however, we had to stop somewhere, so we choose our top 5 benefits of bark mulch.
Barkdust acts as weed suppressant by blocking out sunlight and air to weed seed. This is a very effective method of controlling weeds. Bark is a great alternative to vegetable garden spraying or laboriously hand pulling weeds. Our customers who have bark installed are often happier with their landscapes than those who do not chose this service.
As barkdust decomposes over time it creates a nutrient rich topsoil by adding beneficial bacteria and nitrogen dense soil to your planting beds. Barkdust can be especially beneficial to new homes whose topsoil was scraped off during construction.
Barkdust is an excellent retainer of moisture in hot weather while also preventing excess moisture during rainy months. This goes a long way with the high cost of water and the torrential downpours we see in Pacific Northwest.
Barkdust prevents your soil from washing down the hill. It does this by lessening the force of rain water on the topsoil. This is one of the most important functions of barkdust since we have so much rain to contend with in the Portland area; battling topsoil loss can become a headache you don’t want to deal with. Protecting topsoil should be a great concern as buying topsoil is often costly and may contain pesticides and contaminants.
Bark can gives your landscape a polished look by filling in the empty spaces and creating clean lines. After bark has been installed it will make your landscape look dramatically different by highlighting the beauty of your plants while masking imperfections; think of it like a mini-face lift for your landscape. This is especially helpful if you are throwing a party or trying to sell your home.
Erica is an avid lover of the outdoors, and transformed that love into a partnership running Valley West with Ryan 2012.
