Free lawn tips emailsBark Chippings and Cold Weather
For many gardeners, the winter can be a difficult and hard time of the year which requires a lot more effort to give that same sense of achievement that spring, summer and autumn can do. Anything that can help reduce the workload and protect the plants, such as bark chippings, should be welcomed with open arms.
Of course, much of the work that goes into a garden over the cold months helps improve the results achieved in the warmer months right through into the autumn, and as any farmer will tell you, winter is one of the most important times of the year for a bit of soil TLC. It is the time of year when the ground needs to be prepared for future planting and where the more delicate plants and roots need additional protection from cold weather. Breaking up densely compacted soil and allowing the winter frosts to get at it for example, will help break up the soil making it more friable, as well as helping to reduce any unwanted biological nasties from lingering until the spring.
Mulching with bark chippings is also a great thing for gardeners to do. Bark chippings have many benefits to the keen gardener, not least their ability to help protect the more fragile plant roots from being damaged by hard frosts. They can be applied locally around the base of plants to form an insulating layer, or, providing that the whole garden bed has been carefully weeded and looked after prior to application, bark chippings can be used to cover larger areas. This not only gives insulation to plant roots, but also helps prevent new weed growth when the warmth of spring begins to shine through.
Bark chippings also make a great decorative addition to a garden. Garden beds can benefit from different kinds of bark chippings including landscaping bark that gives a dark brown covering to decorative bark that gives a golden brown appearance. Any garden suffering from a dearth of winter foliage will benefit visually from bark chippings during the winter.
For gardeners considering using bark chippings for use on their garden, they can contact Rolawn Direct for advice on 0845 604 6060 or email info@rolawndirect.co.uk. Gardeners can also order bulk bags of bark from Rolawn Direct on this website.
