How to lay bark chippings

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. We based this walk-through on "Choosing and using garden mulches" by the Royal Horticultural Society, the UK's leading gardening charity. Clear, practical, and authoritative — particularly useful on the question of depth, which membrane to choose, and which plants benefit most from mulching.

1. Choose the right type of bark

Bark chippings come in a few forms. Play bark (or ornamental bark) is fine-textured and breaks down relatively quickly — ideal for flowerbeds where you want to improve the soil over time. Coarse bark or wood chips are larger and last longer — good for paths and under trees. Composted bark is finer still and can be worked into the soil as a conditioner rather than used as a surface mulch.

For most garden beds and borders, a medium decorative bark works well. Check the bag says it is suitable for ornamental use, not just playground use — some play bark is treated differently and is not suited to plant beds.

2. Clear and prepare the area

Remove all weeds before you lay anything. Annual weeds pull out easily enough with a hand fork. Perennial weeds — bindweed, ground elder, couch grass — need more effort. Dig out as much root as you can. Bark mulch suppresses weed seeds from germinating, but it will not kill established perennial weeds growing from roots already in the soil. They will simply push through.

If the soil is dry, water it thoroughly the day before laying the bark. You want to seal in moisture, not seal out the rain entirely before the ground has had a good drink.

3. Decide whether to use a weed membrane

Membrane has its fans and its critics. It does add extra weed suppression, particularly for the first year or two. But it makes planting through the border harder, and over time it tends to degrade and get tangled with bark and roots, creating a mess that is difficult to remove.

To be fair, for low-maintenance areas like under hedges, around the base of established shrubs, or covering large expanses, a good quality woven membrane under bark chippings works well and saves a lot of weeding. For mixed planting borders where you add bulbs or perennials regularly, skip the membrane and just mulch thickly.

4. Apply the bark to the right depth

Depth is important. A thin layer looks nice for a week and then the weeds come through. The minimum effective depth for weed suppression is about 75 mm. Most gardening advice says 100 mm is better. For paths, you can go up to 150 mm.

Spread the bark with a fork or spade and level it roughly with a rake. Work from the back of the border to the front so you are not standing on what you have already laid. Try to keep the depth even — thin patches let the light in and that is where the weeds get a foothold.

5. Keep bark clear of plant stems

Do not pile bark up against the stems of plants, particularly woody shrubs and small trees. Bark holds moisture and if it sits against a stem it can cause the bark of the plant to rot. Leave a small gap — 50–100 mm — around each stem. You will see the benefit next spring when the plant is healthy rather than struggling.

The same applies around the base of trees. The common habit of creating a "volcano" of bark piled high against a tree trunk is actively harmful. Keep the mulch flat, not mounded, and away from the trunk.

6. Top up each year

Bark breaks down over time as microbes and worms do their work. That is a good thing for the soil, but it means the depth reduces each season. An annual top-up in spring — just enough to bring the depth back to 75–100 mm — keeps the weed suppression working and the border looking well maintained.

Autumn is also a good time for a top-up, particularly for tender plants that benefit from a bit of root protection through winter. A thick layer of bark mulch around the base of slightly tender shrubs can make the difference in a cold snap.

When to call a handyman

Bark chippings are very much a DIY job once you have the materials. That said, if you are dealing with a large area that needs old shingle or membrane removed first, or if you want borders properly edged and prepared before mulching, Richard can help get the groundwork done. Sometimes the tidying up beforehand is the hard part.