The gardening season will soon be starting again and many garden lovers will be redesigning parts of the garden with perennials or shrubs. There will be a lot of work to do again in the summer, as regular weeding and watering will be the order of the day. However, you can make gardening easier by covering the beds with quality-assured bark mulch in spring immediately after planting!

Apply RAL quality-assured bark mulch in fine (0-20 mm), medium (10-40 mm) or coarse (10-80 mm) grain sizes to weed-free areas up to approx. 5 cm thick. The fine fraction is sieved off so that the mulch remains effective for longer. For shallow-rooted plants (e.g. perennials), spread horn shavings (40-80 g /m2) beforehand to ensure the nitrogen supply.

If the bark mulch is applied to rose plantations in autumn, the material can be used to pile up and then spread over a large area in spring.

Studies have shown that there is no need to worry about soil acidification when applying bark mulch. It is subject to a natural decomposition process over time. In warm and humid weather, fruiting bodies of wood-decaying fungi may appear. This is by no means a reduction in quality. Their presence is natural and rather a sign that the bark mulch is free from chemical additives.

Key arguments for bark mulch

• Mulch protects the soil from drying out. Even soil moisture is retained under the mulch layer. This allows you to save a lot of water in dry summers.
• A mulch layer reduces the germination of seed weeds. If unwanted herbs should nevertheless germinate, they can be easily removed from the loose mulch layer. It also reduces temperature fluctuations and protects the soil from heat and cold.
• Bark mulch activates the soil life and thus supplies the plants with necessary minerals – fertilising in a natural way.
• It is an effective erosion protection that absorbs the impact of rain and hail and protects against scouring and silting (soil stabilisation).
• Bark mulch also offers a decorative look.

How can I recognise good bark products?

The Substrate for Plants RAL quality mark recognises all-natural bark products that are subject to continuous neutral monitoring by the Quality Association for Substrates for Plants.