Bark chippings and bulbs question...

[LiveInABox]

Hello,

We have a small raised bed in our front garden that has been well-stocked by the previous owners with a couple of small trees and a variety of shrubs. However there are gaps between the shrubs and I am fighting a losing battle with the weeds growing!! I'm considering laying some bark chippings to keep them at bay, is that a good idea/will it work?

I'd also like to plant some bulbs (crocus, tulips, daffs perhaps) for next Spring (I know I can't do this until Autumn) but I'm wondering if they will be able to make it through the bark? What sort of thickness should I be aiming for?

Thank you in advance :)

Bark chippings certainly help with weeds suppression. A generous inch is probably the way to go and you'll need to top up a bit each year as they break down and enrich the soil.

I planted lots of bulbs in the autumn and then decided that i needed a thick layer of bark to make the beds look nicer. Everything appears to be coming up.

I spent last years growing season keeping weeds at bay, then did a bit of planting early autumn, then decided to put the chippings down. I think getting them down at the dormant time of year may have helped with keeping most at bay.

It would definately be worth doing a thorough weeding before chippings because weeding after is much messier with moving the chippings around.

Bark chippings will help a lot, weed first water it a bit then put it on good and thick, 3 inches or so. I would imagine bulbs would be OK but would need to be the tall ones, daffs/tulips - crocus would be too short to grow through well.

Yes, they will work if the layer is thick enough. It needs to stop light getting through. You'll be amazed how it disappears/blows away, etc if you don't put down enough. If the weeds are nasty ones e.g. Bindweed, though, they'll still come through. So then the solution is membrane first, then chippings. Plant through Xs cut in the membrane, but bulbs will need to go in pots. Which could be sunk in the ground and then replaced with a pot that has summer bulbs in it.

I prefer slate or gravel mulch as bark seems to disappear

For bindweed and dandelions etc, we use weed killer mixed in cheap wallpaper paste; bindweed will come through anything!