agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

gardening Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, frui ...

, and

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

, barkdust (also bark dust, bark chips, bark mulch, beauty bark or simply bark) is a form of

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

produced out of chipped or shredded

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...

. Coarser forms of barkdust may be known as bark nuggets. Trees typically used in the production of barkdust include the

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three v ...

and the

Western hemlock ''Tsuga heterophylla'', the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma ...

Production and types of barkdust

Barkdust is commonly produced from several tree species. The

and the

are the most common sources of barkdust, with

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

bark also being used. Barkdust may be a byproduct of

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

production, of yard debris recycling processes, or it may be produced in its own right. Barkdust is typically categorized by the source plant, as well as by the coarseness of the resulting material. Fine barkdusts are used as

, with coarser forms being used for weed control, as a

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

surface, or for decorative purposes. According to voluntary guidelines published by the

Mulch and Soil Council A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A ...

, a trade group of mulch and soil producers, a material with "bark" in the name should consist of "the corky exterior covering of trees, with a maximum wood content (interior

xylem Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...

of 15%)". Products with greater than 15% wood content may be labelled as "wood mulch", but should not be called "bark", according to the group's guidelines. Fresh fir bark is reddish-brown in color. The bark from cedar or hemlock is more tan in color, as the processes which produce these types of barkdust may leave a greater percentage of wood (as opposed to bark) in the resulting material. Shredded Douglas fir bark is known for its many slivers, those who handle it with bare hands or walk on it with bare feet are likely to get

splinter A splinter (also known as a sliver) is a fragment of a larger object, or a foreign body that penetrates or is purposely injected into a body. The foreign body must be lodged inside tissue to be considered a splinter. Splinters may cause initia ...

s. Bark produced from hemlock or cedar is far less likely to produce splinters, and is commonly used as a covering for children's play areas.

Properties and uses

Like many other types of

, barkdust is used in gardening and landscaping for its properties in affecting soil pH, in regulating the temperature of the underlying soil, and preventing water loss and erosion. Barkdust increases soil acidity, and the decomposition of barkdust consumes

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

, especially when fine bark mulch is mixed in with soil; coarser barkdust laid on top of soil will extract nitrogen at a much slower rate. Barkdust is also effective at absorbing water and preventing water loss due to evaporation. Barkdust is commonly used in landscaping around trees or shrubs. It is especially common in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...

where the tree species used to produce it are native. Barkdust is valued for its effectiveness at suppressing

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s; tree bark contains natural

herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page f ...

s. In addition, many consider barkdust to be visually appealing. As barkdust is less dense than other types of soil or mulch, and doesn't compress a great deal, it is often considerably softer than bare earth. As a result, it also finds applications as a

surface. For playground applications, hemlock or cedar bark is most commonly used, as fir bark frequently produces

s when handled by or trod upon with bare skin.

Commerce in barkdust

Barkdust is typically sold by the unit, with one unit of barkdust being equal to 200 cubic feet (7.41 cubic yards, or 5.66 m³); such large quantities of barkdust are typically delivered by truck to a jobsite. Barkdust is often spread with a

bark blower Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...

, a machine consisting of a supply of barkdust, a blower, and a long flexible tube which "sprays" the barkdust over the intended area. Use of a bark blower often results in a more consistent application of barkdust than spreading it by hand, as well as being much faster. Smaller quantities of barkdust, typically are sold prepackaged in

home improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

and

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and ...

s. For landscaping applications, a layer of is generally recommended. For use in playgrounds, a layer is often recommended.

References

External links

Mulch and Soil Council
{{Wood products Wood products Soil improvers Landscape ja:バークチップ

Production and types of barkdust

Properties and uses

Commerce in barkdust

See also

References

External links