This bark has an average ¼” particle size but ranges up to ½” and down to very small. We make this bark by blending different-sized barks to create a product we feel has some beneficial properties not found to the same extent in other mulches. One of these is its action at the soil surface. Of all our mulches, this and Cottage Garden mulch integrate and protect the soil surface better than any other mulch. It preserves the soil crumb structure and works its way into the soil, where its slow decomposition improves soil structure. We even recommend, before application, taking a rake and ruffing up the ground so that when you spread this mulch, it becomes even more integrated into the soil.
Fir Bark ¼ +/- can be applied in a layer as thin as two inches and be equally effective as any of the above mulches requiring thicker weed suppression applications. However, weed seeds landing on the surface of FB 1/4+/-have a slightly greater chance of germinating and taking root in the mulch. Plants that start to grow and root in mulch are easily plucked out and should become part of a regular maintenance routine.
FB ¼ +/- mulch helps water move more quickly into the ground than soil not mulched because it keeps the soil surface open—however, the maximum infiltration rate is determined by the soil the mulch covers. If it is clay, the rate will be slow. If it is sand, it will be fast. A surface mulch cannot correct this type of problem.
