The subject of beauty bark came up at our November homeowners meeting.
I had a conversation with our Landscaping Foreman, Rick Lack. One of the topics we discussed was the subject of beauty bark. I know we have been over this issue several times before in years past. I have been on the Board since 2002. Since then, we have had beauty bark installed ion the property every three years.
Rich Lack has been over the benefits of beauty bark with current and past Boards. But I asked him to review the benefits with me again. Then I went upstairs and typed them out. Here they are.
Beauty bark:
1. Improves the aesthetic appearance.
2. Provides an amount of cover during the summer months.
(a) Protection from ultraviolet sunshine; tough on exposed roots.
(b) Helps retain moisture. Even a little moisture retained is better than none; esp. since we do not water our landscaped areas.
(c) Retards the growth of weeds. The is especially true during the first year after application.
3. Provides an amount of cover during the winter months.
(a) Although only a small amount, the beauty bark does in fact act like an insulator. Not for warmth, but preventing even lower temperatures that can cause further damage [The surface ground can't get lower than 32 degrees (freezing point)].
4. Eventually breaks down over the course of several years, providing a measure of nutrients to the soil which helps the trees and shrubs stay healthy.
From Wikipedia:
Like many other types of mulch, 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, 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.
