Bark Mulch or Polished Pebble for shrub/perennial bed

johnjohn3423

I am finishing off my front garden and I am trying to decide whether to put Bark Mulch or Polished Pebble as the weed barrier 20m2. The cost between the two is minimal. I've read all the pros and cons of both but am still undecided. There will be quite a bit of open space for a few years before the plants grow.

Has anyone any thoughts or how either worked out for you.

phormium

Are you putting weed barrier under it? I prefer pebble and it's more permanent, the mulch will have to be topped up and the birds will pick at it and throw it around the grass and driveway if either of them border the bed.

Any cats too that you might have visiting the garden will just love the bark as new toilet!

I like both and have both in different areas but only small amounts of bark and well held in by raised edges but my cat loves it too, I put some plastic grid down over it to deter it but it kind of defeats the purpose of having it look nice.

looksee

With a barrier, pebble. Without a barrier, mulch.

banie01

Would go with pebble as it's a for more permanent and less maintenance heavy in the long term.

Bark needs raking, weeding and replacing.

johnjohn3423

Thanks, I've no preference as to putting down a barrier or not. If putting down pebble I would, mulch would be straight onto the soil.
I read about the problems with the mulch re having to top up and cats is it really that bad.

phormium

You definitely need a barrier with pebbles, I prefer old carpet myself but as for the bark it eventually breaks down a bit into the soil and wind/birds can scatter it plus it just starts to look tatty after a while as it dries out in summer anyway. It looks lovely when just put on fresh but doesn't stay that way in my experience unlike stones.

If you have no cats around then no problem but I find my own cat loves my new freshly bark-ed raised bed despite having perfectly good area of her own dedicated as a toilet! Maybe I should throw a bit of bark on her toilet area, actually that's a great idea as I have half a bag left and she obviously likes it

Xander10

i always use a barrier with bark. am I wasting my time?

I put down cardboard first and then 5-6 cms of good mulch. IMO it looks much nicer. It will require topping up but if you use wood chip mulch, you shouldn't have it blowing away on you. Some decent, organically coloured wood chip mulch on the market now which are worth considering. This system works very well for me, and the key to preventing weeds is the cardboard layer and enough mulch to deny weeds light.

Xander10

Xander10 wrote: »

i always use a barrier with bark. am I wasting my time?

Cardboard. Kills the weeds and improves the soil quality over time

ellee

I personally would not dream of using pebble. No weed membrane lasts forever and so you will get weeds, plus you cannot tend to your shrubs (not sure what you've planted actually??) if they need mulching etc.

Gardens always involve a bit of work. Pebbles won't mean you never have to touch that bed again. They're just a nuisance.

I personally would not use a weed membrane either as i don't think they are great long term for the quality of your soil.

ellee

ASAIK you're not supposed to use any membrane with bark mulch as it needs to be in contact with the ground to stay put.

Dempo1

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Cardboard. Kills the weeds and improves the soil quality over time

It's also a magnet for Slugs, snails

Dempo1

Xander10 wrote: »

i always use a barrier with bark. am I wasting my time?

You are, bark mulch will not sit well on a barrier, remains loose, birds love to pick at mulch thinking its loose soil, they'll eventually puncture the barrier and finally, cats unfortunately love it too and for all the wrong reasons, meaning certain items have nowhere to drain and will just sit, I'll say no more. Allowing soil breath under mulch is advisable for any shrubs you may have.

OP, I've tried both, pebble on barrier looks great (for a while) but in time the barriers (even the best) become entwined with roots and under growth, also leaves etc left lying, decay into pebble which turns to a perfect area for weeds and particularly moss.

Mulch by far has been better in my experience, yes you'll have occasional weeds but these can be removed easily and it's inexpensive to top up every year.

Dempo1

Dempo1 wrote: »

It's also a magnet for Slugs, snails

I have zero issues with slugs or snails in the beds I have done with cardboard and mulch. Even the new lupins I planted out are untouched which is unusual.

Dempo1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have zero issues with slugs or snails in the beds I have done with cardboard and mulch. Even the new lupins I planted out are untouched which is unusual.

I did try cardboard a long time ago now, maybe I was unlucky but had terrible trouble, particularly slugs, I'll take your word on it though, no offence meant

Dempo1

Dempo1 wrote: »

I did try cardboard a long time ago now, maybe I was unlucky but had terrible trouble, particularly slugs, I'll take your word on it though, no offence meant

Oh God, no offence at all taken!! Sure, no two gardens are the same so I find you have to find the method that works best for you. I know loads of people who don't like the cardboard method but it's a winner for me.

Dempo1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Oh God, no offence at all taken!! Sure, no two gardens are the same so I find you have to find the method that works best for you. I know loads of people who don't like the cardboard method but it's a winner for me.

I live in Midlands, side of a mountain, boggy soil and probably the real magnet for slugs

One amazing thing I've actually discovered is the loose bits from turf make an excellent mulch, not easy to source but I use turf yearly so have plenty of supply.

johnjohn3423

Don't know what to do now. It seems to be 50/50 when I look at what other people have done.

phormium

I dislike those weed membranes, roots can find their way down through the gaps easily enough if they germinate even in the pebbles. I use old carpet always, face side down, I can't say it will last forever but I have at least 15 yrs out of it now and no change and in fact I had to dig a bit of a path lately due to building works and the carpet I had under it was still as it went down, dirty but not damaged! It's as good a use for it as dumping into landfill!

Never had any problem tending the plants in it either, you must leave a reasonable size hole to plant into and that should allow all the access you need, will get a few little weeds or bits of grass in that circle but easier controlled than trying to do the whole bed.

flyer_query

I’m resurrecting an old thread here but good to bump the helpful advice.

I am about to lay some bark chipping and going with the advice above not to use a membrain(so a 5-6cm layer), should I spray the soil first to kill the weeds?

looksee

If there are no visible weeds then you are wasting your time spraying the ground, weedkiller works on the weeds, not the soil. If you put down enough mulch it should suffocate the annual weeds. Thistles, docks, dandelions, convulvulus will come through anything and need to be hand pulled as they pop through.

You will not totally get rid of the weeds with mulch, though it will go a long way towards it. Even if you put down membrane a few weeds will grow above the membrane. It will go a long way towards keeping down the bulk of the weeds though. You will need to top it up annually as it turns into soil (and improves it).

flyer_query

thanks sounds good.

One other question, have a newly planted laurel hedge in the area, can I put the mulch around the trunk or will it hamper its growth. Wondering if I should leave that area with just the exposed soil

rje66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117346498#Comment_117346498

Are you sure they are close in price......20m2 in polished pebbles €€€€€€€€.

rje66

.....

looksee

@rje66 - that question relates back to a conversation 3 years ago, the current question is just about bark mulch.

rje66

Just woke up.....

I'll grab a coffee

Ta

johnjohn3423

OP here, I went with bark mulch in the end without a membrane. It's worked out quite well over the last 3 years. Some weeds do grown but nothing compared to uncovered ground. I top it up yearly but I haven't had to put too much extra down as yet.

I didn't spray the ground. Don't think there is any need.

It was the same guy who could supply the bark or pebbles in ton bags and he was roughly the same price for both. Buying pebbles or any stone like that in small bags will cost way more alright. See if a fella can deliver the ton bags.

looksee

Yes, put mulch round the base of the laurel hedge - not specifically round the trunks, not to any depth anyway, it can rot the bark.