Whether you're looking to add a garden bed or maintain an existing one, the topic of weeds is always sure to come up.  A weed free garden bed adds contrast and definition to your beds allowing your chosen and desired plant life to be seen in its full glory.  There are many different weed suppressant methods and techniques employed to achieve this effect but none is as successful, healthy and cost effective as the utilization of bark mulch.

Mulch Varieties

Natural Brown Mulch - typically this is a 70% to 20% mix of recycled pine trees and actual tree bark

Dyed Red Mulch - this is a 98% bark mulch that has been dyed black as a decorative feature (preferred)

Dyed Black Mulch -  this is a 98% bark mulch that has been dyed red as a decorative feature (preferred)

The difference isn't just in the color...

Notice the mulches vary in their percentage of bark content.  This is vitally important as bark is one of the most effective natural weed suppressants available.  The tough bark of a tree prevents weeds from growing on its surface.

Mulch Installation

1)  Install mulch in a bed that has been edged to a minimum of 6" deep (this prevents grass roots from creeping into your bed and spreading into your garden area).

2)  Make sure that you have removed all of the undesired vegetation from the garden bed prior to installing your mulch

3)  Make sure that you put a minimum 4" of mulch in all areas of the garden bed.

4)  Make sure you top up your garden beds with 1" of mulch each year as mulch will decompose by about 1" every season.

Mulch depth is key

Mulch depth is crucial to the weed suppressant properties it's been made known for.  For scientific research demonstrating the depth of mulch and its effect on weed suppression please read here.