Yard landscaping and maintenance go hand in hand when you want your yard to look great and keep its appearance well without a great deal of effort and expense. Planning for the right type of maintenance for your landscaping depends on the type of vegetation and plant mixture you add to the soil, which you can help keep up with an appropriate layer of mulch bark throughout your yard's features. Here are some tips to help you choose and use the right wood mulch for your landscaping.

Consider the Lastingness and Durability

Wood bark mulches come in a variety of materials from different sources and types of wood products. Wood bark is made up of chips or pieces of wood from the bark and other woody parts of trees. This can include chips of twigs, shavings from wood products, and chunks of actual wood. So you can choose the type of wood bark that provides the color and texture for your yard—however not all wood bark will last the same amount of time. 

Some types of wood mulch bark break down more quickly than others, which will result in your having to replace and replenish it sooner. Some wood barks will also compact more easily once you have installed them over the soil, so you may need to rake and loosen them up for the best appearance and benefit. Larger chunks of wood mulch will not break down as quickly as those made up of smaller shavings or pieces. Then, harder wood will also take longer to decompose over your soil's landscaping so it will be several years before you need to replace it. Although your wood mulch is going to break down in the soil, this adds essential nutrients and enriches the soil so you have a win-win in your landscaping's appearance and condition.

Install and Maintain the Bark

Before you add a layer of mulch to your landscaping, prepare the area for the mulch so you have a good outcome over the time after its installation. Clear the soil of any weeds and large rocks and level it so you can apply a uniform layer of bark mulch. Install a barrier around the mulch site to keep the mulch from being scattered around onto nearby landscaping and lawn. Some types of barriers are bricks, stones, and landscaping edging.

Make sure you also place the mulch directly onto the soil. It is not recommended to install any landscape fabric or weed barrier, which will block the mulch from breaking down into the soil and it will also cause the mulch to scatter more easily.

For more information about landscaping pine bark mulch, contact a landscaping and mulch service in your area.