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In agriculture, gardening, and landscaping, barkdust (also bark dust, bark chips, bark mulch, beauty bark, tanbark, tan bark, or simply bark) is a form of mulch produced out of chipped or shredded tree bark. Coarser forms of barkdust may be known as bark nuggets. Trees typically used in the production of barkdust include the Douglas fir and the western hemlock.
According to voluntary guidelines published by the Mulch and Soil Council, a trade group of mulch and soil producers, a material with "bark" in the name should consist of "the corky exterior covering of trees, with a maximum wood content (interior xylem of 15%)". Products with greater than 15% wood content may be labelled as "wood mulch", but should not be called "bark", according to the group's guidelines.
Fresh fir bark is reddish-brown in color. The bark from cedar or hemlock is more tan in color, as the processes which produce these types of barkdust may leave a greater percentage of wood (as opposed to bark) in the resulting material. Shredded Douglas fir bark is known for its many slivers, those who handle it with bare hands or walk on it with bare feet are likely to get . Bark produced from hemlock or cedar is far less likely to produce splinters, and is commonly used as a covering for children's play areas.
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.
Barkdust is commonly used in landscaping around trees or shrubs. It is especially common in the Pacific Northwest where the tree species used to produce it are native. Barkdust is valued for its effectiveness at suppressing ; tree bark contains natural . In addition, many consider barkdust to be visually appealing.
As barkdust is less dense than other types of soil or mulch, and doesn't compress a great deal, it is often considerably softer than bare earth. As a result, it also finds applications as a playground surface. For playground applications, hemlock or cedar bark is most commonly used, as fir bark frequently produces when handled by or trod upon with bare skin.
Smaller quantities of barkdust, typically are sold prepackaged in home improvement and gardening .
For landscaping applications, a layer of is generally recommended. For use in playgrounds, a layer is often recommended.
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