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Each year homeowners and landscapers use mountains
of shredded bark mulch in shrub and flower beds, around trees, and
in nurseries. In addition to improving the aesthetics of a
landscape, mulch helps prevent erosion, controls weeds, and holds
moisture in the ground.
Shredded bark
mulch is usually sold as single, double or triple shredded, with the
single shredded being the coarsest and the triple shredded the
finest. Single shredded is the form of mulch that comes directly
from the saw mill. Double and triple shredded mulches are created by
regrinding the mulch in a tub grinder, further reducing the particle
size.
Even though
single shredded mulch is much less uniform with more large pieces of
bark mixed into the product, it does last the longest when applied
to landscape beds. The finer ground mulches are more popular due to
their more uniform particle size, but they do tend to break down
more rapidly.
Shredded bark mulch is a by-product of the timber
industry. Before rough cut logs can be moved into a saw mill to be
cut into lumber, they must first have the tree bark removed. This
debarking process not only removes the unwanted bark, it also
removes dirt and debris which may otherwise damage circular saw
blades in the milling process.
Below are six photos
of the step-by-step process used in producing shredded mulch. |
