WHAT CAN I USE TO COVER OLD DEAD GROUND ?

[worcesterman47]

hi guys, I have recently removed several small bushy trees and plants from a plot of ground measuring approx 10ft x 20ft..now,having done that it has obviously left a "dead" open patch of land,i now want to tidy it up a bit..it is at the front/side of my house & I would like to edge it off with log roll & add a few plants and then fill with wood chip material( not sure what it is actually called), can I just cover it with the mentioned wood chip or would I have to lay weed suppressant material ( the black type)? as I am sure I have read somewhere that the wood chip stuff will stop weeds growing through anyway ( or am I wrong in this )..if it is possible for me to do what I wish could someone please tell me what the wood chips are correctly called is it...wood chips.....wood bark...mulch etc etc, , many thanks in advance

 

[Deleted2797112]

I'd put down weed membrane if you want the lowest maintenance. A bark mulch will help keep weeds down but not completely. Fork it over to open the soil up a bit, rake it out, lay the membrane, cut cross shaped planting holes for your new plants, plant through the holes, spread the bark mulch. There are different types of weed membrane, just depends how much you want to spend and how long you want it to last. The woven ones are more durable than the fleece-type and are a little more expensive.

 

[wrathkeg]

mulch is a layer of anything which retains moisture and stops weeds. plastic sheeting, membrane, cardboard, even a thick layer of compost. any of these things could be applied to your area, but obviously with different effects (including aesthetics)

wood chip is the kind of thing which comes from, umm, a wood chipper when tree surgeons and the like clean up after felling. bark mulch is generally larger and only contains the bark which is stripped from logs at a sawmill. bark is, in some people's eyes, more decorative.

any wood chip or bark mulch needs to be applied at least a couple of inches deep to do much good.

 

[worcesterman47]

hi, thanks for the reply..i can get hold of a good quality membrane..but was not sure if I had to put it down as well as the wood chip covering...I will now follow your advice and get & put down a membrane, is the " bark mulch" the correct name for what I am after ( as I was not sure what it is actually called) many thanks once again.

 

[wrathkeg]

bark mulch is a real thing, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's what you want. bark mulch and wood chip look quite different. the stuff you see at kids adventure playgrounds is generally bark mulch.

this might help

http://www.turfandstuff.com/page.php?xPage=barkmulch-or-woodchippings.html

 

[worcesterman47]

hi again, big thanks for the link..i can now decide which I need or want a bit easier...thanks once again

 

[vv2806]

Go to your nearest landscaping centre, they should have different types of wood/bark or stone chippings. When you see the real thing and decide what you like, see if you can find it cheaper online.