Can Bark Be Composted?

We use bark chippings for the base of our chicken coop. We replace it weekly to ensure it's kept clean as well as wood shavings in their bedding area.

Is this suitable to be put into the compost tumbler with the grass clippings and other garden bits? I know chicken manure is a sought after thing for gardeners, but don't know if the bark will take too long to rot down?

TIA,

Dan

 

Hi Dan. Bark, being organic, will certainly compost over a period of time. But being woody I suspect that it could take several years.

On the other hand, whats wrong with some bits of bark in the compost. If its dug into the garden the bark will help drainage.

 

I think the longer you leave it in the composter the better it will decompose. If it is dug into the garden before rotting down enough the decomposition will take place in the soil instead of the composter. This I think will make the soil unecessarily acidic.
John

 

Yes, you can compost bark, Dan, but it takes quite a while.
Wood that is not fully composted will break down in the soil but it depletes the soil of nitrogen while it is doing it. And you are also likely to get all those little toadstool things growing.
I think it's swings and roundabouts and up to you if you want to use it as a mulch.

 

Dan, we use wood chippings and bark on the ground in the chicken run (excellent to avoid muddy patches in winter). Twice a year, it gets swept up and I pile it up in a wire cage sort of arrangement for another month or so...then it gets spread on the borders as a mulch/winter protection. The 'added ingredients' only enhance things!

 

Ah I didnt think of that, I was going to put some bark chippings around the roses etc, so I could just use the "Used" chips instead. Eventually I will run out of places to use it I think.

I have a garden shredder, I guess I could stick the bark through that to make it as finely chopped as possible, then maybe it will stand a better chance of rotting down.

Also thanks to the above for info on nitrogen, if I do use it as is, it will only be on top of the soil I think rather that for using it as a planting medium.

Thanks again,

Dan

 

Dan, I would agree with the others that when bark chips, like anything else, break down they will take nitrogen from the soil. However, my feeling is that as they break down very slowly they will take very little nitrogen from the soil at any one time. That's the logic behind using them as a mulch.

The more they are chopped up, the quicker they will rot and the more nitrogen they will use up, but it will be over a shorter period. As Alice says - Its swings and roundabouts.

 

This has got me thinking.
I've got some bark mulch on my borders, and I live in a chalky alkaline soil area.
So will the decomposition of the bark over time, which would normally make soil more acidic, therefore bring my alkaline soil nearer to neutral?

 

Hi Andrew,
Give it a try and keep a check on the soil pH. As the pH scale is logarythmic though it would be difficult to know haw much to add, size of chips etc.
John

 

I think that'll be the way to tell - i put the bark down for looks, mulching purposes and weed prevention mainly - but if there's a PH change in the pipeline too, it makes for an interesting side effect.
I'm happy enough with the soil i've got so i'm not intentionally looking to change it. Just going to have to keep my eye on it for now.

 

We had some enormous Poplar trees felled because they were getting near power lines. The main trunks of the trees went to the saw mill and the small branches and leaves were shredded and left in a huge pile. 3 years on and I have lovely potting compost....well everything I planted in the compost did very well in it. So I would guess that bark given time will make good compost.

 

You have just reminded me that some time ago I went with a friend to a saw mill to get some bark chippings. They were charging 50p per container of any size!

All the bark had been removed from the trees and put into a massive pile 100 feet long and 20 feet high. You could hardly see the pile for the steam coming off it. And the heat was terrific - it was quite uncomfortable digging close to it. The heat and the steam it produced were of course the result of the bark composting.

As silu says, if its finely shredded it will take 3 or more years to compost. But if it isn't finely shredded it could take many more years.