Storing bark chip

I have relented and certain parts of my garden are getting the membrane and bark chip treatment. I do hope I'm not going to achieve the supermarket carpark look!

I had collected a large quantity of my own bark from trees we cut down to use in the log burner but didn't have enough so have just bought a quantity of bark chippings. The bark is loose and in a pile atm. I won't be able to use all of it this season so was wondering how best to store it as I don't want it to rot down quickly.The pile is sitting on membrane and is pretty dry. Am I best to just leave it uncovered or cover it with polythene (have large roll of black polythene). That would keep the bark dry but maybe heat it and make the rotting process quicker? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Can I suggest you just cover with weed control or similar... Stops weeds won't sweat so won't decompose so quickly.. And should stay in its natural state for longer...

Look forward to hearing what everyone else has to say

 

I use the Mini Bark Chips as i think they look much nicer than the large ones and they also dig in easily every few years when the garden needs a new layer. In previous years i have found that storing them in bags in the shed tends to encourage white gooey stuff which is presumably rot due to being slightly damp from a washing / treating process prior to bagging. Last year the leftovers were left in the sun to completely dry out before being stored and they've been ok this year. This reinforces what Loofah said above.