You may learn that pine bark is good for plants. This tree bark is useful for mulch, potting mix, and organic fertilizer. So, what is a pine bark plant? Where do you get it? When do you have to harvest pine bark for mulch? Check the information below to know more about pine bark before using it for gardening.
What Pine Bark Is
Just like its name, pine bark is taken from pine trees. This tree grows in four main stages, which are grass, bottlebrush, sapling, and mature stage. Pine bark starts to appear when the tree is mature enough.
You can see pine trees produce bark from February to mid-March. The first sign when the bark is about to appear is the growth of a white tip. It appears from the needles. The white tip is about to grow a few feet after a few months.
After that, the white tip will produce green needles. Slowly but surely, the white tip turns brown to form a bark. It is where the time when a pine tree produces its bark.
The Use of Pine Bark Plant
Pine bark plant have a lot of benefits, including for the soil and plants. That’s why advanced gardeners often bring pine bark home and use it in their gardens. Pine bark is suitable for mulch to cover the surface of the soil.
It helps to keep the moisture level of the soil. As a result, your plants still get enough water supply during summer and even winter. Small pieces of pine bark are also good enough for potting mix and fertilizer. This bark is about to be weathered after a few months and turned to organic fertilizer for the soil.
The Way to Harvest Pine Bark
Now, how to harvest pine bark before using it for mulch or fertilizer? The most crucial thing is not to remove the bark around the trunk. Doing it will threaten the life of the tree. It prevents water and sugar from flowing into the leaves. If so, the pine tree will slowly die.
Remember! All you want is the pine bark. So, the first thing to do is remove the small branch. Now, clean the brunch and cut it smaller. You can use a knife to shave down the branch. Remember to remove long strips of cambium or the inner bark.
Bring the inner bark home and dry it. This bark is about to dry after a few days. That’s it! The pine bark is ready. You can spread it on the surface of the soil close to the plants as mulch. It is also okay if you want to chop the bark into small pieces and mix it with the soil. Then, use the soil to grow some plants.
Pine bark plant is one of the useful ingredients for gardeners. It helps to produce a powerful compost at home. Your garden will be safe because of the pine bark. It covers the soil during summer from hot weather and sunlight. On the other hand, the bark also protects the soil during winter from excess water.
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