Bark can have multiple benefits for your soil and your plants.
So it is only natural you want to know “will daffodils grow through bark?”.
Well, the answer to the question is pretty simple.
We will deal with that, and how to use bark properly to help your plants bloom in this article.
So let’s get started.
Will Daffodils Grow Through Bark?
Daffodils will grow through a couple of inches of bark chippings without too much difficulty. Remember bark is much lighter and airier than the soil they will already have forced their way through. The bark will also provide several benefits to your plants and your soil, helping suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature. Bark and daffodils are a great match!
Why Bark is Good For Your Garden
The main benefit of using bark chippings on your flower beds is that they suppress weeds.
Spread a couple of inches of bark chippings on the soil, and it will simply deprive weeds of the sunlight they need to grow.
Weeds not only look ugly, but they also steal nutrients from the soil and can attract insects or diseases.
So no weeds mean your plants have all the soil, water and nutrients they need to thrive.
Aside from making life difficult for weeds, bark does have other benefits for your garden.
- It retains soil moisture: By softening the impact of rain water it allows it to more thoroughly permeate the soil and reduces evaporation from the surface of the soil.
- It regulates temperature: It buffers temperature fluctuations in the soil and acts as a layer of insulation, keeping the soil cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
- It enhances soil fertility: As the bark decomposes it releases nutrients and organic matter that feeds the soil below and enhances its fertility.
- It keeps your plants clean: The chippings will add protection by preventing dirt from splashing up onto your plants during rain storms.
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Will Bulbs Grow Through Bark Chippings?
Don’t worry, while bark will indirectly kill weeds, no other plant life is killed at all.
Established plants with strong shoots and bulbs, such as daffodils, will push through the bark chipping without issue.
Smaller bulbs such as crocus or aconite may have a bit more difficulty if the layer of bark chippings is particularly thick, say over 2 inches, but overall it should not present a problem.
Bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, lilies and tulips, have a lot of stored energy and really don’t take no for answer when it comes to blooming!
I always illustrate this with a couple of examples.
Firstly, I am sure, like me, you have seen plants growing in the most unlikely spots – I have a snowdrop that has pretty much grown through concrete.
Secondly, by the time a bulb reaches the layer of bark chippings, it will already have pushed its way through significantly heavier and denser soil.
The lighter bark chippings will not present a problem.
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How to Use Bark Chippings as Mulch
If you are going to put a layer of bark chippings on your flower beds, then I would advise you to thoroughly weed the area first, then water and then layer on around two inches of bark.
Make sure the bark stays as aerated as possible, you don’t want it clumping together with fungal growth.
When you plant your bulbs, don’t bury them too deep. They should be about two or three times the depth of the bulb below the surface.
There are a couple of things you need to be aware of if you are using bark chippings:
Whilst bark suppresses weeds, there is no guarantee it will eliminate them completely.
Inevitably soil will blow on top of the bark, and as it decomposes you could still get weeds germinating.
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Also if perennial weeds such as dandelion and dock are already in the soil they will still grow.
If you live in an area that gets a reasonable amount of rain, then having wet mulch in constant contact with your plants can increase the risk of collar rot on the stems of the plant.
If this is the case you want to use coarse bark chippings to reduce the impact of this.
Finally, certain types of bark can increase the pH of your soil as it decomposes. Different types of bark mulch suit different growing needs and requirements.
Final Thoughts
So in short, you can see that daffodils will grow through bark.
By the time they reach the light and airy layer of bark they will already have pushed their way through dense and heavy soil.
The only thing that will stop daffodils from doing this is human error and planting the bulbs too deep.
Bulbs have a huge amount of stored energy and can grow through almost anything.
Bark chippings also have lots of benefits for your soil, so all in all bulbs and bark chippings are an excellent match!