Can I compost bark mulch

Many gardeners wonder whether bark mulch can be composted, or if it should stay put on beds. The short answer is yes, though patience is essential; woody chips break down far more slowly than grass clippings or kitchen peelings. Their high lignin content resists the quick fevers of a hot heap, so they often act as a bulking agent, improving airflow and preventing claggy layers from turning anaerobic. Mix them with plenty of nitrogen-rich matter—fresh nettles, comfrey, or young weeds—to balance the carbon load. Turning the pile every fortnight helps fungi colonise the shards, shaving months off decomposition.

Some gardeners run the mulch through a shredder first, creating smaller surfaces for microbes to chew. Moisture matters: keep the heap as damp as a wrung-out sponge; parched bark sits idle. During winter, cover with old carpet or cardboard to shield heat. By the second summer, most pieces will have mellowed into a dark, crumbly amendment ready to bolster vegetable rows or shrub borders. AHS LTD advises sieving the finished compost before use, returning any stubborn chips to the heap for another cycle. In this way nothing is wasted—every flake of bark finds its way back into the soil, feeding growth.