Wood Bark and Bulbs

Andy Shaw2

Very much new to gardening, so probably a bit of a dumb question.

I have bark down on my garden and planted some bulbs to grow in spring time under the bark, snow drops, tulips and the type you get in the mixed spring bulbs from B&Q. Will the plants have the strength to grow through the bark or will the bark prevent them from growing?

Lizzie27

Hi @Andy Shaw2,  That rather depends on the size and thickness of the individual pieces.  If you can remember where you planted the bulbs, it might be best to gently rake the bark to one side so the bulbs can poke through. Once you can see them, then you could recover the ground around them. Snowdrops and tulips could probably cope but smaller bulbs might not. 

Dovefromabove

In this garden even tiny bulbs push up through gravel, shingle, wood-chip and bark with absolutely no bother at all.  

I don’t think you have any need to worry.  

Enjoy your garden 😊 

Liriodendron

On the roadway outside our previous garden, grape hyacinths grew through tarmac.

Nollie

Not a dumb question at all! Bulbs are amazing things, they can push up through pretty much anything, so I wouldn’t worry either.

Fairygirl

Absolutely not dumb @Andy Shaw2 
They'll be fine, and bark is actually a good backdrop for them to show up against.
I often use it, although I'm not always organised enough to get it in place at the end of autumn/early winter. 

Enjoy them all when they pop through your bark 

Andy Shaw2

Cheers for all your responses. I'll look forward to them coming through next spring, just need to keep the dog off them now!

Hostafan1

@Andy Shaw2 
IMHO the only dumb questions are those you don't bother to ask. 
None of us knows everything , but most are more than happy to share what knowledge we do have.