Wood chip mulch - see, told you bulbs would push through it!

Oh ye of little faith!

Recently, I wrote about the joys of wood chip mulch, a product with which I am now intimately familiar, as I now work alongside an arborist for part of the week, and these days I am finding wood chippings in my boots, in my hair, and down my non-existent cleavage.

When, oh when, is someone going to invent the bra strainer???

Moving on....

In the article mentioned above, I commented "Don't worry about bulbs, they will push right up through the mulch with no problem." and I received a question ("Hi, J!") asking if this was actually true.

Of course it's true! (*indignantly*) I wouldn't lie to you!!

Here - left - is a bunch of Daffodils, merrily pushing the wood chip aside for themselves.

One clump of many, I should say, and quite a deep mulch. 

I think that the key factor is that wood chip is "big pieces" so they don't pack down into a hard crust or shell - they stay loose, so that the leaves can push their way through with ease.

And just to show that it's not just the Daffodils which can do it, here - right - are a bunch of Arum lilies (Arum maculatum, also known as Jack in the Pulpit, Lords and Ladies, or Waggling Willies) which are soft and tender, also pushing their way up through the wood chip mulch.

With no problem at all.

So there you go, proof that bulbs can easily push their way up through a deep layer of wood chip mulch.

And the birds love it!

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