Because of regulations regarding the disposal of bark, turning it into mulch takes a potential waste product and makes it into something useful. Semi-loads of the bark arrive and are unloaded by disconnecting the trailers from their trucks and placing them onto a machine that tilts the trailer backwards, dumping the bark into a large area where front end loaders move the bark to start the process of chipping and shredding it into different sizes. This semi truck trailer is unloading hardwood bark to help create the mountains of mulch at the business. After the initial chipping and shredding, the product is sifted and placed into large piles, which resemble mountains, for sale to businesses as well as private gardeners in bulk or packaged quantities. Greendell also does their own packaging.
Many gardeners tend to think of applying mulch as a springtime activity.
Chad recommends that an additional application of mulch be applied in the fall. The majority of bark they process comes from oak, maple and walnut trees. I have outlined the qualities of each below. Prices vary on each of these types of mulch. Chad told me that many gardeners like to directly add it to the soil as an amendment to loosen and lighten it.