P...are you sure that was listed as "bark"??? It looks like that is almost all sapwood. It still may work....but will break down faster than bark.

I see some sapwood in it, and up to 10% would be ok. Kind of hard to tell what it really looks like while it's wet. Not sure why the runoff looked muddy. Is it possible the bark was dyed? Maybe it was just a little dirty, but the water coming out should basically be clear. Waht did the label on the bag say as far as what the contents were made up of?

Think its mud it says its for use in boarders and contaiers so hopfully its not dyed, would it matter to the mix if it was dirty? Its abit late to clean ive already added the lime or am I being over cautious? I could flush the mix before use to try and clean abit if necessary?
There was quite abit of wood chips in there unfortunately but before I made the mixes I spent abit of time picking as much wood out as possible.

Ill paste the manufacturers description.

For an attractive finish on small garden areas such as island beds, planters, pots and containers choose Westland Decorative Mini Bark. It is made up of finer pieces of quality bark and then screened to remove any dust and small particles. The finer gauge is visually appropriate for smaller garden areas and provides a clean and contrasting backdrop for your garden plants. A mulch suppresses garden weeds, helps retain soil moisture and protects plant roots from extreme temperatures both hot and cold. A mulch of Decorative Mini Bark also helps reduce the risk of fungal diseases, minimising rain splash at the soil surface that can spread fungal spores to plant leaves.

Uses:Use as a decorative mulch for island beds, small borders and containers.Sizes:80LApplication Rate:Apply a generous layer as a mulch: 5cm (2in) or more is ideal. 50L of bark will cover about 1m2 and should last for up to 3 years.

Why use Westland Decorative Mini Bark?Westland Decorative Mini Bark provides an ideal, fine decorative mulch for small beds & borders and for patio planters and containers. It reduces weeding time, conserves soil moisture and provides thermal insulation for plant roots.

How do I use it?For use on existing beds & borders, always prepare the area first by removing all weeds and debris. Make sure that the soil is fully wet before applying, if it isnâÂÂt either water the area thoroughly or apply after a heavy rainstorm. Spread a layer of bark 2.5-5 cm deep over the area ensuring that the mulch reaches under the plant canopy and covers the root area.For use on new small bordersWestland Decorative Mini Bark is perfect for creating low maintenance small borders or for use in containers. It reduces the need for frequent weeding and the amount of time spent on weeding. For pots and containers spread a generous layer of bark chips over the surface on the compost in the container ensuring that the mulch reaches right the plant leaves and fully covers the root area.

Green CredentialsWestland Decorative Mini Bark is produced from sustainable conifer plantations that are grown for the timber industry and are certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).

This post was edited by Palm_shade on Thu, Jun 20, 13 at 9:59

I might try and flush it a little if it's dirty, but don't think it's a deal breaker. Any mud will eventually wash to the very bottom anyway. OK, so the description says that it's conifer bark, so you should be in business. Hopefully the particle size is correct, kinda hard to tell from the picture.

Ok thanks ill flush it abit when its ready,
ive been screening it and discarding all the bits I dont want, ive been using horticultural scissors to screen the bark through a 1/2" riddle, labour intensive but its looking very nice.