What do you guys do with remaining bark when you stack your wood?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Dear Community!

I'm still learning the science of burning and preparing wood... I had 3 cords delivered so far. I stacked them well, but have a lot of bark leftovers. I tried to put most of it together with the logs, as if they're together, but still have plenty left. So far I put it to a separate carton box, but what are you guys doing with it? Do you stack it together with the wood to later burn it in the stove? Or do you leave it out for the campfire? Or maybe just throw it away?

Thanks!
Bark that falls off gets gathered up and tossed on the brush pile.
Somewhere I read that oak wood will create about .5% ash, yet the bark creates 5-10% ash.
So I did a test one year.
4.5cords white and red oak
created about 120lb of ash, or 3 chicken feed bags full
120lb ash/(4.5cord x 4000/cord) = .66%
Usually when I'm moving wood around everything goes with it, bark scraps and all. Then only the cordwood gets restacked, like in the garage, or lean to out back, and the scraps at the bottom of the trailer then get hauled away.
 
I use it for mulch or as a base for paths which are then covered with chips.
 
When you guys use it for mulch, do you somehow shred it? What do you use for that? My bark is usually in pretty big chunks... I tried to throw it on a muddy area with naked tree roots to make it more walkable, but it's not very convenient now, so I guess I have to cut/shred it somehow.