You are once again incorrect (this is getting rather embarrassing for you), Best do your homework. People often fertilize adding large amounts of nitrogen so much for your C:N ratio. Some is always lost to volatilization. I guess I should have said some instead of much. It always is a net loss, there I am correct. So please stop making false statements, and putting words into my mouth. You are hurting many users here with your extremely bad advice. I agree bark by itself losses little nitrogen (as it has virtually none!), but we are not talking about that. We are talking about the nitrogen added to the bark and the fact as bacteria utilize the nitrogen to breakdown the bark, not all is is returned as stated. that is incorrect. Some is lost to the air. Nobody I know disputes that except you. I have never seen a study where the breakdown of bark by adding additional nitrogen, that nitrogen is 100% retained, it is not. Chemistry 101. bacteria release the nitrogen as NH3 when they die. Well some of it, to be clear this time. The question was is fresh bark bad to use? Well not really but you will lose some nitrogen so one should take that fact in mind and give a little extra for the composting of the bark. Using composted bark, you don't really need to worry about it. Add normal amounts of nitrogen. You should know that.

If the fine bark mulch packs the water doesn't penetrate. You might try poking a few aeration holes with a garden fork or mixing in something chunkier, but that sounds like a lot of work. I don't know of an easy solution. We have places at our camp where years of bark mulch + plant roots have made it nearly impossible to dig a hole to plant bulbs in the fall or spring bedding plants yet the weeds will sprout & grow on top. We're improving one bed at a time with compost, used coffee grounds, shredded leaves, topped with the arborist chips like what we've done around our home. You might try raking it out further away from stems of plants so they get more moisture from the falling rain. Piling it up a bit thicker around plants that don't mind thick mulch. Be careful around rhodies who don't. I don't know if it helps to describe our gardens as we have a similar climate since I'm in western WA. That dry spell a few weeks ago was unusual and I did water more than usual because I had seedlings and transplants that needed our usual May drizzle. I keep about 2-4" of mulch either composted manures + animal bedding (usually sawdust or wood shavings) + aged arborist wood chips. I stopped using bark after reading about the packing problem or hearing Ciscoe Morris talk about it. I can't remember which. I liked the uniform look of the orange bark, but got used to my new methods and after a few weeks of growth in spring I no longer see the mulch no matter what I use. My gardens have matured and I also grow plants closer, so less mulch is needed. I have to really look closely to see the soil on the beds this time of year if that helps describe how closely. I can only mulch after November or before April or I can't get in the beds to walk or apply it. I do a poke test with my finger before watering and as long as we have some rain every week I can skip it. During July & August I will put on the sprinkler over the grass & let it go beyond to the rhodies, hostas, & daylilies, but not much else gets watered except for edibles. It sounds like you will figure out what to do about the bark & poking the soil is always the best way to tell if the soil needs water. This year we've laid out some sprinkler hoses for some of the strawberries, rhubarb, potatoes, & apple trees so I won't have to hand water them and since we ran out of soaker hoses as well as water pressure. I alternate what gets watered on what days come our summer drought. I was thankful we had them handy when we had those 2 weeks of dry warm weather a few weeks ago just as the berries were growing larger. Hope that helps & happy gardening to you, Corrine

Bark might be better than sand, but I don't like how it gets into your gloves. My mom has a lot of success with bark mulch, though. What kind of lavender did you buy? Hidcote and Munstead are hardy to zone 4 or 5 and don't need a winter mulch, but other lavenders might need some protection from winter cold and snow.

Do I have to remove the mulch ==>>> not unless you want to do endless weeding ... you have 2 choices .. imo ... [i think i added a third] winter sow.. or start your seedlings elsewhere .. and then move them into your gorgeous bed ... of course.. you would start by collecting the seed as it ripens ... or.... you make a one foot by 6 inch wide bare earth place.. sow the seed.. and in spring.. move them around when they are small and young ... in years.. as your mulch start to break down.. you will be able to get some seedlings on top ... but if that happens.. you will also be getting weed sprouting.. which is usually when you would add a new layer of mulch ... one other idea.. would be to have a nursery bed... ken