Well after more searching I found "Shredded Pine Bark" and brought it home and it was too
coarse for my liking so I ran it through our leaf/branch shredder (twice) and got a nice fine
consistency that I really like. So now I've got a 39gal. trash can full of the stuff as a base
for a nice potting mix or a Bonsai mix. I will differentiate between the two with the ingredients
I add to the pine bark.
There's a guy named Al Tapla on Garden Web who is kind of the resident Guru there and he has
a couple of basic potting mixes he uses with great success. His 5-1-1 mix is for houseplants.
Then he as a "Coarse Mix" he uses for Bonsai and some Cactus/Succulents:
If anyone is interested here is his 'Coarse Mix' formula:
For long term (especially woody) plantings and houseplants, I use a soil that is extremely durable and structurally sound. The basic mix is equal parts of pine bark, Turface, and crushed granite.
1 part uncomposted pine or fir bark
1 part Turface
1 part crushed granite
1 Tbsp gypsum per gallon of soil
CRF (if desired)
Source of micro-nutrients or use a fertilizer that contains all essentials
I use 1/8 -1/4 tsp Epsom salts per gallon of fertilizer solution when I fertilize (check your fertilizer - if it is soluble, it is probable it does not contain Ca or Mg.
If anyone is interested his article on Container Soil can be found here:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0521151724775.html?46
I find his writing very informative.