RichKid
Shohin
Pine bark mulch for bark fines? Yay or nay?
Bark Fines
- Thread starter RichKid
- Start date
drew33998
Masterpiece
I use them with the oil spill stuff from napa for most of my plants. So far no probs.
RichKid
Shohin
Do you do the normal sifting? I haven't really went in the bag, plan on sifting tonight. I used the nuggets before and used all the small particles. This is my first time buying the mulch. Did it have wood in it?
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
I started with that (pine bark mulch) and it wasn't worth the hassle. I used to sift them and chop the rest...what a pain.
Try looking for "soil conditioner" at your local box stores (Lowe's or Home Depot). They are made of finely chopped bark (the ones I got at least) and I just mix them straight with Turface (50/50).
Hope you find some!
Try looking for "soil conditioner" at your local box stores (Lowe's or Home Depot). They are made of finely chopped bark (the ones I got at least) and I just mix them straight with Turface (50/50).
Hope you find some!
drew33998
Masterpiece
I would go with Dario on this. I have over 30 mature pine trees on my property. Under them and close to the trunk is old broken down pine bark in very fine pieces. I use those
RichKid
Shohin
That's what I originally started looking for. None of my local boxes are carrying it. So finally I broke down and spent the $3 on the pine bark mulch, hoping I could sift enough to at least serve me this season. Someone told me that for their trees in training they just mix regular potting soil and mix in aggregates for draining like turface and granite. Any thoughts? I know I want some sort of organic material in my mix.
fourteener
Omono
I use the bark from Dallas Bonsai Garden. The buy three get one free bags are what I get. My only problem is half gets sifted and thrown into my owner beds. I wish there wasn't so much waste.
I was hoping someone had a great idea about this issue. It's the one part of my soil mix for which I'd like a better solution.
I was hoping someone had a great idea about this issue. It's the one part of my soil mix for which I'd like a better solution.
Martin Sweeney
Chumono
I normally use the Lowe's Soil Conditioner, which is not composted, and sift the largest and the finest material out. I think the too big and fine pieces would be bad in a bonsai pot. The fines have the potential to cause drainage issues over time and the too big take up too much precious pot space. I make a training pot soil and do not use the fines or too big there either; I do not want to have to work them out of the roots when finally going to the bonsai pot. There was a percentage (10%-15%?) of actual raw pine wood in the remaining usable material. I guess about 50% of the bag is usable. I use the fines and too large material for landscape uses in the yard.
The last time I went to Lowe's they were out of their Soil Conditioner. I was near a Home Depot by chance so I stop in to see what they had. They had Natures Helper Soil Conditioner, which is composted. I will be sifting tomorrow. I think I will get a little less usable material, but the amount of raw wood will be less.
Regards,
Martin
The last time I went to Lowe's they were out of their Soil Conditioner. I was near a Home Depot by chance so I stop in to see what they had. They had Natures Helper Soil Conditioner, which is composted. I will be sifting tomorrow. I think I will get a little less usable material, but the amount of raw wood will be less.
Regards,
Martin
jkd2572
Masterpiece
Look for composted pine bark. Usually sold as soil conditioner. Read the label to make sure is composted pine bark. I do not sift it and mix with aggregate. I can not find it at big box stores only at high end regular nurseries. I would be willing to ship you a 40lb bag for the acceptable price. Pm me if your interested. I mix 75/25 organic to agregate for conifers and 50/50 for deciduous. It gets vey hot here.
No problems so far
I'm using the fines from sifted pine bark, crushed granite, and turface as subtrate for a 2 gallon
shimpaku juniper. The particles are those that fall through a 1/8" hardware cloth. The juniper looks like my others planted in a more standard mix. Even though the particles are much smaller, the substrate doesn't seem to compact at all. I'm seriously considering never sifting again.
Casey
I'm using the fines from sifted pine bark, crushed granite, and turface as subtrate for a 2 gallon
shimpaku juniper. The particles are those that fall through a 1/8" hardware cloth. The juniper looks like my others planted in a more standard mix. Even though the particles are much smaller, the substrate doesn't seem to compact at all. I'm seriously considering never sifting again.
Casey
RichKid
Shohin
Maybe I should try a nursery instead of the big boxes I suppose. Im going to try to sift the pine bark mulch I bought and see what I get out of that. Jeremy thanks for the offer, but I think the shipping from Tex to PA alone will be an arm and two legs! 
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Anyone tried a simple mix of cocopeat and sifted silca based builder's gravel ?
Or compost or aged/cured manure ?
Just suggesting.
Good Morning.
Anthony
Or compost or aged/cured manure ?
Just suggesting.
Good Morning.
Anthony
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Cocopeat used in temperate zones that freeze turns to mush pretty quickly...
bougie nights
Mame
I've found pine bark mulch to be very hit and miss. Sometimes there is a high percentage of wood. Sometimes the fragments are too "flakey" rather than chunky. The soil conditioner does provide some promise, but will yield a small amount of usable material from a great deal of work!
Going to a high-end nursery or a mulch dealer, though will save you some frustration.
Going to a high-end nursery or a mulch dealer, though will save you some frustration.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I use Evergreen Soil Admendment available at Lowe's (at least here in Alabama), it is small pieces of pine bark, with very little, if any wood. No sifting, just straight out of the bag.
RichKid
Shohin
yeah thats what I've been searching for, but they don't carry at the Lowes in PA or Delaware
RichKid
Shohin
So right now I've resorted to buying the small bags of orchid mix for $4.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
"The soil conditioner does provide some promise, but will yield a small amount of usable material from a great deal of work!"
Sifting soil conditioner is coutnerproductive. It's already mostly decomposed pine mulch. Sifting pulverizes it into a dust that's mostly unuseable. I use it straight out of the bag with no problem.
Sifting soil conditioner is coutnerproductive. It's already mostly decomposed pine mulch. Sifting pulverizes it into a dust that's mostly unuseable. I use it straight out of the bag with no problem.
Poink88
Imperial Masterpiece
As noted, some soil conditioners are new and not decomposed.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Dario, any thoughts on Nitrogen consumption of "new" bark in soil conditioner?
