Pine Bark? Orchid Mix? Same?

Mortalis

Bridge,
Have you ever tried LECA? Its better than Turface for letting air into your mix. You can buy it online and it NEVER breaks down so you only have to buy it until you have enough for your purposes. You can get it in different sizes from 1/4 inch on up.

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AndyM

I have been using a pine bark product from Home Depot called Nature's Helper. It is sold as a soil amendment that helps hold water. It must be sifted, but the price is very reasonable. Thanks, andym

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bridge

Mortalis, I was just about to ask you what LECA was. Thanks, I'll check up on it.

Bob.

cray13

Try looking for soil conditioner. Here in NC you can find 40-50lb bags of "Soil Conditioner", this is basically pine bark with a particle size too small for mulching. These bags go for about $3 each. You'll need to screen it of course. After screening the pine bark soil conditioner I mix with perlite at a 50/50 ratio.

You may find fir bark soil conditioner in CA.

So basically you may not find a product labled "Pine Bark" or "Fir Bark". You should probably look for "Soil Amendment" or "Soil Conditioner" on the bag.

rockm

"You'll need to screen it of course."

I have been using this stuff for about 10 years now. Haven't had an issue with not sifting it...

Stopped sifting it about 7 years ago--too time consuming, not to mention sifting decomposing bark makes it decompose even faster. Unless you're washing it through a screen, the screen you're sifting with is breaking down those larger chunks into ever smaller ones in the sifting process and later on, in your soil mix. I think sifting this stuff is a zero sum game.

tachigi

Why is it better Mortalis for letting air into your mix? Does it have the same moisture retension as well, which is what the idea for turface is?

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pga7602

Great Info Guys. Thanks!

roberts

I can only find the bags of pine bark used for mulching around here. The mulch it typically shredded 2-3 inch in size and cost about $2.50 for a 2cu ft. bag.

This sounds crazy but works. I use my leaf bagger/shredder and run the bark thru it then sift out the fines/dust. There is not much waste and the larger pieces I just run thru again. would think it would work the same for the fir/orchid bark.

Robert

Mortalis

It does hold moisture as well as turface (The smaller particles of it do..).. It just has more air space.. its kinda like clean lava rock and turface combined into one..