Pine bark?...What about other barks?

Bone-sigh

I often hear people say that they add pine bark to there soil mix, I do the same. But, I was wondering if there were any brainiacs out there that knew why pine bark seems to be used exclusively instead of some other bark?

I have also wondered if anyone has ever tried using a pre-mixed soil that is mixed specifically for orchids as an additive to their mix for bonsai soil? An orchid mix I saw yesterday had several different kinds of bark in it plus what looked like little chunks of natural charcoal. I am considering using this as part of my next batch of soil so if anyone has any insight as to whether I should or should not use it that would be very helpful. Thanks.

Ryan

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rockm

Orchid mix can be used as an ingredient in bonsai soil, but it's VERY expensive (and contains "pine" bark, or at least conifer bark). Composted pine bark is about 10 times cheaper than a comparable bag of orchid mix. When you're mixing 200 lbs of soil, that makes a big difference. If you're mixing 10 lbs, not so much.

zube

Ryan,
Pine bark is the bark of choice because it is so widely available. Pines of one type or another are found growing nearly everywhere in the U.S. I live in the Pacific NW. Douglas fir and Western hemlock bark is readily available here, so I use hemlock bark.
Take care,
zube

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Wolfus

Why just the bark? My only source of heat is from wood so I cut a lot of wood each year to get through the winter. This of course produces a lot of wood chips. All hardwoods, oak, hickory, locust.... Would any of this work for any particular species of tree's?


Thanks,
David

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soonami

Pine bark and wood chips generally aren't good for all species. The bark and wood as it decomposes uses up fix nitrogen in the soil which the trees need for growth, but with regular applications of fertilizers, this effect can countered. Also as the wood decomposes, it acidifies the soil, so for pH sensitive trees, the soil should be monitored.

rockm

"The bark and wood as it decomposes uses up fix nitrogen in the soil which the trees need for growth, but with regular applications of fertilizers, this effect can countered."

This has been repeatedly proven not to be true. The uptake of nitrogen by decomposing bark in bonsai soil isn't enough to warrant concern or remedial application of fertlizer.

rockm

Also bark is preferable to the actual wood of a tree BECAUSE it is more porous and likely to have a greater ability to hold onto water and nutrients.

Alasdair

I'm guesing the reason why pine bark is widely used, apart from being cheap, is because of its structure. It is coarse but porouse to water. Some other conifers have very fibrous bark and most deciduous trees havevery thin bark which won't hold the water as well and pine bark.

I put a handfull of orchid mix in with my bonsai every now and again for no other reason than it's better than throwing it away.

Al

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soonami

Well you should be fertilizing your tree anyway, so if you do that the decomposing pine bark won't make much dent in the nitrogen in the soil. Also, I didn't mean that the pine bark was a nitrogen sucking black hole, only that it does do so, and I didn't suggest supplementary fertilizing, just regular fertilizing that would ordinarily be done.

But the acidification of the soil is something that should be addressed depending on the species of tree you are planting