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hairmetal4ever

is this ok for pine bark fines?

hairmetal4ever
10 years ago

This is all I can get locally for pine fines. However, it looks more shredded than I expected. From what I gather from their website, it is BARK, but rather than chunks, its shredded fines. It also appears to be fairly composted.

Can that work for 5-1-1, maybe by foregoing the peat?

Comments (14)

  • oxboy555
    10 years ago

    Unless somebody else has used this brand before, we'd need to see the actual bark. Look for a bag with a rip in it, pull out a handful, put a coin in your hand for scale and snap off a pic.

    Shredded and stringy is not good. You want hard little individual chunks.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, my smartphone isn't cooperating with me posting the pic directly. Here ya go.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:11478}}

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    10 years ago

    Nope, I would not use that product.

    Josh

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    1. Hope they take returns

    2. Hope I can convince the spousal unit I need to drive to the place an hour away that might have some

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    That stuff has two shortcoming : IMO

    1) has no nuggets (1/4" to less than 1/2")
    2) it has a lot of sapwood.

    I buy similar stuff (CALLED PINE MULCH) but it is almost free of sapwood. Then I also get what is called" SMALL NUGGETS". This one has very very little fines smaller than 1/8" and it consists of mostly +1/8" to -1/2". So when I mix those two I get a near perfect mix.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    OK - this stuff LOOKS better, I think...but it's not a close-up photo.

    This place (different than where I bought the stuff above) is about 20-30 mins from me, but the annoying thing is that it's the exact opposite direction from my daily commute.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Fines

  • oxboy555
    10 years ago

    Those look like fines or shreddy fines. You want mini bark chips.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I think it looks ok. But it is not the same as 5-1-1 stuff.
    But I think you can use it. Do not need to add peat moss to it because it is real fine. Instead add more perlite. So make it like 5-2 ; 5 part of it and 2 parts of perlite, to give it some drainage. This way, I believe it is going to be better than MG or pro mix.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    If you can't tell from the pics, the stuff in the bag in the top post basically looks like chunky peat moss.

    I called the one that's 30 minutes away - he says theirs is shredded, too, very fine, smaller than 1/8" pieces.

    Apparently, that's "what they do" around here.

    Second question - would this stuff at least be OK to use in a fabric pot with ground contact (for wicking?)

    I can try the 5/2 mix and see how that does.

    What about mixing it with "mini" pine bark nuggets (usually 1/2 - 1") to at least give it some chunkier properties?

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    What about mixing it with "mini" pine bark nuggets (usually 1/2 - 1") to at least give it some chunkier properties?.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    I think 1/2" to 1" would be too big. You may try to get a bag and actually screen it to find out.
    I buy nuggets that on the bag it says "SMALL NUGGETS" and the pieces are better than 80% smaller than 1/2". And maybe about 10 percent 1/2" and remaining 10% slightly bigger than 1/2". I mix that with the shredded stuff called " PINE BARK MULCH" , similar to what you have located. So mixing those two makes a good 5-1-1 bark part.

    BTW: I just thought of something:

    Pour a bag a two of it on clean flat ground (or on a tarp secured) use your lawn mower (Without bag and chute closed) to run over it. The LM blade should chop the up into smaller piece. That is how I use LM to chop leaves.

  • DMForcier
    10 years ago

    Well, as far as Perched Water Table (PWT) control is concerned, any particulate size over 1/8" will have the desired attribute, i.e. size. So you really can't have bits that are "too large".

    Last year I used straight mini-nuggets screened through 1/2" wire cloth (so max size of 0.71") in 5:1:1 with MGMC as the peat component. There were few fines That pile looks good, but I'd check for small particles and if many are present screen out the little ones and use a peat component in the mix. You can probably pick out the huge ones by hand.

    Dennis

    P.S. The small fines you can save and mix up a starter soil for your seedlings...

    P.P.S Get more than you think you will need - a lot more. Last year I ended up mixing up nearly four times my original estimate. Not sure where it goes, but it goes.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Found the right stuff. Pic to follow.

    Behnke's in Beltsville, MD had it.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's my final 5-1-1 I made last night with the stuff I mentioned in the previous post.

  • hairmetal4ever
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The stuff I ended up with (in final pic) isn't bad, but I'm still picking out chunks of sapwood. I found a place today that carries 1/4" sieves - not the 3/8" ideal (which I can't find anywhere - everything is either 1/4 or 1/2) , but I think it will work to get the sapwood chunks out.

    As far as the stuff up top from the original bag of
    "wrong" stuff, I'm using it for seed starting etc so I'll find a use for it.

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