I bought mine online from Home Depot, 3 of the 2 cu ft bags. It was the best price around and delivery was free if you place an order over $50 I think.

The quality was so so; too much fine particles and dust for what was labelled "coarse perlite", but its the same quality I've come to expect when buying perlite.

I used it in my 511 mix without adjusting for dust or particle size (too lazy) and my plants are doing great so far.

-Dan

hi dan.thankx for answering. what about bark?do you use lowes's pine bark?i got two bags from them it was the last two bag before thy open the new shippng and it was all fine looks more like a soil.it was no bark in it at all.i cant use this but i will use it in the place of the peat moss.thankx for you input dan,you always the first to answer NY related questions.
Ahmed
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No worries, Ahmed.
I tried one bag of the Lowes bark also and found it to be too composted as well. I'll experiment and make a mix out of without using any peat in it and see if it works.The bark I have is from Agway in Long Island.

I have a friend who has a house out there and is kind enough to pick it up for me when he goes out there on the weekends. If you have a car it may be worth a trip out to the nearest Agway to you to pick some up. I think a 3 cu. ft. bag goes for $11.

I use it right out of the bag, no sifting. I just pick out some of the sapwood. It has a bit more dust, but that's ok, since I like my mix to hold more moisture.

Dan

i bought my perlite at the flushing store also and ended up purchasing the bark on a work trip in maryland. Supposedly (based on a phone discussion only) zainos nursery in hicksville carries a bark similar to the agway bark. I don't need much more for this year but will need to repot next year. NYC garden, which agway are you getting your bark from? I am waiting for another work trip to north central jersey and hope to pick up some bark there, just not sure when that will be.

Jersey has lots of Agway retailers. The one I used was Chicks all the way up in Southold, NY.

i found the bark today at crest hardware store in williamsburg.i havent open it but it looks good.uniform size not much fine either.i paid $6 for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Golden Trophy Pine Bark Mulch

Wow! A local, inexpensive resource for PBF? Awesome find. Let us know how if the quality is good after you open it.

-Dan

i think i remember seeing that brand in some other threads, seemed like it was inconsistent as to the size. Kambark brand has a good product too but i couldn't find a local vendor.

Dan it is good.i took a pic of it right out of the bag.i think it is good just pick out big chunck pieces and sap wood and i think i am good to go.

queenskitchen ya i know.i seen the type you are talking about everywhere but when i went to check out crest hardware thy had the same bag in two different pallets.one is chunky or nuggets like i have seen everywhere and next to it there were these bags that i got.alot smaller size for sure-bark size- thy got a lot a whole pallet.

what do you guys think?is it good enough?
Ahmed

Here is a link that might be useful: Bark pic

i got another question..how often you guys water now days for 511 mix?.2 times a week?i setting up a steady watering habit two times a week is it a lot?
first year with 511 just trying to get a rough estimate/guide line for watering.it feels kinda moist all times under the soil.
thank you all for helping out.
Ahmed

Hmm, that bark looks a bit big to me. If I remember correctly, the ideal size should fit through a 1/2" screen but not a 1/8" screen.

In terms of watering, on hot days like today, I water every day. That the great thing about the 511, its so porous I don't need to worry about over watering.

-Dan

at about 80 degrees my smaller container plants start to wilt. The 10 to 15 gallon pots can go a couple days, although the plants were just getting established last year. I think i may have to water almost every day this year. I agree the bark looks a little big to me. Most of mine looked to be about 1/2 soil.

you guys think the bark is big?it was cheap so i could put a little effort in making it better.
i guess i could make it a little smaller.i will chop it up a little.
thankx dan and queenskitchen for answering my questions about watering.