Anyone tried this Pine Bark Product?

14 years ago

In Colorado I have recently found a product called mini-nuggets in 2 cf bags from Mountain West Products LLC.

It looks like a good Pine Bark Fine product. Has anyone used it?

It is the first real PBFs I have found.

Kyle

Comments (15)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
14 years ago
What is the size range of the product? Most of what I've seen that is in 'nugget' form is too large to be considered desirable. For media like the 5:1:1 mix, partially composted dust to dime size pieces are best. For mixes like the gritty mix, 1/8 - 1/4" pieces of uncomposted pine or fir bark seems to fit the bill best.

Al
kylew
Original Author
14 years ago
Al-
I have not bought or opened a bag but it looked ideal to me. The closest garden center with it is 45 minutes away. I wish I would have bought a bag and will next time I am there (may even be tomorrow). I was hoping someone else was familiar with the product.
They have a website- www.mwpllc.com but I do not think it gives size.
Nuggets- even mini- is not the word I would have used for the product.
Kyle
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magigal
14 years ago
I have used Pine Nuggets in either the Mini or the Large Pine Nuggets choice. They come in 2-3 Cubic Feet bags.
I have consistently used them for 25 years. I usually buy them at Home Depot for $4-5 per bag and I purchase about 10-15 bags per year.
The MAIN use is to kill the weeds. I plant the flowers or shrubs and then spread the Nuggets all around with a fairly
heavy layer. If I am really ambitious, and the soil is in a virgin state, I usually lay down black plastic ( cut up large Hefty lawn size bags) to give a double barrier to weeds .When I am done planting, then I smooth out the surfaces with the new nuggets.Many ,many people have complemented me on this and said how clean everything looks, when contrasted against my flowers and plants.
It biodegrades some every year.It takes a few years to completely degrade.Most years I just "freshen"up most of the garden surfaces. Another tip is using a large shovel, such as a snow shovel to scoop big piles from the wheelbarow
to the soil surface.
Patricia
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
Patricia, the original poster is asking about the use of this particular product as an AMENDMENT to a good potting medium, not as a mulch. Pine Bark Fines are an important ingredient to container mixes. Pine bark NUGGETS are not.

Do you really put down black plastic on top of the soil before applying the nuggets? That would not be considered a healthy practice, in terms of the soil/root systems and has been discouraged for quite some time.
magigal
14 years ago
Rhizo,
I did not come to this Garden Forum to be reprimanded for my own practices and experiences (both successful and failures) and eventual sharing of these on Garden Web forums. The poorly veiled hostility in the question about "do I really use plastic to control weeds? "is inapproriate ,since you do NOT even have a clue of where the
plastic is used. 90% of it is used under patio stones and pavers and under border trimming. I live in the country and have more than 3 acres of land to convert from over-grown weeds to something manageable..
I have to plant everything with my feet, from my wheelchair but I do not mention this as I do not want any special treatment and this ABSOLUTELY does not even factor into the issue of being chastized and reprimanded by another poster !
You are SO out of line on this one, Rhizo!
Patricia
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
I am very sorry that you've been deeply offended. I do think, however, that you are overreacting to some simple comments. Given the information that you offered initially, the conclusion that you were using black plastic in your planting beds seems like a normal one to jump to.

I rarely enter into a Gardenweb thread with malice or hostility. I'd say 'never', but I believe that I've gone for the jugular occasionally when someone seems intent on offering extremely hazardous advice, typically with chemicals.

Again, I am truly sorry. I absolutely meant no offense. I am proud of you for finding the ways and means to garden independently. I, too, have had to learn to do the same.
meyermike_1micha
14 years ago
Hi magigal.

I just wanted to say that I have been a landscaper for years prior to today, and the practice of putting plastic around flowers in a flower bed was widely used, until recent years at least in my neck of the woods..

It actually did alot of root damage to the good plants, in particular shrubs and perenials over time..The negative impact far outweighs the positive...Now we no longer use that method..Weed barriers are what we use..The water has to get through, and the good plant roots have to breath. Many other benifits to not using plastic..
This is what the poster was trying to help you avoid..:-)

Many post in writing, or responses can be misinterpeted much easier than a face to face conversation.

In rhizzos defense, and in hoping that you will experience a great time here going on,

"Rhizzo" is the last person that would deliberately hurt or offend anyone, on purpose or by accident.
I have seen all her posts, and expereinced her ajustments of my thinking on most things from pests, all the way to chemicals, usually wrong at times, and she has always been very professional in her writings, and poised in her words and sugeestions....
She is has been here for quite a long time, lurking and watching, when to post at the right time, to see us all succeed. When she opologizes, I believe that she really means it..I hope you see that as I do..

From what you wrote, you are a hard worker with limitations, and I am proud to see someone here do awesome despite that. I can actually read the excitement in your words..Bravo

Back to container gardening and "barknugget use..

I will say that "pine bark nuggets" are not a good choice for container mix....It is not even suggested by Al, the one who knows these mixes better than anyone..

Mike
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
14 years ago
Patricia - I agree with what Mike said about Dori. When it comes to being helpful and friendly, she shines like the brightest of stars, and her info is always good as gold. I'm absolutely sure there was no intent on her part to be offensive. I hope you'll stay and have some fun with us; and now that a little time has passed, that there are no residual hard feelings. ;o)

Al
jodik_gw
14 years ago
A simple misunderstanding... since most people aren't aware of the use of pine bark as a medium ingredient. If I had come here a few years prior, I might have thought you were all talking about mulch, too... but since I'm a huge fan of Al's Mixes, I knew right away the post referenced medium.

As for visqueen, or the black plastic stuff... I'm still pulling pieces out of a huge area that was originally planted with willow trees, using that plastic barrier to keep weeds down. That was about 15 years ago, and now that the willows are dying, we're replacing all the plantings and using plain wood mulch, no barrier.

A biodegradable alternative to the material barriers is layering old newspaper over the grassy, weedy areas... several sheets thick... wetting it down, and then laying out a thick layer of wood mulch. The weeds die off under the paper, and it allows water to pass through. It decomposes fairly fast.

What I'd like to find is a screened pine bark reptile bedding in larger quantities. I find the size perfect for Al's Mix.
kylew
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay-
I finally bought the product I was mentioning and took pictures. I have resized them. How do I include them here so the experts can give me an opinion?

Kyle
jodik_gw
14 years ago
First, you need to locate a storage facility online for your pictures. There are several photo album sites... I use one called PhotoBucket. You can Google "free online photo storage" or key words to that effect, and you should come up with a variety.

Sign up for a free account at your site of choice, follow the instructions for uploading your pictures, and then choose the HTML coding, or follow their directions for using your pictures in forums and message boards.

If you chose PhotoBucket, use the third option under your picture of choice, which is HTML. Copy the coding, then come here and paste it into the body of your message.

GardenWeb has a test page for posting photos, I'm pretty certain... and I even think they have photo storage, although I couldn't help you locate it!

I hope this helps somewhat... perhaps someone else can add to what I've already said...
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
14 years ago
I use a product called Micro Bark.
It still needs to be screened, but I'm really happy with the results. The big stuff is easy to remove, as it tends to resemble long splinters - and the bark fines are useful for fern plantings. The pieces of bark in my mix are about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch - while this is a bit large/loose, the pieces will break down over time. However, I replace the mix before it breaks down so much as to support a perched water table.
{{gwi:9837}}
{{gwi:9838}}
jodik_gw
14 years ago
The Micro Bark in your hand looks to be about the same size as the reptile bedding I use... and here's what my mix looks like...

{{gwi:1304}}

I would imagine Micro Bark to be much cheaper... but for small batches, reptile bedding is perfect! It's nice to know the large bags of pine bark do exist... I can see I need to keep searching the home improvement stores!
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
14 years ago
Nice looking mix, Jodi!
Bags of Micro Bark run between $6 - $9 dollars locally. I wish I had the room to purchase a pallet and cut the cost considerably. In the nursery store, there are smaller bags of Orchid Bark - but even the *fine* Orchard Bark is larger in diameter than the Micro Bark sold outside. Here's a pic of my mix with the pumice, perlite, and quartz gravel added:

{{gwi:50873}}
jodik_gw
14 years ago
Beautiful! Yours looks to be a tad coarser than mine, but I use it mainly indoors in small to medium sized pots. We're talking about 2" to 12" clay pots, mainly.

The only ingredient I don't have is the pumice or turface, which I'd like to check out. One of these days I'll actually locate ALL the ingredients I want!

Anyone tried this Pine Bark Product?

Comments (15)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

kylew
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Anyone tried this Pine Bark Product?

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