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Amaryllis/Hippeastrum

Pine bark in potting mix?

15 years ago

The univ of N carolina recommendeded not to include pine bark in a hippeastrum soil mix.Does anyone know why?

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Comments (12)

mariava7
15 years ago
So does HADECO. In fact they state in their website not to use ANY kind of tree bark in your potting soil for hippeastrums. No reason is stated.
jodik_gw
15 years ago
I would imagine it has something to do with the rate of decomposition of the bark and how it reacts with other soil components and moisture levels in a container environment... I don't know any of the scientific terms or the actual scientific explanation...

As we all know, some of these bulbs can be rather prone to rot... we also know that it's difficult to control the balance of good and evil in containers as it pertains to decomposing soil... outdoors in the garden, nature works to keep a balance of good and bad bacterias and other microscopic things... worms and nematodes and other creepy-crawlies work in harmony to help maintain those levels.

Container gardening is different... there isn't that harmony of good and bad... and as potting soil breaks down, levels of bad things rise... therefore, it makes sense to try to use a medium that won't break down very fast.

Finding the perfect medium for indoor growing in containers has plagued me from the onset of collecting bulbs. Learning how plant roots function and what they require has helped me in choosing a medium, as has learning how watering and soil break-down fit in... it can be a bit confusing, but it's worth the effort to research a little.

I have found loads of good information and pertinent discussions over at the Container Gardening Forum. There are too many threads to find the right link to post here, but I highly recommend popping in over there to do some reading!
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You're in little danger of rotted roots if you use a reservoir as an additional water supply, as long as you don't overdo. By that, I mean you should experiment to see how much water you need to get you through the day, & only use that much - or just enough for the plant to retain turgidity. I'll back up a little here & say that I don't know the cultural preferences of the plant. It's entirely possible (didn't say probable) that the plant would tolerate roots being in saturated soil or water (salix/willow comes to mind here), I just don't know the plant. Actually, it sounds like a good opportunity for you to try the Soil Moist product and report your findings. You have had good experience with CHC's? Why not repot into that mix? Also, because of the natural vigor of the plant, and how fast it makes roots, I'd be just a little less concerned about using a heavier soil than I normally would, This could be one of those infrequent cases where a bagged soil might actually be a better choice than a very fast mix - not from a physiological perspective, but from a practicality standpoint. I realize I offered nothing clear, but I at least hope you got an idea or two. Al
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I've had excellent success with the Pro-Mix HP and BX (w/ mycorrhizae) products. 30+ cherokee purple tomatoes, 200+ cherry tomatoes, 10+ bell peppers, 30+ japapeno peppers per plant in 5gal paint buckets (holes added for drainage of course), southern exposure balcony in Ontario. Brand probably doesn't matter but their mix is about 70% peat moss with perlite making up the rest. You need to water frequently in the summer but the roots are very happy. I have not had any problems with compaction, likely because of the very high percentage of perlite. You do need to 'agitate' the mix, but it never gets as hard as it was in the compressed bail. The Berger BM6 product is basically the same thing as ProMix HP but has a "sustainable product" logo on the package, for whatever that is worth. I have a relative who has used a peat/coir/perlite product with good success too, I don't recall the brand. One caution: soilless mediums like Pro-Mix HP or BM6 are effectively hydroponic growing mediums. There are no nutrients which are naturally occurring so fertilization will be required regularly through the growing season, especially if rainfall will be doing some of the watering (nutrient leeching). In order to provide all the necessary macro, micro and trace minerals/elements required you will need to use multiple conventional organic fertilizers (annoying), or hydroponic fertilizers (organic or conventional, both are produced). My example yields were with regular all-purpose miracle-gro w/ micronutrients and occasionally Dyna-Gro foliage Pro for the trace minerals.
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salpal
15 years ago
I've been using a mix including pine bark fines for a couple of years similar to Al's mix on the container forum. I've had no adverse effects YET. I know you are supposed to take care with what type of bark you use. I have found the mix including pine bark fines to be helpful in avoiding bulb rot, it's very fast draining. I'd be interested in why it wouldn't be recommended, I plan to keep using it until problems arise. If anyone has a link to Hadecos non-recommendation I'd love to see it.
elizabeth_jb
15 years ago
Hi, All!

Please note that my comments are based on personal observation and not stated scientific facts.

In my experience, Southern Pine bark decomposes very quickly. Many years ago, I stopped using it as mulch on my flower beds and in my potted plants because of this. Southern Pink bark is very large and pourous which is great for the first year, so many nurseries will use this (crushed) as a inexpensive filler. They can purchase it from paper companies in bulk at a very cheap price because it is considered waste.

Northern pine, from what I have observed is much more dense and does not degrade as fast which is probably why you are having success with it.

Just like there is a huge difference between hardwood and softwood (our Southern Pine is definitely soft wood), there is a difference in pine bark.

Does that make sense?
jodik_gw
15 years ago
I would agree that the type of bark is very relevant... I've been using an "Al" type mix, myself, and having very good luck with it... it's fast-draining and allows for oxygen to reach the roots... it doesn't hold on to moisture for too long... it's very close to what I'd call a bonsai medium.

For more on the "Al's Mix", go to the Container Gardening Forum... there are lots of very informational threads...
lomodor
10 years ago
excellent comments..as always!!
i use a majority pine bark ,pumice mix with all my potted
plants now..
that includes my various amaryllis..and they do just fine
they are inside now.of course and just starting to send out more leaves..so i would think things are going good in the potting mix..
i do repot every yr though..
comments on break down are well said ... i just add last yrs potting mix to my various outside gardens..and pot up bulbs/corms with new potting mix..
fishing_dentist
10 years ago
In my opinion pine bark comes prerotten and maybe contains a lot of bacterias and mould. Maybe it helps rotting the bulbs too?
dragonstone
10 years ago
Interesting thread. I was forced to pot my Papilio in the gritty mix because it was wasting away in topsoil. I sort of gave up after, but then miraculously it started growing again. I used bark from a pine mulch and it doesn't seem to have harmed the plant any.
dondeldux z6b South Shore Massachusetts
10 years ago
Hi,

I also have always used pine bark in my mixture with no ill effects. I find that when I have a rot issue it is usually with a new bulb that refuses to root and at that point my new bulbs are basically sitting on top of the soil anyway. I also use pigeon grit as well as perlite to aerate the soil.

Donna
houstonpat
10 years ago
I grow H. papilio and H. aulicum as epiphytes / lithophytes. I use a good coarse orchid mix. It contains bark, but most likely Fir bark. Since Fir bark is kinda hard to get around here, if I make my own mix I just use whatever pine bark I can find and just bust it up to about medium size. I mix it with whatever I have in the way of expanded shale, tree fern slabs, perlite, natural charcoal.
lomodor
10 years ago
houstonpat..that is a fantastic pic of your amaryllis basket !!
never thought of using tree fern lined basket..way to go...
and super healthy plants..babies shootin out everywhere..
yea!! more plants..
houstonpat
10 years ago
The basket is lined with coconut fiber.

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