pine bark fines, potting soil, window question

15 years ago

Hi, was reading a post on potting soil by al, or tapla, I think,. He gave a recipe for quick draining soil which included pine bark fines, peat moss, etc. I also read and think I comprehend what he said about potting medium at the bottom of the pot. We recently had our property cleaned out of old dead scrub pines, etc. The landscaper left us the mulch from it, which I guess went thru the chipper/shredder. Most of those trees were dead that he took. It's out back in a pile, occasionally scratched at by chickens. Can I use this as part of my potting medium for these bulbs? I know what he said also about orchid bark, I have used that on some stuff but not yet on bulbs.

My 2nd question is (thinking ahead of the winter when pots are indoors) I have an east/southeast window, with a porch over it. Will this be enough with a shop light over it? (ah, yes, my style of interior decorating!!) I also have a smaller window that is southerly exposure, but has trees a few feet from it. (the southerly window doesn't have a baseboard heater by it either). With supplemental lighting, which would be better-- the porch covered window or the smaller southern window?

And, though I've read pages of this forum, and lots of advice, I'm still confused--afte a bulb blossoms, no matter what kind of bulb it is, south american, or south african or european, can I still keep it in a pot and water it sparingly w/ fertilizer regularly? I realize I have to watch out for too damp soil, & root rot.

Sorry for so many questiosn, but I am interested in your input.

thanks

Sherry

Comment (1)

jodik_gw
15 years ago
To get the best answer regarding the pine fines, I would ask Al, tapla, over at the Container Gardening Forum. He would know the best answer to that question. He's very knowledgeable, and very helpful... I'm sure he'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

I grow my bulbs indoors all year 'round... most of my bulbs share an unobstructed east facing window, and have supplemental lighting to help. A few of my bulbs, the ones that won't fit into the east window alcove, share the south window, which is shaded all summer and fall by two huge Sycamore trees... I trade them out with bulbs from the east window every once in a while, so everyone gets decent amounts of light.

Hippeastrum bulbs require tons of light, and while an unobstructed south window would probably be best for indoor growing, a summer outdoors in the garden would be even better... a shaded south window with supplemental lighting would be fine, too. My advice would be to give your indoor bulbs as much light as you can.

I keep my bulbs in their pots, and only take them out to re-pot into the next size larger, or to change soil after a year or two... I treat my bulbs like houseplants, and I don't force them to bloom out of their natural season. I give them as much light as I can, water and fertilize as they need it, and keep a close eye out for pests and other potential problems.

There are a few different ways to treat Hippeastrum bulbs... you can grow them indoors all year, summer them outdoors and bring them in before frost... you can force them to rest, and have them bloom on your schedule, or allow them to keep their own schedule... different growers treat their bulbs differently.

I'm not sure if I've answered all of your questions... I've only explained how I treat my bulbs... after you've read about and understand the different methods for growing these beauties, you'll no doubt choose the way that works best for you.

Keep in mind that Hippeastrum bulbs are sort of like batteries... they expend a lot of energy blooming, and they need lots of light and to be fed well so they can recharge for the next bloom season.
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Hi Silentway and friends, Thank you for that information. I love LoganÃ¢ÂÂs and am glad to know of another source. I was successful in my search Friday. I found Soil Conditioner by Timberline(It says Pine Bark Fines) at Walmart- 1.5 cu ft. for $2.98 and Perlite by Schultz- 8 quarts for $3.00. I am attaching a photo- I tried to get everything in one shot. This is my first batch. If my math was correct (kind of rounded it off-I used the 1.5 cu ft of the fines, the whole bag of perlite and an equal amount of peat to that I added approx 13 tablespoons of lime. Now, I wait two weeks and then add the time released fertilizer before planting right? (I dampened it and covered it with a sheet of plastic, it is in the wheelbarrow) -Does this sound like a good recipe for pots for peppers and tomatoes as well as flowers? My DH surprised me with a City Pickers Grow Box- a self watering container that holds 1.5L of soil. I know some posters are not very supportive of this type product (but, a gift and / or support from DH have to be appreciated and made to work!) -Should I make any adjustment for the mix in this container? -I did see Pine Bark Mulch at both HD and Lowes. Am I correct in that it would work but you have to screen it and you end up only using the finer but not smallest particles? -Might as well ask my next question, when I finally plant and start watering do I still have to add diluted fertilizer in the water each time? If so, what kind and how dilutedÃ¢ÂÂ¦I think I read 1/8 strength but not sure if that applies since I will add the time released right prior to planting. Thank you all sooooo much! Now if the temperatures would get back to normal...but at least I am not tempted to cheat, in 2 weeks time it should be perfect. Happy, successful gardening to all, Beth
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If you need partially composted pine bark fines for 5:1:1 mix Fafard Aged Pine bark can be ordered through: Griffin Greenhouse & Nursery Supplies, Inc. 5612 Pride Road Richmond, VA 23224-1028 Tel: (804) 233-3454 They might not order less than a pallet of 36 for you, but it doesn't hurt to ask. They will deliver and Price was $10.33/ 2.8cuft bag. Ray can get away with larger pieces since he's using it as an amendment to bagged potting mix. Since the primary component (potting mix) is made up of fairly fine pieces, uniformity of the other components isn't as important. For gritty mix, it's important that the components all be of nearly uniform size. My Home Depot doesn't carry that EarthGro product. I saw some some EarthGro mulches at a local K-Mart, however they did not have the product Raybo recommends and there was nothing appropriate for either Gritty or 5:1:1 mix. Be careful what you buy, as products can vary by region even if the item numbers and packaging are identical.
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Trust me on this, Kimmsr gives really good, true advice. I already used pine bark to help my clay soil, sure it really works to make a faster draining soil. The fact is- mulching with compost which feeds the micro life in the soil; makes a loose soil. We may be looking at the bark as a quik fix, when building the soil using compost will creats a long tearm rich, yet loose soil. The more activity of soil organisms will make an easy to grow in soil. I used to install plants and of course we did not have time to build the soil of the location the plants were being planted. The specific landscaper I worked with liked using sand/peat to mix with the soil to loosen it up- a big no no if you ask me as sand just made it heavy and was too fine. I suggested we used mushroom compost that we could get by the truck load for cheap, it worked really great. The landscaper showed me some pruning techniques, and I helped them understand they never have to haul sand ever again!! So, really in the long run- you could add compost/leaves/ect to any native soil type and it will improve over time to the "perfect soil".
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Thanks for the info. Kimmsr, weird that the peat INCREASED pH. Perhaps it's because as it decomposed and became humus, it neutralized as most organic material does, even if it starts out acid? As far as amending my soil, what about a one-two punch, so to speak? I start off by using some pine bark fines (preferably partially composted, but fresh could probably work) to incorporate into soil to loosen and break it up short-term. Maybe throw in some alfalfa meal or blood meal to offset any potential N deficiency. As it decomposes, slowly, eventually it will turn into organic matter that will do the same thing as the bulk of the fines themselves initially will do, i.e., improve aeration and drainage, at the same time I add more organic matter on top as mulch, probably shredded leaves from the wooded lot next door (most of them blow into my yard) and/or compost of various sources. Now, to Allen--maybe using pure pine bark as mulch on TOP would be bad, since it can be hydrophobic (a good quality, however, incorporated into clay that tends to get mucky wet). What about mixing pine bark with compost or shredded leaves for aesthetics? Would it likely then be OK for water penetration?
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pine bark fines, potting soil, window question

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jodik_gw

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