Chapon's greenhouse on streets run road has large bag for $25 I think. Coarse grade - perfect for 511. I think Best Feeds in north hills should also have them. Call them first though.

Where do you get pine bark from? Last year I started getting from Agway, but it looks like sources are dwindling Pittsburgh.

Hi tropicofcancer. I'll be in the Century 3 area this evening and will check out Chapon's.
I just got the pine bark from the Agway in Imperial. They still don't carry it in store so they had to order it. Shipments come in on Fridays.
edit: Just found out when my bf picked up my mulch he said they do carry perlite. PVP brand horticultural grade coarse. I don't know how much the bag is or the actual particle size.

I also got the pine bark from Imperial Agway last year. I still have some left over but I will be ordering some more soon.

Good to know they have perlite too. Let me know how it turns and what the price is. By an chance, if you do not use the perlite fines (left over after sifting) I would love to have it. I use it to make hypertufa stuff. Let me know. You can directly message me.

If you are making gritty mix: Best Feeds in North Hills has chicken grit and EH Griffith in Swissvale has turface.

I picked up the perlite last night from Chapon's, $29.99. Doesn't specify coarse on the bag but the receipt does.
Sure, you can have the fines. I'm hoping to start sifting this week in the evenings. I'll let ya know. Btw what size screen do you sift with?

I think Chapon's sells only the coarse grade. I use 1/8 inch screen. Sift it outdoors with the wind away from you - pretty nasty stuff to breath in the dust. A dust mask will be good too. I usually do it over grass in cement tub so that the blowing dust gets trapped in the grass.

I have 1/2", 1/4" and insect screen. I'll look around for 1/8 next time I'm at the store.

I think HD/Lowes should have it. I just checked and I do not any left-over piece. Sometimes Ace is a better place if you do not find it elsewhere.

My HD and Ace do not carry that size. If all else fails I have a mesh drawer from an Ikea kitchen cart that is about 1/8" spacing. I may stop at Ikea and see if they have any bins or baskets with similar mesh.

If you want to borrow mine for the weekend you are welcome to. Mine is large about 24x16 inches set in a wooden frame. You will be done in less than 30 min. Message me if you want to go this route. I am in Sq. Hill.

Nice of you to offer. Ikea is right here so I stopped on my break and picked up the basket. It's 15x23x5 1/2 for only $5. If weather permits I might sift some tonight to see how it works out.

Sifted the perlite last night. Only got half a bag of usable pieces. It's been years since I had to do that so I'm not sure what people usually get from a bag. Was at least hoping for more than half. My screen wasn't squares so one way was a hair larger than 1/8" but that shouldn't have made much of a difference.

Before, after, fines...

The amount of fines differs between bags. I have had at least 20% of the bag of fines to 50+% bag. It is frustrating to find that you just paid $30 for really half a bag.

The original 511 mix does not call for sifting perlite unless it is a significant portion. The problem is you just do not know how much of it is there until you sift. And a lot of the perlite fines will be at the bottom of the bag. That is why I always suggest to sift it first. Probably I should have said this right at the beginning.

So what you can do is use the fines with your bigger chunks WHEN you are making the 511. That you know how much of it is there in the mix. I sometimes use 0-20% fines plus 100-80% coarse for the perlite part - for perennials and indoor tropicals. The plants will be a lot happier. For starting seeds and cuttings and for potted annuals I will up the perlite fines though.

So you can still use it and not feel so bad.

Edit: i just corrected my errors in the above post

You could also try screening the fines with a insect screen and see if you can get a significant portion of larger bits in the fines. I used to do that but I have given up on that.

I almost always have to sift everything. I want to know how much is going in that way if something goes wrong I can at least know I got the mix right.
Oh I can't stand perlite so I will not be sifting those fines :) I wore a couple masks but doesn't help with it not getting in my eyes. Not to mention the fine pieces that end up on the ground getting crunched on.

I finished sifting 3 bags of the bark through the 1/2" screen. Got anywhere from 3 gal to 5 gal of large waste. Still too damp to go through the insect screen but with the weather I don't see it drying out much. I will probably do it anyway because I'm too anxious get everything ready so not to rush last minute when I want to be planting my veggies and herbs.