Oh my God...That large??? Now worries though if you don't mind watering a few times a day..You could grow anything without any mix at all, if the roots got constant water...They call this 'hydroponically'..

But, if I were you, I would either shred that bark a lot smaller with a lawn mower, or find bark much smaller, no bigger than 1/8 to 1/4 inch...It is the very small repti-bark...Do you have any sources for pine bark?

Hi Mike,

I don't have a lawn mower, so I have no way of reducing the size. Could I just mix through some potting mix? I was in the pet store last night (coincidentally I needed new substrate for my beardy) and they have a reptile bark made from chipped coconut that would probably be in the size range that you listed, would that work? The only pine bark that I could see was what I have (the red dye washes straight off, it's now a dull red), and that's why I assumed it would be alright. I looked online for reptibark and to buy and ship it to Australia would cost me $100 for a smallish bag. I'm looking on reptile forums to see if they have any ideas on where to get it cheaper. It's only just getting warmer here (in the 60'sF today and I'm wearing a sweater hahaha) and I don't want to spend all day watering plants :P

Hello..Let me see if I can help you locate what's good..I have a friend there, actually a member here that I keep in touch with. Let me see if I can get his attention since he grows in pots too..I'll try and I will be back tomorrow)

I don't know what to tell you...those chunks do look awfully large.

I would also be quite concerned about the red dye as well. I don't think that's meant for for food crops.

What type of wood do you have locally that is similar to pine or fir? That's what you would want to find in the right size. I think the size you would be aiming for would be like fingernail sized (that's a good comparison would you say guys?)

Landscape supply places would be good to check as well.

Bonsai clubs would also be a good source to check. They use similar materials. I think orchid media could maybe be used in a pinch...

Yep...Hobby is right. Totally agree.

School holidays start on Friday and I will finally have a break from all my marking :P I've set aside a day where I will visit every nursery and pet shop I can until I find the smaller pieces.

Is chipped coconut shell ok, or is an actual wood better?

The bark I am currently using had on the bag that it was great to use in vegetable gardens and fruiting trees and shrubs so I assumed that the dye isn't too bad. I hope it isn't :/

My trees have a flush of flowers on them, is it a problem that I repot them (I know they aren't in an ideal mix right now)? Will the flowers and the repotting stress them out too much?

Sorry for all the questions!! I just feel like I need to give extra love to my plants now and I don't want to accidentally hurt them further :(

Thanks Mike!!! I have found two suppliers (one a hydroponics store and the other a plastics store that also sells custom pots!!!) about 20 mins from my house!!! I will be calling both places this afternoon to see if they have any in stock and will pick some up on the weekend to pot up my little plants :) Thanks again for your help and direction!! I'll post pictures of my happy little campers when they are all potted up!!!

Yes, it is imperative that you re-pot those plants!

The main issue, other than the size and dye, is that you have a wood product, NOT bark. As Mike said, wood will decompose rapidly causing a few things to happen: collapse of the mix, nitrogen binding, and potential heat spikes (less likely). I see that you've found a source for Orchiata, which is an excellent bark.

Josh

I believe the red wood chips shown in Trina post are not colored with a red dye, but rather they are colored using red iron oxide, and should be completely safe to her tree. Very commonly used in mulches. - Silica