Which is why it's so much easier, cheaper & faster to do 50/50 C&S mix combined w/ either perlite or pumice.

Works just as well for many of us w/out all the extra headaches.

Screen the bark. Reptibark is too large, on average, for Gritty Mix.

Josh

Lmontestella,

thanks for the good advice but I'm at the point of no return. Five giant heavy SACKS of otherwise unusable gravel, fired clay and tree bark has to somehow find its way into the pots of my plants....

Hi,

I use reptibark when I can't be bothered to go the nursery and her bark fines. What I do: if the plant is already well established, I use the bark as is with the biggest pieces of coarse perlite. I sift the perlite first to get the huge pieces. The plants I put in this particular mix are the ones that have done the best.

Option b: if the plant has little roots or a few roots, I sift through the reptibark, as Josh suggests, and get the smaller pieces. It can be kind of frustrating if you end up with a bag that doesn't have many smaller pieces, but it usually works out okay.

the best option, imo, is to buy bark fines. They are not too costly and they make your life sooooo much easier.

hth

Thanks Lauren and Greenman.

I'm trying to avoid screening and sifting due to space and dust issues, so you're right that I should just buy the right size fines - but that's the problem - citylife has its limitations. I can't find them except for tiny bags online that cost a fortune and I have a whole bunch of large plants.

i just found this on amazon - price seems too good to be true for the perfect size. Pine bark that apparently has been heated to be aged?? So can you tell me if this so-called Deep Jungle Bark (pine) would work for gritty?

Thanks much for your time and help

marie

Description

Deep Jungle Bark 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch - 24 quarts.Stable and pH adjusted medium does not accumulate unwanted salts; temperatures exceed 150ºF during the aging process, so pathogens cannot grow and any present are killed; natural colonies of beneficial micro-organisms flourish; aging removes waxes from surface of bark chip, allowing Deep Jungle Bark to hold water & nutrients on outer surface; unlike fresh bark, Deep Jungle Bark's aged surface provides instant & consistent rewetting; excellent delivery of water & nutrients from day

About this item

Features

• Deep Jungle Bark 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch - 24 quarts
• Use for pet habitat substrate AND/OR for growing orchids. Deep Jungle Bark is naturally decorative, washable, and reusable.
• Deep Jungle Bark gives consistent hydration, an ideal wet/dry cycle and provides excellent longevity.
• What makes Deep Jungle Bark unique is the proprietary aging process which results in superior performance when compared to raw pine bark. The aging process destroys pathogenic micro-organisms while at the same time promoting the formation of beneficial organisms such as Penicillium and Trichoderma.
• Deep Jungle Bark is a sustainable growing medium produced from the finest quality, 100% pure New Zealand Pinus radiata bark. Pinus radiata is sourced from renewable, man-made forests ensuring availability into the future.