Linda,

Are you saying that you root them in this mix or that you pot them up in this mix or both? I bet you can find another brand of pine fines. What kind of top soil do you use? I propagate a lot of plants also and the stuff I use to pot them up in, Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil, seems like the formula has changed. It seems less airy now and some potted up cuttings die, I think from lack of oxygen. I am adding perlite to it. Might try pine fines.

Lowe's has a potting mix from Sta-Green that is cheap and works great for potting up cuttings. I root a lot of stuff in water, so I need something light. I add 1 part perlite to 6 parts soil and my cuttings take off like mad. You don't have to use the perlite, though, because it has tiny bits of bark in it. I add perlite as needed and use this potting mix for everything. I believe Silvia said she uses it too. I even mix it 50/50 with perlite for my succulents.

Some walmart stores carry what you're looking for, call ahead to make sure they have it in stock, pine bark fines in a purple bag, called pine bark mulch costs $3 per 2 cubic ft bag bag. If you find it, I suggest you stock up as this item is usually hard to find.

go to homedepot and use soil conditioner if possible. I just bought some last month. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Timberline-1-5-cu-ft-Soil-Conditioner-50055100/20373

Your homedepot may not have it, but maybe they have something similar.

The big box stores around my area do not carry pine fines anymore, they used to few years back

If I needed, I get a few bags from Bolling, they have a few places, I don't know if any is in your area.

D, you are right one of the bagged soil that I use in my garden is Sta- Green.

Yes, Ben, it is the Timberline pine mulch I have been using. I can no longer find it anywhere. I even went to Timberline.com and they don't even list as a current product. I was using 2cf mulch mixed with 1cf topsoil in a big garbage can. It worked out perfectly and was only$5 ---or less if I found open bags that were marked down. I would take a bunch of cuttings and stick them in a big pot. After a couple of months they rooted and I would put 3 plantlets in a small pot and give them some fertilizer. Then it was just maintaining the plants until I gave them to my garden club for our plant sales. I really enjoy propagating plants and then I get to work the sale and talk all about plants for the weekend. The plants do very well in this mix for a year or so. It is not meant to be the perfect light and fluffy potting soil. It is cheap. And that's where I am at a loss as to what to use for the hundreds of plants I am creating to donate to my garden club. I am looking for another cheap mix!

Linda Leaf

Hi Linda, I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the link I shared, but the soil conditioner I bought is basically pine bark fines. Unfortunately it has some sapwood in it, but it's what I'm using for my 5:1:1 mix. Might be a new marketing ploy for them.

Linda, you are in south Fla...yes? there is a commercial place in Boynton Beach that has every type of soil and soil mix that you can think of. They carry all types of pine bark as well. The only draw back for a small operator is that they have a 3 cubic yard minimum on any of their products or mixes. They supply the bulk of the commercial nurseries in south fla and can mix any of their items to your hearts content. If you have space and a friend with a full size pickup you may be ok.

http://www.atlaspeatandsoil.com/

Another option is to find a local "bushel stop" (landscape supplier) location and see if they carry pine bark fines and if not whether they can order some for you and they can deliver for a fee.

BTW, timberline products are erratic in their supply chain. I used to get their cow manure bags at walmart and most of the times they were out. I think the mills are piling up their supply to unload them in one shot. SPeak to a garden manager at walmart and they will confirm my story and ask them they believe the items will be available again.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I guess I will be using the cheapest potting soil I can find, probably StaGreen. There is no Bushel Stop on the West coast of Florida, so I am out of luck there. I will be looking for my purple bag of pine mulch everywhere I shop.

Linda Leaf

In zone 10, just use any potting mix to start cuttings. They will be repotted by whoever takes them. I never go crazy with cuttings. They root in almost anything in zone 10.

Linda, I have found that the FloriMulch brand usually has enough fine stuff in it to us as a soil amendment, It is ground up melaleuca trees, so its not just bark. I don't know if that matters.

Cuttings rot easily for me outdoors this time of year with all the rain and high humidity if potted in very moisture rententive soil. And I live on the coast where it doesn't rain daily during the rainy season the way it does instate. It rains instead about every three days. I can't use miracle grow because it holds way too much moisture. I've used my very sandy native soil in pots though with great success. And it's free. It holds just enough moisture. I have a plant swap coming up this weekend where I'm bringing Jasmine, blue butterfly Clerodendrum, candelabra bush, jatropha, angels trumpet, and others rooted in pots with just native soil, under dappled shade and watered by just the rain.

In S.C., Lowes now sells "pine bark mini nuggets" by Evergreen. https://tinyurl.com/yxkhevfo Mixed with a little sand, they work pretty well for most things early in the year. In the heat of the summer you might mix in a little potting soil, vermiculite, compost, etc. to help hold the moisture.

Thanks Terry for your reply. I can get mini nuggets in Florida. It is the pine fines I am looking for. It is shredded pine bark. Our summers here are hot and very wet so my soil needs to be fast draining. That is why the fines work so well for me.