Fir bark vs pine bark—your experiences!

[greenhouseFrog]

Curious to hear opinions developed from experience with either! In my immediate area, Orchiata reigns supreme as the choice amongst the most serious of hobbyists that grow in media, but fir seems to be the most widely available for pickup in-person.

I’ve read that fir may hold moisture a bit better than the radiata, yet the radiata may last longer because of antimicrobial properties inherent to the bark, but I’m sure there are more nuanced differences!

What have your experiences been like?

Thanks in advance!

[estación seca]

It depends on how well and how fast plants grow for you. Fir rarely lasts longer than 2 years. If you repot every 2 years it's fine.

[Dimples]

I use Kiwi bark (pine) for my orchids. Lasts forever. It looks new after a year of use. It’s wild. I use fir as an ingredient in the potting soil mix I make for my other houseplants. It also lasts quite awhile, but gets soft a lot faster. Comparing the two does feel a bit like comparing my late 2000s Corolla to a self-driving Jaguar taxi.