Questions on bark

[rbarata]

I also use bark as the main material for the mediums. Depending on the effct I need for a particular plant, I complement with other materials (sphagnum, perlite, cork chips, leka, coconut chips, etc, etc)

[greenpassion]

I am currently using Orchiata, large chunk mixed wit extra large, with good success after following Ray's advice about the pre treatment with very hot water.
I do agree though about the size issue. The 'medium' size seems to me to be actually small, and would be better for Oncs more so than phlas.

[ArronOB]

I’m always a bit conflicted about the water holding properties of media.

As I grow in a concrete floored shadehouse, if My plants need more water I just set the watering system to run more often. Why would someone in that position want the bark to retain water? It seems to me that water flowing through frequently is a lot better then water that hangs around in the pot for a few days. Lots of flushing and less chance for moisture-loving pathogens to flourish.

I guess we are fortunate that our water is good, and it’s cheap, and watering is not a big chore. I realise growing inside may be different.

In my situation I think the unmodified bark would be best, there being no need to develop a water-holding outer layer which seems to be a focus of brands like Orchiata. So it’s just a matter of dealing with pathogens and (possibly but unlikely) with resin. The talk about removing unspecified ‘toxins’ I’m happy to class as just marketing nonsense.

Am I missing something in my thinking ?

[Arizona Jeanie]

Here's a link to some specifics about how bark can go bad:
Sour Mulch | Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment UMass Amherst

You can hunt down the references to get even more detail. Sounds like it's not entirely urban legend, but maybe over-simplified in some of the literature.

[Anglo]

Originally Posted by Ray

You can improve the water-holding capacity of bark with a little pretreatment:

Before use, pour a small amount of very hot or boiling water on it. Not a soak, but enough to wet it completely. Wait 15-30 minutes and repeat.

If you're dealing with bark already in use, water the daylights out of it, wait, and repeat.

The next time I use it, I'll try the boiling water procedure before repotting.