Hardwood Bark as a Growing Media for Container Grown Ornamentals

The utilization of hardwood bark as a soil amendment for growth of both herbaceous and woody ornamental plants in containers was evaluated. These studies compared bark amended soils with peat moss amended soils. The studies indicated that standard procedures used with peat amended soils do not work with bark mixtures. Plants grown in hardwood bark mixtures were shown to require considerable nitrogen incorporation at time of mixing to compensate for rapid tie-up of this element by microbial activity. Limestone additions caused the hardwood media of bark and soil to raise to a pH of 8 and bark:soil media always gave a. higher pH than peat:soil media with the same amount of lime added. If proper amendments were added, plants grew as well in hardwood bark:soil media as in peat moss:soil media.

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