Osmocote Mix

[rudy]

Hi,

I bought a bag of Osmocote bonsai mix from Bunnings and it looks like sead raising mix, very fine. I compared to an old bag of Debco mix and the D
ebco is much coarser with gravel in it. I fon't think i will be using the osmocote mix. Has anyone had any experience with the osmocote stuff.

I would also like to find where to buy pine bark suitable to add to bonsai mixes but don't knowhere to get any, can someone help.

Cheers
Rudy

[Bougy Fan]

No experience with the potting mix. I am looking at buying some soft fall from a landscape supllies yard - it like small pieces pine bark. You want large particles of something to help with drainage and aeration.

[shibui]

We used to get 'superfine' pine bark for potting mix but the garden supply places cannot get it any more. Personally I use a good potting mix and learn to work with it. The companies put a lot of work into making sure the air filled porosity, pH, Water holding capacity, etc is right. Adding stuff can completely change the character of a good mix.
As you have discovered some mixes are quite fine- probably intended for short term use rather than bonsai. I know Debco produce some good mixes. Tub and Terracotta mix is pretty open with larger bits and I have used it for bonsai but higher end of price range -still you don't use much in bonsai pots.
For larger grow boxes most mixes are ok because larger containers drain better than shallow pots.

Coarse pine bark could be put through a shredder to produce smaller particles??

[bodhidharma]

There is a place in Ballarat that makes their own potting mix and it is very good. It is called Hortopine and i buy it bulk. I add scoria, zeolite and some organic fertiliser. I think you can buy pine nuggets from B@%%*(s. I have used this for about five years now and find it perfect for what i do.

[Phoenix238]

Picked up 2 bags of the Osmocote Bonsai Mix myself today, eager to know if anyone has used it

[Damian Bee]

Is there a smiley for "wouldn't touch it with a barge pole "

[shibui]

There is a place in Ballarat that makes their own potting mix and it is very good. It is called Hortopine and i buy it bulk. I add scoria, zeolite and some organic fertiliser. I think you can buy pine nuggets from B@%%*(s. I have used this for about five years now and find it perfect for what i do.

Thanks for that Hortopine tip Bodhi. I am currently using a bulk mix from Australian Native Landscapes. It suits what I do too but comes from Sydney. Ballarat would be much closer if I can work out transport. Do you know prices? Their website is a bit dodgy

[reddoggy]

Here is the link to the same question that I put on a few weeks ago,and nobody seemed to know much about it,but as I said before most of their other products are good,hope someone else can shed some light on the mix as I agree with you it looks like ground up peat moss with very little drainage qualities, but that is only my opinion.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=11655

[paddles]

I bought 2 bags of the osmocote, threw the one I opened into the compost heap (only use for it) and returned the other to buzzings with a few choice words... they informed me that people did not want to pay for the premium mixes and the osmocote was just as good... we will edit my reply here BULL.....

it is much too fine for any bonsai.

[cre8ivbonsai]

I bought 2 bags of the osmocote, threw the one I opened into the compost heap (only use for it) and returned the other to buzzings with a few choice words... they informed me that people did not want to pay for the premium mixes and the osmocote was just as good... we will edit my reply here BULL.....

it is much too fine for any bonsai.

I've found you can return almost anything, I wish sometimes you could return their 'advise'.

I take it BULL...... would probably work better as a potting substrate then

[Damian Bee]

Off the topic sort of but I bought 2 halogen work lamps from them, within 2 weeks both had s#€t themselves. I returnrned them dirt and all. When asked if I would like to swap I laughed and replied why? So I can waste more time/money returning them when they break again?
Back on track, the bottom line is that they would be getting a better wholesale deal from Debco. Debco really know their stuff
Back off track again, there you go, putting all your eggs in 1 basket with huge retail outlets.........

[Dario]

Hi Rudy, I know you are in Geelong but I get my pine bark from Biogro, they stock the Ausgro range.
Biogro are wholesale sellers so you must purchase a minimum of $100 worth of products (combined total). They stock many different Ausgro poting mix products...orchid mix, composted pine bark, mini nuggets (in a range of particle sizes), azalea and regular/premium potting mix etc, etc.
They are in Dandenong South but they may deliver?
http://biogro.com.au/index.php?page=retail
If you get the mini nuggets or other pine bark products be sure to give it a quick rinse to get rid of any dust etc.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Dario.

[bodhidharma]

Thanks for that Hortopine tip Bodhi

Sent you a pm on your blog.

[cre8ivbonsai]

Hi Rudy, I know you are in Geelong but I get my pine bark from Biogro, they stock the Ausgro range.
Biogro are wholesale sellers so you must purchase a minimum of $100 worth of products (combined total). They stock many different Ausgro poting mix products...orchid mix, composted pine bark, mini nuggets (in a range of particle sizes), azalea and regular/premium potting mix etc, etc.
They are in Dandenong South but they may deliver?
http://biogro.com.au/index.php?page=retail
If you get the mini nuggets or other pine bark products be sure to give it a quick rinse to get rid of any dust etc.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Dario.

Hi Dario I picked up some Aus Grow orchird mini nuggets at Collectors corner (big bags 30Lt? are out in the Cactus garden) on Sunday, probably paid premium rates but its too hard for me to get anywhere during the week, but, once I sieved out the fines (good seed raising mix) the rest is a very worthy addition to my mix - very proportionate in size to accompany the graded diatomite, akadama, granite and scoria, gives the mix a bit more of a softer balance and stop it being quite as free draining.

Thanks for the Bio Grow link so I knew what product I was looking for

Cheers,
Ryan

[squizzy]

The first thing i would say is the osmocote mix is rubbish. On another note. A lot of you are referring to using pine bark in your mix. Some one more experienced with soil science may know but I was always lead to believe if you use pine bark when it has not been composted you get what is referred to as nitrogen draw down. What that means basically is that as the pine bark composts within your mix it draws the nitrogen from your fertilizer to aid the process of breaking down. This means the plants have less access to the nitrogen. Might be worth looking at this? I sieve a product from ANL called composted Hort bark. This means the composting process is partly finished thus having less nitrogen drawdown.

Now someone with a degree in soil science should step in and explain that better or correctly.

Cheers

Squizz