Orchiata Orchid Bark,Orchid Bark for Plants 100% Pure New Zealand Pinus Radiata,Power 3/8'' to 1/2'' Organic Potting Orchid Bark for Aeration and Longevity

The best bark for growing orchids. Larger bags at a better price is available at other stores.

This is high quality orchiata bark for sure. It doesn’t break down quickly which is a good sign. I will say often don’t order this small of a size but it works just fine in my mixes. I grow mostly outdoor and mostly cattleya and dendrobium. What I like too is that this bark comes very dry where as others I get from the big box will often be moist. I think that’s a big factor in how long it takes for this to decay.All in all it’s good bark but I just use it sparingly because it’s about twice the price of the other barks I use. I save this for my favorite plants or the ones that tend to be fussy when repotted so I can lessen the frequency.

This is the stuff you want if you're potting up small orchids. It's 3/8th to 1/2 inch. In the photo, the pot size is 3" for reference. The bark is small enough to be able to work around the roots in a little pot. Pieces are irregular in shape, creating air pockets for the roots to grow into. Orchiata lasts a long time on the self as long as it's dry. I rinse it and then soak it overnight before I use it.From this seller, I got a full bag, factory sealed, no leaks or rips in the packaging. It was over-wrapped with plastic for extra protection. The bark inside was fresh looking and smelling, not broken down. My old bag was a different design from a couple years ago, so I know this was fresher stock that what I had been using.

Currently and during my time as an orchid grower, over forty years, my conclusion has been that Orchiata bark is the best overall orchid potting medium available.

The bag that this bark comes in is perforated - there are small cuts throughout the plastic bag. So strange. It arrived like a Peanuts character, with a cloud of dirt sifting from the outer box. The bark itself seems good, after much rinsing.

Ordered this to replace the orchid bark I ordered from another brand that had gone sour upon arrival. There are tiny holes throughout the packaging so the pieces aren't kept too moist all the time. The pieces are also pretty consistent in size. Also appreciate the smaller quantity available.

Perfect

I opened this box with Orchiata Orchid Bark in my carpeted living room. Huge mistake! If you order this do not order anything else that might get shipped in the same box with it. My other item was covered in dusty dirt but luckily it was something that could be washed off.The bag says to rinse before using. At first I emptied the whole bag into a large bowl and filled it with water thinking that would work. The bark floated of course. I left it for a couple of hours hoping it would soak up some of the water and then could rinse it off. Three hours later it was still floating but I was able to push it down some and start rinsing. After at least 4 rinses and water changes I gave up as the water was just as dirty as when I started. I got out the strainer and used the kitchen sprayer doing small batches at a time. This worked getting most of dust and dirt washed off. I put it all back in the large bowl with some fresh water and let it soak overnight to use for planting with the next day.I was able to pot up 3 small orchids (4.8" pots) and have enough left to plant at least 2 more of that size. While I was not happy with all the mess in the box and all the rinsing and washing it took to get this usable it worked very well for planting up some small orchids. The orchids have been in the new pots with this Orchiata Orchid Bark for about 2 weeks now and are doing very well. I would use this bark again if it wasn't for all the mess it made and time it took to rinse and clean it. I will try another brand next time. Giving 3 stars though as my orchids are doing well with it.