Obtaining and preparing orchid bark

Kapidolo Farms

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where are you anyways? If you live in the Canary Islands then yeah, I get it, not so easy to find, if you live anywhere in the US, give me your zip code and I can find your local source. Orchid people are all over the place and have solved the problem, just like us weirdos with tortoises weirdos with orchid are pretty good at sourcing these kinds of things.
 

lisa127

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NE Ohio
where are you anyways? If you live in the Canary Islands then yeah, I get it, not so easy to find, if you live anywhere in the US, give me your zip code and I can find your local source. Orchid people are all over the place and have solved the problem, just like us weirdos with tortoises weirdos with orchid are pretty good at sourcing these kinds of things.
I'm in the cleveland ohio area.
 

Stitchpunk

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Auckland New Zealand
Wow. I may not be able to get Mazuri or MVBs or ready built tortoise tables, but I guess I should be thankful I can get orchid bark easily! You can buy it at any hardware store here, or even supermarkets. But I'm getting mine from a specialist orchid nursery so I can get the fine grade stuff. $20 for a 50 litre bag. I wish there was some way to engineer an international trade system, I'd send orchid bark in exchange for Mazuri.
 

W Shaw

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Why would you need to change out all of your substrate every month?

Ronan's a messy eater. He drags bits of his food all over the enclosure. I spot clean his wastes, and pick up the obvious food bits, but after a month or so (I've only had him since the end of October), it just starts to look messy, and I also worry about his burrows. He digs a new one every night and another for his naps, and often pees in the burrow when he wakes up. I'm not always there to notice it, and if he bulldozes the burrow afterward, I may not notice it when I get home. So... I'm concerned about it being absorbed in the substrate & causing bacteria build -up and then having him burrowing in and breathing in substrate that's not clean. Is that not a concern? Gonna tag @Tom as well, since he weighed in on the same issue.
 

W Shaw

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Is this it, Tom?
http://m.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Time-2...u-ft-Dark-Brown-Bark-Pine-Bark-Mulch/3731889=

It says it has pine in it as well as fir. I thought pine was bad for tortoises? Or maybe I'm thinking of cedar? It's actually in stock near me, which is rare. Garden centers near me rarely have anything but fake/rubber mulch.

I'm a bit afraid of pine or cedar or any coniferous bark for any critter, but Tom swears the fir is safe, and I trust him, since he's raised so many critters. The pine still scares me, though.
 

W Shaw

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Nov 1, 2015
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where are you anyways? If you live in the Canary Islands then yeah, I get it, not so easy to find, if you live anywhere in the US, give me your zip code and I can find your local source. Orchid people are all over the place and have solved the problem, just like us weirdos with tortoises weirdos with orchid are pretty good at sourcing these kinds of things.

I'm in the Pacific NW, but in a rural area without easy access to cities. Most of the hardware stores and garden centers I called had no clue what it was, and asked me what it was used for. The local garden club didn't know what it was either, and when I explained, they suggested talking to a landscaper. Home Depot had no clue. True Value also had no clue but looked it up and said they couldn't get it. Lowes online doesn't have it, and the nearest Lowes to me in both directions can't get it, so my next step is to try one a couple of hours away when the passes are more reliable.
 

W Shaw

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No, I haven't, but I will!

I looked there. They have bulk fir bark, but not the fine grade. Pieces 1/2"-1". They also carry reptibark, but you have to spend $75 to get a break on the shipping.
 
M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
where are you anyways? If you live in the Canary Islands then yeah, I get it, not so easy to find, if you live anywhere in the US, give me your zip code and I can find your local source. Orchid people are all over the place and have solved the problem, just like us weirdos with tortoises weirdos with orchid are pretty good at sourcing these kinds of things.


Can't get it here 97330, that why I go to Yvonne's. She thinks I go to see her....tee hee
 
M

Maggie Cummings

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Oh one other thing, if you go to Lowe's or a big box store, ask them to order it the next time they order. They put it in with their order, hence, no shipping charges for you. That's how I get Mazuri....
 

Elohi

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I can only get fir bark around my area in small bags marketed for use in orchid care. It's really frustrating that it's those small bags for $6 a bag or bags of reptibark from Amazon for $20-$24 for a 24 quart bag. I can get super coarse cypress mulch in big bags for super cheap but it always has ants in it. :mad:
 

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