I have been having zero success finding 1-2 CU FT sizes of Douglas fir bark chips in and around the Gainesville area. Has anyone had any luck in north-central FL? Buying $50-60 worth of Reptibark is a hard pill to swallow!
Bulk Fir Bark in Florida?
- Thread starter PA2019
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If you can find eucalyptus mulch, that's good too. The last time my tortoise partner was here he brought his super duper chipper/shredder with him and ground up a whole bunch of eucalyptus branches/leaves. I've been using the resultant mulch in the RF and Manouria sheds. It smells good and it repels insects. It doesn't mold.
Eucalyptus mulch isn't available to us folks here in the west, but it is available on the east coast. If you can't find fir bark, eucalyptus mulch is a good second choice.
Eucalyptus mulch isn't available to us folks here in the west, but it is available on the east coast. If you can't find fir bark, eucalyptus mulch is a good second choice.
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Do you not like cypress?
Thanks Yvonne. I was looking at secondary options, so I will keep eucalyptus mulch in mind.
Nope, I'm not against cypress mulch, I'm just not a fan of the environmental impact of harvesting it. Also, I just personally enjoy the look of fine grade fir bark, plus the hatchlings going into the tank will be very young (1-2 months) old, and I remember reading postings from Tom that fir bark works best with hatchlings.
@Tom, am I crazy or did you explain your reasoning for fine grade orchid bark over mulch somewhere?
Correction, Tom prefers packed coir for hatchling testudo's, and fir bark for other species.
"My preference for baby Testudo is damp coco coir that is hand packed and about 3-4". It is messy, but it does settle in after about 2 weeks.
Having said that, orchid bark would be my second choice for them. Orchid bark is my first choice for older larger Testudo, and all sizes of every other species."
"My preference for baby Testudo is damp coco coir that is hand packed and about 3-4". It is messy, but it does settle in after about 2 weeks.
Having said that, orchid bark would be my second choice for them. Orchid bark is my first choice for older larger Testudo, and all sizes of every other species."
Good news in case anyone in north-central/central FL region is looking for larger quantities of fine grade orchid bark. Tropical Plant Products in Orlando has 2CUft bags for $24 after tax. It's not $10 a bag, but a lot cheaper than Reptibark.
http://www.tropicalplantproducts.com/products/417-orchid-bark.aspx
http://www.tropicalplantproducts.com/products/417-orchid-bark.aspx
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