production, because it directly affects the availability of water and nutrients to the plant. Materials such as aged pine bark, coconut coir, compost, peatmoss, perlite, sand, vermiculite, and wood byproducts (e.g., sawdust, composted pine bark) can
and Hartenstein, 1981 ). During the process, earthworms and microorganisms stabilize organic waste in an aerobic, moist, nonthermophillic environment ( Sylvia et al., 2005 ). The resulting product has been successfully marketed as a pine bark amendment
perlite, coir, and aged pine bark, may also highlight some of the potential advantages and disadvantages of these materials. The first objective was to evaluate the physical properties and N immobilization rate for four pine wood components. The second
composed of 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100% RH3 or peat with the remainder of the volume being perlite, PBH, or 1-cm diameter screened aged pine bark. The substrate components were blended in a rotary mixer for 1 min at 50 rpm. The substrate TPS, AFP, WHC, BD
Pine bark (PB) and peatmoss are the two most common substrate components currently used for horticultural crop production in the southeastern United States. The availability and cost of PB remain unpredictable due to reduced forestry production and
a composted pine bark media consisting of equal parts composted pine bark, sphagnum peat, and rice hulls and amended with iron sulfate (0.22 kg·m −3 ) and Micromax (The Scotts Co.) micronutrients (0.68 kg·m −3 ). Plants received an initial nutrient
, OR) for 3 s and a single cutting was inserted into each container (2.5-inch diameter, SVD250; T.O. Plastics, Clearwater, MN) filled with a 100% pine bark substrate amended with 6 lb/yard 3 18N–2.6P–6.6K controlled-release fertilizer (Nutricote 18
nitrification ( Prosser, 1989 ). This heterotrophic pathway is thought to occur in some acid forest soils ( Brierley and Wood, 2001 ; Lang and Jagnow, 1986 ). Nitrification has been verified in peat ( Elliott, 1986 ) and pine bark ( Niemiera and Wright, 1986b
( Darnell and Hiss, 2006 ). To grow cultivated blueberry, including SHB, on typical agricultural soils (i.e., higher pH and lower organic matter), soil amendments are required. In the southeastern United States, pine bark beds or pine bark incorporated into
.64P–9.96K controlled-release fertilizer (8-month, Polyon®; Pursell Industries, Sylacauga, AL). Calcined clay is a mineral substrate that is well-drained and similar to a sandy soil. Pine bark:peat is an organic substrate that is water retaining and