Bark and wood fiber growing medium

1. A growing mix comprising:

about 5 to about 70 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing mix;

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing mix; and

additional component(s) including macronutrients and mineral(s),

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14:1 to 31:1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39:1 to 56:1.

2. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size 0.15-0.29 mm such that the first portion or the second portion is greater than the third portion.

3. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the first and second portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing mix.

4. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.15-0.29 mm such that the first portion is at least 3 weight % of the growing mix greater than the third portion.

5. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

6. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 60 to about 65 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 35 to about 40 weight % fibrous wood components.

7. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 5 to about 10 weight % fibrous tree bark.

8. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 8 to about 15 weight % fibrous tree bark.

9. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 45 to about 50 weight % fibrous wood components.

10. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 40 to about 60 weight % fibrous wood components.

11. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 1 to about 15 wt. % of the additional components.

12. The growing mix of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of micronutrient(s), fertilizer(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.

13. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the growing mix further comprises a surfactant.

14. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous tree bark is pine bark.

15. The growing mix of claim 1 , wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips, wood fiber, or both.

16. A growing medium comprising:

about 70 to about 90 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing medium;

about 10 to about 30 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium; and

about 1 to about 15 weight % additional component(s) including at least one of macronutrient(s), mineral(s), chemical binder(s), interlocking manmade fiber(s), natural gum(s), soil, or surfactant,

wherein at least about 10 weight % of the fibers, based on the total weight of the growing medium, have an average length to width ratio of at least about 9.

17. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the growing medium comprises at least about 30 weight % more of the first portion than the second portion.

18. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm, the third portion being greater in weight % of the growing medium than the second portion.

19. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first and third portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing medium.

20. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

21. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises about 75 to about 85 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 15 to about 25 weight % fibrous wood components.

22. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises less than about 10 wt. % of the additional components.

23. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises the surfactant.

24. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the fibrous tree bark is pine bark.

25. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips, wood fiber, or both.

26. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the growing medium comprises the interlocking manmade fiber(s).

27. The growing medium of claim 16 , wherein the soil is present in the growing medium in the amount of about 15 weight % or less of the total weight of the growing medium.

28. A growing medium comprising:

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous tree bark, based on the total weight of the growing medium; and

about 20 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium,

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing medium, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14:1 to 31:1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing medium, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39:1 to 56:1 such that the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 96.11 kg/m 3 or less.

29. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium has a dry bulk density of about 32.04 kg/m 3 or less.

30. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises about 20 to about 40 weight % fibrous tree bark and about 60 to about 80 weight % fibrous wood components.

31. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the growing medium comprises at least about 30 weight % more of the first portion than the second portion.

32. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm, the third portion being greater in weight % of the growing medium than the second portion.

33. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first and third portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing medium.

34. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size larger than #16.

35. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the growing medium comprises less than about 15 wt. % of the additional components.

36. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the fibrous tree bark comprises pine tree bark.

37. The growing medium of claim 28 , wherein the fibrous wood components comprise wood chips.

38. A growing mix comprising:

substantially bark free growing medium having fibrous pine wood components; and

man-made fiber(s),

wherein about 10 to about 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 14:1 to 31:1 and about 10 to 80 weight % of the growing mix, based on the total weight of the growing mix, comprises fibers having an average length to width ratio of about 39:1 to 56:1.

39. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 1 to 15 weight % of the man-made fiber(s) based on the total weight of the growing mix.

40. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 85 to 99 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing mix.

41. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises about 90 to 95 weight % of the growing medium, based on the total weight of the growing mix.

42. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that the first portion or the second portion is greater than the third portion.

43. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm and a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm such that the first and second portions collectively form more than 25 weight % of the growing mix.

44. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises a first portion having a particle size of 0.3-0.7 mm, a second portion having a particle size of 2.36-4.74 mm, and a third portion having a particle size of 0.71-1.17 mm such that a weight difference between the first and third portions is less than 5 weight %.

45. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing mix comprises less than 30 weight % of particles having a sieve size smaller than #50.

46. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the fibrous pine wood components comprise wood chips.

47. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing medium includes about 100 weight % of wood components, based on the total weight of the growing medium.

48. The growing mix of claim 38 , wherein the growing medium further includes at least one of micronutrient(s), fertilizer(s), chemical binder(s), natural gum(s), manmade fiber(s), soil, or seed.