SurfGirl wrote:

So I understand that pine bark can be used
to make home compost or add it to the regular
or home-made compost, but not as a single fertilizer.

For gardening pine bark is primarily used as a weed blocking mulch,
because it decays so very slowly and does not support plant life. Pine
bark is not a fertilizing agent as it contains very little plant
nutrients. Pine bark decays much too slowly for adding to compost
piles, and in fact pine bark repels microbes, insects, and worms...
pine bark, because of its high resin content, acts in gardens like
moth balls in closets. You'd no more want to add pine bark to compost
as you'd want to add aromatic cedar... 20 years later the pine bark
would still be in the same condition as the day it was added, only it
will turn gray. Pine bark is sold at plant nurserys in variouly sized
nuggets and shredded, it's meant for use as a weed blocking mulch
only, it is NOT a soil amendment.