#Pine straw free#

If you apply them in an exposed area, you’ll probably have to rake them back into the garden after big wind storms. But mulch that deep may not work around short plants.Īlso, pine needles are easily blown around. Like any garden mulch, pine needles create a protective layer that insulates plants, keeps the ground moist, enriches the soil and blocks weed growth. Because they’re so light, you need a layer at least 3 to 4 inches thick to keep weeds from germinating. Pine straw is an organic mulch made from fallen pine needles, explains Mary Jane Duford, founder of the beginner gardening blog Home for the Harvest. Pine needles do have their shortcomings, which are the flip side of their virtues. That same trick also helps lawns thrive under needle-dropping trees. The tight bales mean that one bale is guaranteed to.

#Pine straw free#

Pine Straw can help improve soil conditions. Our Pine Straw is hand-raked and hand-baled, this pine straw is free of debris, pine cones, and dirt. Compost helps buffer the needles’ acidity. Compressed Pine Straw, available in bales, can be used as an alternative to mulch, and offers similar benefits. While these plants will love the acidity of pine straw, they may prefer a gentler mulch to prevent their roots from burning. Consider those gorgeous azaleas, hydrangeas, or even blueberries in your garden. The fire quickly spread to surrounding homes. Pine straw is very acidic, while mulch is less of a threat to sensitive plants. So If you've got a choice, you've got lots of pine trees in your area, pine straw is a very good option. It doesn't wash away, and it cools the soil. If you do have plants that don’t like acid soil, apply a thin layer of compost before you put down the needles. This past July, a grill containing embers from a previous fire tipped over and ignited pine straw around the grill. Pine Straw falls from pine trees, people pick this up, they make it into bales. Besides, with all those pine trees on your property, your soils are sure to be on the acid side already. You’d have to actively work the needles into the soil for them to have any real effect on its pH. While the needles are acidic-they have a pH of around 3.5-they become more neutral as they break down. That concern is largely misplaced, however. This is because the pine straw creates a barrier between the soil and the weed seeds. Pine straw also helps to prevent weeds from growing. The biggest knock against pine needles is that they will lower the pH of the soil, making it too acid for plants to grow. It helps to keep moisture in the soil, which is essential for plant growth. Even better, in your case, they’re free for the raking. Longleaf pine straw is best to sell because longleaf pine trees have very long needles. They are light and fluffy, so spreading them around is a piece of cake, and they don’t compact much as they decompose, so you don’t have to worry about them becoming too thick or forming a rain-impervious mat. Pine straw is the thick layer of needles dropped from pine trees. Pine needles, also known as pine straw, make fine mulch for some flower beds. Mary Ann Carpentieri, Warwick, RI Pine Needles Can Work as Mulch This information is intended as a helpful resource for. Can I use the needles as mulch around flowers? GFC maintains a list of businesses that produce pine straw for commercial and residential use. I have a stand of white pines that seem to always be dropping needles.