Pine Needles Make Excellent Mulch

10/23/2019

Pine needles make excellent mulch. So much so that a new creation called pine straw mulch has come out as excellent mulch for areas bared to heavy rain. It's lightweight and affordable. Instead of washing away, it unites to create a protective mat. Among the numerous mulch types, pine needles are a top choice for the residential landscape.

Benefits of Using Pine Needle Mulch

There are several reasons to use pine needle or pine straw mulch. These include:

Weed prevention: With mulch, a thick layer of pine needles destroys the weeds. Many weed seeds necessitate light to sprout. Mulch stops such seeds from growing. Also, it prevents wind-borne seeds from growing since it creates a barrier between the seed and soil.

Water conservation: Pine needles materialize into a wide, protective mat during heavy storms. This lets moisture penetrate the pine needles but halts erosion, keeping water where it's needed close to the surface roots. Also, they lessen rainwater runoff and make a good mulch for hillsides.

Enhances the soil: Pine needles break down and add organic material to the soil. Also, they aerate the soil and strengthen drainage as they crumble. Also, pine straw mulch can aid in regulating the temperature of the soil.

Just maintaining the soil a couple of degrees above freezing for a couple of days longer in autumn can lengthen the growing season. Unlike bark mulches, pine needle mulch doesn’t deliver excessive minerals to the soil. Some hardwood mulches could add too much calcium and other minerals to the ground.

Environmentally sound: Pine trees drop their needles yearly, creating a thick carpet on the forest ground. To grow and produce pine mulch, the needles are raked, collected, processed, and bagged. Trees don’t have to be chopped down or put through a chipper as is when making wood chips, hardwood mulch, or pine bark nuggets.

Trees can continue to thrive for many years. The trees might at some point be harvested, but arborists get more years of development out of from them. Also, pine mulch breaks down slower than other mulches. So, your investment lasts longer than bark mulches or standard hardwood.