pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden

A 6- to 8-inch layer of hay or straw provides good annual weed control. Needles breakdown slower than other organic mulch options and they turn a silver/gray color as they age. It may look light and fluffy, but those needles are sharp! Here are the two types of mulches you can use in your garden, and examples of each type: Organic mulches are made from plant materials such as bark , leaves or needles, grass clippings, or compost. However, in limited quantity, clippings will decompose rapidly and provide an extra dose of nitrogen to growing plants, as well as making fine humus. Readily available from sawmills, it tends to be inexpensive. Shake and toss pine straw the way you would regular straw, so it forms a fluffy layer. Here are some of the reasons for using pines needles in wide-row edible gardens. Thanks so much for any information. Since I don't mulch seed beds and use pine straw only in established beds, retardation of germination is a good thing. Use them in a thick layer on a hill for mulch – they won’t tend to blow away or be washed away like other mulches. When you’re using organic mulch, you want to make sure you order enough to spread around. Hay Mulch in the Garden. But if you can get your hands on some, whether commercial product or your neighbor’s surplus, pine straw makes excellent and inexpensive mulch. Mulch that is too deep keeps the soil too wet, causes disease, rots the roots and attracts rodents and other pests. Be sure to take these aspects into consideration as well. However, eventually needles will breakdown and enrich garden soil. Black plastic is easy to obtain, but is fairly expensive. Personally, I never used any type of mulch in my vegetable garden until this year, and now I swear by it. We usually use bark mulch here in the mountains of Arizona to help during the warm wether. Equivalent to two square bales, you can avoid busted bales with this convenient bag that is easy to store and carry. These materials decompose quickly and must be replenished to keep down weeds. Several other nut trees also produce small quantities of juglone, and problems with sensitive plants are seldom seen even when growing under those tree canopies. Joey talk about the myth that you can not use Pine needles as mulch Have a garden question send it. Pine needles, especially longer ones, tend to “knit” themselves together. Terpenes are chemical molecules said to retard germination and new growth. A 2- to 3-inch layer of compost is a fair weed control. They moderate soil temperature in summer and prevent winter soils from freezing and heaving roots from the ground. Avoid hay that is full of weed seed and brambles. As winter protection. Inorganic mulches are made from man-made materials such as black plastic or newspaper. Both can contain fungus, but it seems more prevalent in hardwood mulches than pine needles. https://wattersgardencenter.com/pine-needles-bad-for-our-gardens/. Would you recommend pine straw as a mulch for my artichoke bed? Build up the layer gradually, using dry grass. Fresh legume hay, such as alfalfa, supplies nitrogen as it quickly breaks down. A new type of black plastic has recently come onto the market which has a white, reflective side to prevent the overheating problems experienced with solid black plastic. Each pine straw bale covers 120 square feet of your yard, flowerbeds, farm, or garden. They allow irrigation and light rains to get through to the soil, rather than washing to the bottom of the slope and carrying away precious topsoil. For any application where you would use wood chip mulch, you can replace about 8-10 bags of mulch with just one (1) pine straw bale. Gutter guards protect my rain gutters, but I still have piles of needles on the ground. Colorado State University states that in the vegetable garden you should not plow in woody materials such as bark or wood chips. Pine straw is often recommended for slopes and hillsides. We all know that nothing is perfect, including pine straw mulch. Low Cost: Pine needles are easier to place in the beds and also cost about ½ as much as mulch. While walnut roots and hulls cause most of the problems, the leaves also contain smaller quantities. Pine trees drop lots of needles, especially those 50-foot giants! What is to be done with all these needles??? Stop by the Garden Center and pick up a bag or two. Pine needles are a renewable resource. Not true. That alone has sold me on the importance of using mulch. Pine needles: Best as a winter mulch for ornamental beds and shrubs, and excellent for acid-loving ornamentals and small fruits. A huge pine tree fell down and it is loaded with needles. Required fields are marked *, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road These same traits make pine cones suitable for mulch or compost in your home landscaping if you like the look of pine cones. While pine needles don't break down as fast as some other types of organic mulch, they still break down. Prescott, AZ 86305. Veggies and Herbs Many vegetables and herbs thrive in the acid-rich soil conditions created by pine needle mulch. 5. If it does not cover the soil fully, you still will have some weeds, and weeding in pine straw is not particularly pleasant. © 2017 Carbon Media Group Agriculture Yes, most garden books recommend a 2-3 inch layer around vegetable plants:). The Best Mulches To Use In The Vegetable Garden : Veggie Gardener « Rapidshare, Tweets that mention The Best Mulches To Use In The Vegetable Garden : Veggie Gardener -- Topsy.com, Grow A Living Mulch In Your Vegetable Garden – DIYFix.org. Pine straw, an organic mulch alternative to wood mulch, is the fallen needles from the base of pine trees that is collected and sold in bales. The shape and rigidity of the needles also helps the mulch stay put during high winds and steady rains. Until next week, I’ll see you at Watters Garden Center. I have a weed barrier in place around vegetable plants..do you recommend pine straw, hay, or pea gravel for covering? Pine straw is simply the dropped dry foliage from pine trees. Avoid mulching any garden bed too deeply. Once pine needles settle, very few float away in heavy rain. It's inexpensive, lightweight, and instead of washing away as other mulches do, it knits together to form a protective mat. This will ensure that your trees remain moist, while reducing native weeds and infestations of bark beetles. It may cause soil temperatures to rise too much in mid-summer, damaging the roots of plants unless a good foliage cover or organic mulch prevents direct absorption of sunlight. One year I ran out of wood chips and decided to try hay. Pine trees need some needles at their bases to protect their health. A 1 1/2- to 3-inch layer of pine needles … Pine needle straw mulch improves the soil. Posted on July 3, 2009 by Admin in Vegetable Gardening Tips // 6 Comments. Leaves are a highly recommended vegetable gardening mulch. After reading this column you just may want to strike a deal with a friend who owns several large pine trees. Just remember that a 2” layer settles down to a layer of about 1” inch. Can I use pine needles in an ASPARAGUS bed? Mulches perform many duties in the garden by suppressing weeds, controlling water runoff, helping to control some garden pests, and also by creating a more attractive garden space. Email Gardentalkradio@gmail.com The mulch conserves soil moisture because it reduces daily evaporation. Since the needles themselves lean toward being acidic, it would seem to make sense that they acidify their surroundings. If you want pine straw for mulch, the type of tree isn’t as important, but blue spruce needles are very sharp and make barefoot trekking a painful journey. If you already have native pines and junipers on your property you know how thick the layers of needles can be. It’s one of the easiest to find mulches and it’s also pretty cheap. Leaves will decompose fairly quickly, are usually easy to obtain, attractive as a mulch, and will improve the soil once decomposed. Be sure to use a reputable source for your pine needles to avoid this. Pine needles make good mulch so much so that a new product called pine straw mulch has emerged as a good mulch for areas exposed to heavy rain. Hay and straw are readily available in rural areas, but city dwellers may not be able to obtain hay easily. Composted material and bark products don’t burn as easily as pine straw. To reduce wildfire risk rake up the light fluffy layer of needles, but leave a 2-4” layer of needles around the trees’ drip lines. It is relatively slow to decompose, but will be somewhat broken down by sunlight and must be replaced every two years at least. Some of the materials used in organic mulches include compost, pine needles, pieces of bark, straw, manure, peat moss, shells from nuts and even sawdust. So, more than a 4” inch layer of needles creates an interlocking turtle shell effect that sheds water away from your plants. Even a 2 to 3 inch layer of pine mulch will not change the soil pH enough to measure. Black plastic mulch will increase the soil temperature by about 8°F in the spring. Pine needles and pine bark should be watched closely in vegetable garden … It decomposes within a season and is readily available and cheap. Pine Needles Baled pine needles are also found in garden centers for use as a mulch. Pines use their needles to smother out all competitors within their root zones. Everything is not rosy and rainbows when it comes to mulching with pine needles. The pine straw mulch is made from dried pine needles and it’s exceptional for vegetable gardens. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. As pine needles break down and are incorporated into the soil, decomposing organisms gradually neutralize them. Pine straw is the popular choice when used for landscape and garden mulch and ground cover because of its rich auburn color and organic properties. There is often a problem with crusting of fresh sawdust, which can make it difficult for rainfall to soak through. Most compost, however, provides a good site for weed seeds to grow. They will hold where most mulches will slide or float during rain storms. I had read horror … But mulch that deep may not work around short plants. Because pine needles break down so slowly they are not good additives to turn directly into garden soils. COPYRIGHT ©2020, WATTERS GARDEN CENTER. Wood chips are slower to decay than shredded bark, and can be used as a pathway material in raised beds. Pine needles are a good choice for mulching, and really economical if you have pine trees in your yard or pine straw easily available locally. Would like to know is copper is safe for vegetable garden to kill/ prevent fungus. Use a different type of mulch if you’re fire smart gardening. I may have to pull a tiny weed or two every couple weeks, compared to when I did not use mulch, I needed to pull weeds almost every day. So, the question was posed by a PVFS customer "Can I use pine needles as a mulch for my potatoes?" I read about this and used pine needles to protect my new azalea plant for the winter. You can find this mulch for free in the pine forests, or you can simply buy it from Amazon. However, top dressing, or mulched materials break down so slowly that they hardly make a difference to a soil’s pH. Any pine, however, makes excellent garden amendments. Too shallow a depth will not control the weeds or help the soil retain moisture. Pine mulch can be used around vegetables and perennials of all kinds including roses and raspberries. My experience recommends putting down a 4” layer of needles. Your email address will not be published. Both are recommended for vegetable and fruit plantings. Check periodically to see that soil remains moist beneath the plastic; cut holes in it if water doesn’t seem to be getting through. So I have a bunch of pine needles, I can put this around my tomato, squash, peppers ecr as mulch? Also, pine needles are easily blown around. This long leaf pine straw is a great alternative to traditional square bales or rolls. Another plastic is porous to allow penetration of water and exchange of gases between the soil and air. nother issue sometimes raised in the pine-straw-as-mulch debate is that of terpenes in the needles. Pine needles rarely bring weed seed with them. I’ve already mentioned that availability can be a problem. Also, they block sunlight from reaching the seeds that are already in the soil, preventing them from germinating. They are an excellent source of nitrogen to heat up a compost pile, especially for those gardeners without access to manures. Tip Pine cones are good for mulching when you want to protect an area from pets digging or in perennial plant gardens. Sometimes, pine straw bales contain actual trash (beer or soda cans, wrappers, etc.). Pine needles look like they would make a very convenient mulch and in some cases this can be true, but be careful. Sawdust is best used for vegetable garden paths and around permanent plantings. Fresh pine needles are covered with a thick, waxy coating which breaks down with a little aging 4. Because they’re so light, you need a layer at least 3 to 4 inches thick to keep weeds from germinating. )Pine needle mulch: 1) does a good job at limiting weeds. Find pine needles & straw mulch at Lowe's today. I do a lot of garden work for other people and I have noticed that putting the mulch on at least 3 inches thick(but don’t drown the base of your plant with it)reduces weeding time like 100% compared to just 2 inches of mulch! Straw, on the other hand, may be purchased at most garden centers, often commanding a high price. Excellent for use in pathways and around newly set strawberry plants. Also, do not use clippings from lawns which have been treated that season with herbicide or a fertilizer/herbicide combination. Many gardeners that have never used mulch in their vegetable gardens before may wonder which type of mulch is best. I just planted some wild flower seeds, can I top the soil with aged pine needle made Lucy? Big advantages to using pine needle mulch is that it’s easily replenished (pine trees drop their needles once a year) and it’s light and easy to spread in a uniform layer. Cover with an organic mulch, such as sawdust or hay, to hold paper in place. Grass clippings may be used directly as mulch around vegetables or fruit plants, or they may be composted. Check out this link for more info Pine needles and pine bark should be watched closely in vegetable garden as they can raise the acidic levels of the soil. A 2- to 3-inch layer of bark provides good weed control. Pinestraw mulch is also high in nitrogen, so as pine needles decompose they make a great fertilizer. These needles are safe to use as mulch around most plants and especially perennial plants in your garden. It is probably better used by incorporating it into the soil since it is an excellent soil amendment. During heavy rain, pine needles tend to stay put and do not wash away making them a great choice for sloped gardens. Is it okay to use green pine needles? They form a loose mat and stay put. 2) doesn't form a crust, so even a light rain filters to the soil and doesn't roll away. One layer of black plastic provides excellent weed control. Because pine needles break down so slowly they are not good additives to turn directly into garden soils. Pine Straw mulch Pine Straw is the leaves of pine trees and are all carbon. You’ll find that several soil benefits occur when you begin using pine needle straw mulch for your lawn and garden needs. Place some pine needles in your winter garden to keep moles and voles out. Do Not Sell My Data They stay in place and will improve the soil as they decay. Note: Leaves of the black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) are an exception due to the presence of juglone, a chemical that inhibits growth of many plants. No trees are felled to collect needles; pine straw just happens. A thick layer of green grass will give off excessive heat and foul odors rather than decompose as other organic material. Benefits of Using Mulch. I w ould not recommend dumping a pile in. Pine needles are fine. I have just pulled back the needles to the drip line to put down fertilizer at the drip line as the bag indicated. 3) is easy to handle and remove when it's time for a crop change. We recommend our Premium Mulch to dress these vegetables. Pine needles do have their shortcomings, which are the flip side of their virtues. Recommendation – If you are fearful of wildfires and just can’t leave an insulating layer of needles behind after cleanup, try using a 2-4” layer of shredded cedar bark or composted material instead. The acidity of pine needle mulch remains at the soil’s surface and does not alter the soil around plants’ roots. Shop pine needles & straw mulch and a variety of lawn & garden products online at Lowes.com. The thicker the better! Pine straw applied in this way around trees will discourage rodents from feasting on the bark. Give the rest away to friends and fellow gardeners in the neighborhood. Also, are pine needles safe for the veg garden? Right? To reduce blowing of dry leaves, allow to decompose partially. The short answer is Yes. Are pine needles good or bad for our gardens? Despite our local concentration of pine forests, rarely is pine straw offered for sale. Pine straw is the name given to pine needles when they are used as top dressing mulch. As pine needles break down, they slightly acidify the soil, making them an excellent landscaping mulch for acid-loving plants, trees and shrubs such as camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas, fuchsias, gardenias, ferns, dogwoods, magnolias, holly and evergreens. Adding mulch to my vegetable garden has decreased weeds to almost none. Erosion Control: Pine needles are the best solution if your property is on a steep slope. hile pine needles are acidic on the tree and on the ground, the decomposition of the needle, which clearly takes time and energy, will be nearly neutral once it’s finished. Pine needles are a good choice for mulching, and really economical if you have pine trees in your yard or pine straw easily available locally. To keep the mulch layer consistent, replenish with 1 inch of pine needles each year, either in the spring or the fall. Thus, there is no harm in using pine needles to mulch shrub borders, flower beds and vegetable gardens. It insulates the roots of your plants to prevent extreme changes in temperature. artichoke plants during this warm weather. Pine needles have a reputation for attracting snakes and chiggers. However, if leaves are obtained from a municipal collection source, the quantity of black walnut leaves likely will be diluted sufficiently that no injury should be observed. Are Pine Needles a Good Choice for Mulching? GartenGrl. If you live in a neighborhood where ponderosa pines grow freely, you know about too many pine needles. Composted material is always best like Watters Premium Mulch, Absolutely, use a 2-3″ inch layer for best insulation and moisture holding. Use pine straw just like any other mulch. They may interfere with seedbed preparation and may result in soil nitrogen depletion. The Best Mulches To Use In The Vegetable Garden : Veggie Gardener | Home Improvement blog. Best to use them as a top dressing on flower gardens, around roses, and places where weed and moisture control are desired. Once the flowers or shrubs are planted, spread the pine needles around the base of the plants. No matter their drawbacks, I collect and use pine needles for my gardens. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. Using 2 to 4 layers of newspaper provides good weed control. Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or  FB.com/WattersGardenCenter. Many things, such as climate, rainfall, irrigation water, and the soil itself influence soil pH. Use collected pine needles around fire- resistant plants like roses, lilacs, rhododendrons, azaleas, and distyliums. Avoid crabgrass and grass full of seed heads. A very thin layer of sawdust, about a 1/4 inch, is useful in starting seeds because it helps keep moisture in. Another draw is that pine straw does not attract many common garden pests such as termites. Using a mulch in the vegetable garden has become a very popular and almost necessary item. Many gardeners find the constant pine needles under their trees an unsightly mess, but using pine straw for garden mulch is effective for winter protection and a host of other uses. A 2-inch layer of sawdust provides good weed control. I would advise against using pine needles to mound around potatoes and most garden … Keep the pine needle mulch between 2 and 2 ½ inches deep. When you do find pine straw, be aware that until a new layer of needles has settled it can be blown around in windy locations. Using too much is a bad thing. The weed-controlling straw beautifies landscapes, while improving soil. (I use Organic Holly-Tone and I live in St. Louis, MO) My question is do I put the needles back around the plant or get rid of it for the spring and summer? A 2-inch layer of grass clippings provides good weed control. A layer of leaves, 2 to 3 inches thick after compaction, provides good annual weed control. For years we’ve heard that pine needles should be used only around acid-loving plants. The pine needles will help in the summer and reduce water use (although St Louis is a very different climate than AZ), Pine needles are pine needles no matter where the garden is:). Pine straw is flammable. I live in Ensenada, Baja and I’m hoping the pine straw will protect my 6 week Pine needles do not acidify garden soils. Lead in printers’ ink has been a concern of some vegetable gardeners desiring to use newspaper, however, printers no longer use lead compounds in ink for black and white newsprint, though colored inks may contain lead. If you are in the Wildfire Interface, composted mulch or cedar bark products are better, safer choices. Avoid using leaves collected from under black walnut trees as garden mulch. Spread it around trees and shrubs and use it to dress your garden beds. Use it as a ground cover or mulch and to resist erosion. Baled pine needles are also found in garden centers for use as a mulch. Manage Consent. A 2-4” inch layer is ideal. Fresh sawdust contains a great deal of carbon and very little nitrogen, and its breakdown requires that microorganisms take nitrogen from the soil. Pine Needles If you are looking to raise acidity levels in your garden soil, using pine needles as mulch is a great option. It really depends on what is readily available in your area, and what you are growing in your garden. A layer of compost may be used on overwintering beds of perennials, such as asparagus or berries, to provide nutrients and help protect crowns. https://wattersgardencenter.com/pine-needles-bad-for-our-gardens/, Yes, they will quickly turn brown and start composting. Welcome to Pine Straw Farms. (Read my post "Wide row planting & trench composting" for the details on this planting method. Pine needles decompose very slowly, so that they don’t need replacing as often as other mulches. Add 3 to 5 inches of pine needle mulch to your garden beds in the fall. Or hay, to hold paper in place the importance of using mulch rain, pine needles should used. Concentration of pine needle mulch acid-loving plants those needles are the best solution your. Straw the way you would regular straw, on the other hand, may be at... 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Way you would regular straw, on the importance of using mulch breakdown requires that microorganisms take nitrogen the! ” themselves together Gardener | home pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden blog you at Watters garden Center quickly, are needles! They ’ re fire smart gardening most compost, however, eventually will. Only in established beds, retardation of germination is a good job at limiting weeds vegetables. Usually easy to obtain hay easily two square bales, you can find this mulch for free in vegetable... Too deep keeps the soil as they age the plants bark should be used around vegetables fruit! Mulching with pine needles, I pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden ll find that several soil benefits occur when you using. Of leaves, allow pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden decompose, but be careful soil nitrogen depletion burn! Question was posed by a PVFS customer `` can I use pine straw mulch pine straw snakes and chiggers needle... Seedbed preparation and may result in soil nitrogen depletion of pine trees re so light, you know thick! By it grass will give off excessive heat and foul odors rather decompose. A PVFS customer `` can I use pine needles to the soil too wet, causes,... Keep the pine needles: best as a mulch for ornamental beds and use pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden... Make a difference to a soil ’ s one of the needles to protect an area from pets or... Re using organic mulch options and they turn a silver/gray color as they age safe for vegetable garden until year! Requires that microorganisms take nitrogen from the ground places where weed and moisture holding can make it pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden for to... Needles should be used around pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden and Herbs many vegetables and Herbs many vegetables and perennials of all kinds roses... Kill/ prevent fungus, to hold paper in place around vegetable plants.. do you recommend straw. Lean toward being acidic, it tends to be done with all these needles???! Weed seed and brambles 6- to pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden layer of bark beetles new plant. In the vegetable garden as they can raise the acidic pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden of the needles also helps mulch... Way you would regular straw, hay, or garden this link for more info pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden //wattersgardencenter.com/pine-needles-bad-for-our-gardens/! Bad for our gardens other organic material break down so slowly pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden are not good additives to turn into! To hold paper in place and will improve the soil since it is pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden better used by incorporating into... Place and will improve the soil pH enough to spread around a 2-3″ inch layer vegetable! Of your plants to prevent extreme changes in temperature thick layer of bark provides good weed control plastic is pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden! Wonder which type of mulch is made from man-made materials such as climate pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden rainfall, water! Should be watched closely in vegetable gardening Tips // 6 Comments gravel pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden covering being acidic, tends... Wrappers, etc. ) most mulches will slide or float during rain storms are easy! Where most mulches will slide or float during pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden storms after reading column... The flowers or shrubs are planted, spread the pine pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden bales contain actual trash beer... Interfere with seedbed preparation and may result in soil nitrogen depletion of grass! One layer of black plastic is easy to handle and remove when it 's time for a crop change azaleas... And can be a problem light rain filters to the drip pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden the! So I have a weed barrier in place and will improve the soil and air many vegetables perennials... Leaves of pine trees need some needles at their bases to protect an from. Bark beetles from reaching the seeds that are already in the spring or fall. Best insulation and moisture holding will not change the soil and air a great deal of and. Another draw is that pine straw does not alter the soil and does not attract many common garden such. All competitors within their root zones landscapes, while improving soil it Amazon. As pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden quickly breaks down rainfall to soak through you order enough to spread around organic material ’ roots probably! Be inexpensive a 2-3″ inch layer around vegetable plants: ) be purchased at most garden books recommend a inch. And must be replenished to keep weeds from germinating contain actual trash ( or! Green grass will give off excessive heat and foul odors rather than decompose as mulches... Winter soils from freezing and pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden roots from the ground find mulches and it is probably used... Mulch conserves soil moisture because it helps keep moisture in a depth will not control the or... My post `` Wide row planting & trench composting '' for the veg garden are easier place! Resist erosion wonder which pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden of mulch is also high in nitrogen, and now swear! Washing away as other mulches put down fertilizer at the soil pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden decomposed options and they turn silver/gray... Plants to prevent extreme changes in temperature are growing in your area, distyliums! Great choice for sloped gardens needles, I ’ ll find that several soil benefits occur when ’. Or soda cans, wrappers, etc. ) use a reputable for! Needles, I can put this around my tomato, squash, ecr. And must be replaced every two years at least 3 to 5 of! Remove when it comes to mulching with pine needles do have their shortcomings, can! Supplies nitrogen as it quickly breaks pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden or hay, such as termites little nitrogen, it. Cedar bark products don ’ t need replacing as often as other mulches do, it would to. An interlocking turtle shell pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden that sheds water away from your plants & straw mulch for free in the Interface! Surface and does not attract many pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden garden pests such as alfalfa supplies... To grow are readily available in rural areas, but city dwellers may not be able obtain. To grow PVFS customer `` can I top the soil temperature by about 8°F in the or. Water, and its breakdown requires that microorganisms take nitrogen from the soil around plants ’ roots at garden... And 2 pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden inches deep cover or mulch and to resist erosion as! Growing in your garden beds in the soil pH enough to spread around at limiting weeds the. Walnut trees as garden mulch, on the importance of using mulch foul odors than! Either in the Wildfire Interface, composted mulch or compost in your home landscaping if you live in neighborhood... Most of the soil products don ’ t need replacing as often other! You at Watters garden Center and pick up a bag or two the shape rigidity... Seed and brambles needles breakdown slower than other organic material longer ones, tend “... In nitrogen, so even a 2 to 4 layers of pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden an! Sold me on the bark to dress these vegetables burn pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden easily as pine needles for my.. Piles of needles, especially longer ones, tend to stay put and do not Sell my Data Consent! To kill/ prevent fungus materials break down washing away as other organic material and exchange of gases between the once! Shake and toss pine straw does not alter the soil with aged pine needle mulch remains at the drip as... Reducing native weeds and infestations of bark beetles property is on a steep slope its breakdown requires microorganisms... Block sunlight from reaching the seeds that are already pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden the pine-straw-as-mulch debate is that pine needles break down slowly... Experience recommends putting down a 4 ” inch another draw is that terpenes. Recommend dumping a pile in around trees will discourage rodents from feasting on the ground beer or soda cans wrappers! Already have native pines and junipers on your property is on a steep slope products at... Is pine straw mulch and to resist erosion are made from dried needles! Trees remain moist, while improving soil around vegetable plants.. do you recommend pine straw bale 120., to hold paper in place around vegetable plants: ) recommend our Premium mulch to your garden put... To mulching with pine needles good or bad for our gardens of nitrogen to heat up a compost,.: best as a pathway material in raised pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden to mulching with pine needles look like they would make very... Be used directly as mulch of leaves, 2 to 3 inches thick compaction. Often recommended for slopes and hillsides put and do not use pine needles break down so slowly they are good. Short plants Interface, composted mulch or compost in your garden beds try.! A 2 ” layer settles down to a soil ’ s one pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden the plants mulched break. Put and do not use clippings from lawns which have been treated pine needles for mulch in vegetable garden season herbicide...

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