Pine Straw as mulch

[nccountrygirl]

Has any one every used pine straw around there veg. plants in the garden. Is it to acidic and will it burn the plants? Thanks in advance

 

[Southern Gardener]

I doubt it will burn the plants. The problem is it takes a long time for pine to break down I think youd have to rake it out after the growing season. I have tons of pine straw in my yard and use it in my flower beds.

I planted a few tomato plants I had left over that wouldnt fit in the veggie garden so I planted them in the flower bed and they are doing just fine and already have tomatoes.

 

[patandchickens]

I have used it at various times, and had no problem at all, except *possibly* for acid hating things like the cabbage family (don't know for sure about them -I just don't tend to grow things like that )

It is however extremely obnoxious to have to weed amongst without gloves, or walk in barefoot. You've been warned And as SouthernGardener says, it will not break down over the winter -- but you can rake it off and save it in a shallow pile for next year if you're not concerned about pests

Pat

 

[nccountrygirl]

Thanks Pat, I am concerned about pest that is why I don't want to use mulch. I might just go to the town newspaper and get a load and put down. We did that year before last and it seemed to work fine.

 

[Cassandra]

What kind of pests? My dad was bagging up a pile of pine straw one time and found a snake. What else would live in there? Bugs?

Cassandra

 

[patandchickens]

I'm not sure what kind of pests you mean nccountrygirl? There should not be anything in your pine straw before you put it down that would harm your plants. And nothing is going to 'live in' it while it's on the garden that wouldn't also live in pretty much any other kind of organic mulch, including newspaper (which btw you can't put on plain, it needs a buncha something to weight it down).

All I meant was, the disadvantage of trying to recycle it off your garden for a second season is that any spores or overwintering eggs/larvae of pests/diseases that were on your plants this year, may still be there if you reuse the mulch next year.

How much of an issue that is depends on what you're growing it and how healthy it is.

Pat

 

[nccountrygirl]

Oh, I thought you meant that pine straw would attract bugs. I know that you need to weigh newspaper down and was going to do that with the pine straw. All though we have had some pretty good rains here lately, NC is still in a drought so I was hoping to put some thing down that would slow down water evaporation. Thanks for you help

 

[rebbetzin]

Is what you are calling "Pine Straw" Pine needles from a Pine Tree?

I about killed some roses one year using it as a mulch. Our soil here is very alkaline, if you put vinegar on it, it fizzes. Which one would think adding Pine needles to the compost pile or using them as a mulch would be helpful, but, there is some element in the needles that keeps other plants from doing very well. Just about nothing grows under the pine trees. I do have some Melissa/Lemon Balm that seems to like it under the pine tree, and some Algerian Ivy that is doing ok under there too.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Thanks for that. I think I'll ditch the pine straw idea and maybe do straw.

 

[patandchickens]

I about killed some roses one year using it as a mulch. Our soil here is very alkaline, if you put vinegar on it, it fizzes. Which one would think adding Pine needles to the compost pile or using them as a mulch would be helpful, but, there is some element in the needles that keeps other plants from doing very well. Just about nothing grows under the pine trees. I do have some Melissa/Lemon Balm that seems to like it under the pine tree, and some Algerian Ivy that is doing ok under there too.

Well, but actually growing under a pine tree is not the same as just being mulched with pine straw.

I am sure there are some plants (like, evidently, your roses) that do not like pine straw.... but IME they are the exception not the rule.

I've used pine straw quite successfully myself on veggies, and it is a really really common mulch in much of the southeast. Given the huge number of people who use it, I think we'd know if it were death on wheels

Pat