Pine needle mulch is an organic material that is readily available at garden centers and nurseries. Like any mulch, pine needles provide protection for roots and help preserve moisture in the soil. Pine needles, a renewable resource, drop annually from trees and the pine straw is bundled into either round or square bales for sale. Three cubic feet of pine straw covers 60 square feet at a depth of 2 to 3 inches.
Pine needle mulch is simple to install on flowerbeds and around trees. For best results, scatter the needles to a depth of no more than 3 inches on top of the ground. Because the needles can be prickly, wear a pair of work gloves. Extend the mulch at least to the drip line of the plant. If possible, extend the mulch at least 1 foot outside the flowerbed edge. Don’t put the mulch directly on the base of the plant -- leave a 2- to 3-inch gap. This discourages rodents from chewing on the bark. Once the needles are in place, smooth them out with a garden rake. Pine straw breaks down more slowly than many other mulches, so you don’t need to reapply it as often.
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
As pine needles decompose, they add acid to the soil. Marigolds, snapdragons, zinnias, dahlias and roses are just a few flowers that grow well in pine needle mulch. Blueberries, onions, potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes are a sample of the plants that produce edibles that do well in gardens mulched with pine straw.
Areas With High Winds and Rain
As pine needles settle into place in the flowerbed or garden, they interlock. Unlike fresh bark mulch that may blow in the wind, pine needles simply allow the wind to pass through them. Heavy rains can’t wash the interlocked needles away. Once you put the needles in the garden or flowerbed, they stay put until you decide to remove them. You can rake them up at the end of the growing season in the garden or let them continue to decompose to provide organic matter back into the soil.
Plants in the garden or flowerbed need to be able to get water to their roots. Pine needle mulch doesn’t compact, so it allows rainwater and irrigation to reach the roots. Water is less likely to run off and be wasted with pine straw. During periods of heavy rainfall, air circulating through the pine needles helps prevent pooling water that can damage plants. Even though the pine straw allows the soil to breathe around plants, it does not provide a good environment for weeds.
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