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Benefits of Long Leaf Pine Needles in your landscape:
It provides the best level of level of acidity for your plants to soak up maximum soil nutrients
It doesn’t drift and remove and breaks down more gradually, so it does not have to be reapplied as regularly as other mulches
It is much easier to handle and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches: one big bale can cover as much location as 30 cubic feet of many mulches
the cost per square foot is competitive with other mulches
It breathes much better, does not compact, and enables better water infiltration
It is simple to use: simply unroll the bales and scatter by hand
It does not attract termites
It includes natural product and nutrients to soil and lowers weeds
The consistent color and great texture of pine straw draws out the color, contrast, and texture of your landscape
You can use it for erosion control where yard won’t grow to hold soil, even on hillsides and courses
FAQ
Is It Safe To Eat Pine Trees?
And How Do I Know The Difference Between Pine And Cedar And Other Trees That Look Like Pine?
There are no seriously poisonous pine trees. Yew is similar in appearance and it deadly poisonous so there is still some risk. The fruit of yew is a modified cone that looks something like a hollow berry so it is easy to learn to differences. All pine nuts are edible and some of them like sugar pine have useful amounts of calories in their inner bark. Most pine nuts aren't large enough to be very useful.
http://www.ldspreppers.com/showthread.ph…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine#Food_u…
I think you have to have some kind of field guide. They vary in how the cone looks, the numbers of needles and where they live. You need to find what pine live in your area and learn to recognize them.
for example if you wanted to know which pine lived in Oregon:
You could just place "pinus" in the scientific name and search the USDA database. You could then just open up each of the pine and see which were local.
http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/nameSear…
http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Oregon&statefips=41&symbol=PIAL
This site is useful to find edible uses of each species found like for the white pine.
You could just google [pinus site:pfaf.org]
http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pinus+strobus
Do Chrysanthemums Grow Again Next Season?
It depends on where you are, and the cultivar of the mum. Typically, the small button-type flowers are more hardy. This works for me in Zone 4: Wait until about Thanksgiving, when the temps. have gotten consistantly below 32 deg. for a couple weeks. (They will build up hardiness by becoming exposed to gradually colder temps.) Mulch with about a foot of loosely fluffed straw, and cover with pine boughs to hold in place. Remove mulch around the first of April. Keep pinching back until late June to keep them nice and bushy.
Can Azaleas Survive In Soil With A Ph Of Around 6.5?
I Bought 4 Azaleas Recently At A Store That Was Closing (They Were Really On The Cheap And I Couldn'T Help Myself). I Know That They Require Acidic Soil And Prefer A Ph Of Around 5.5, But Can They Survive In Soil That Has A Ph Of 6.0/6.5/7.0?
I Mulched In A Bunch Of Humus Last Year While Preparing The Garden Bed That I Am Planting These In, And I'Ve Heard That This Can Help Acidify The Clay-Heavy Soil. It Is Currently Around Ph 6.5 Or So. However, I'M Not Sure If The Azaleas Can Tolerate Soil That Is Only Slightly Acidic.
I'D Like To Plant The Azaleas Soon Since It Is Fall. Will They Be Able To Survive In The Soil? Also, Is There An Effective Way To Lower Acidity Quickly? I Know You Can Add Elemental Sulfur To The Soil, But I Don'T Know Where To Buy It Or If It Is Worth Applying.
While a pH of 5.5 is optimal it's difficult achieve it unless you live in a peat bog. At the Botanical Garden where I work, we have a large garden area that has a pH of 6.8-7+ and although our Rhododendrons/Azaleas do grow AND FLOWER, they tend to act as annuals and die out after a few years. We have researched the problems associated with the site and have found out the following: #1 The soil that was brought in is mainly comprised of clay and very little organic matter. #2 The irrigation system is creating a "wet feet" situation thus encouraging root rots like phytopthora , etc. #3 Our attempts to add organic matter i.e. leaf humus, compost, double-shredded mulch, have done very little to raise/alter the pH of the soil. The reason being, after a pH test of our various amendments, we realized the average pH of the products was around 6.8-7.0 – the same as our soil. Soooo… we have looked into purchasing mulches that can be (eventually) incorporated into the soil such as pine straw, pine nuggets, etc. These mulches have a lower pH (exact pH unknown) that should start to (changing soil pH quickly is very difficult to do -you're talking 2-3 years+) lower the pH of the soil as it breaks down. Despite its "Miracle" name, Miracid is in essence, only a quick fix to plants. Do you want to be buying Miracid every 3 months for the next 10 years? Probably not. We are using aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate to drop the soil pH. I think Espoma makes it, or I could be wrong on the name. It comes in those yellow bags (at your garden center). Just don't OD on the stuff.
So to sum up all my ramblings, I would recommend that you do the following:
1.) Dig your hole in the amended bed you mentioned
2.) Amend the soil with a humusy rich supplement but work a little bit of the virgin soil back into the mix
3.) Plant the plants (high if the soil is still high in clay)
4.) In the spring add an organic general/acid fertilizer (something with a ratio of around 5-3-4) with a little of the aforementioned aluminum/iron. Follow the directions on the bag and repeat as directed.
5.) Make sure they receive enough water, but DO NOT OVER WATER and waterlog the soil for long periods of time. Remember, ANY plant in the Ericaceae family as a general rule of thumb, do no like WET FEET! ..so plant them high if necessary. Good luck.
OH I just notice that you suggested elemental sulfur.. don't use it because its break down time is much slower than my recommended products…(according to a lab)
How Do I Make My Bad Soil Awesome?
I Want A Good Garden This Year, I Am Going All Out. My Only Problem… My Soil Is Not The Best Thing In The World, Really It'S Just Sand, Weeds Seem To Grow Very Well In It, But Whenever I Try For Plants, They Don'T Grow As Well. I Need Good Tips On How To Keep The Weeds Out, As Well As Make My Soil Better For The Veggies. Anything To Help Me Out Would Be Greatly Appreciated.
Fertilize and check your soil PH with a tester not expensive you can get a soil test kit just about anyplace that sells seeds. If you have friends who have any horses cows chickens, get the fertilizer from them. Also if you know some people that like to fish. After you get your soil right ,when you plant use pine straw or hay to cover your garden this will help with weeds and will help keep your soil moist.
When ever you are done with a garden you should turn in the old plants as fertilizer for your next plant. When you fertilize always turn it in to the soil with a tiller don't just put fertilizers on top of the soil as this will just wash away or burn your plants.
We have a small tiller attachment for our weed eater that I use to keep the soil loose around my plants as they grow. We till in between the isles to help with weeding and it turns the weed under for fertilizer.
Also start you a compost pile next to your garden put any veggies you don't use as well as egg shells and any other organic material you have including left over meat cover with a tarp to help the heating process turn it with a shovel or pitch fork every week to help speed up the process and use small amounts around your plants as they grow.
Do Pine Needles Kill Grass?
A Friend Of Mine Recently Told Me To Continuously Remove The Pine Needles On My Lawn (Have Three Huge Spruce Trees) Or The Pine Needles Have A Natural Vegetation Killing Agent In Them To Choke Out Competetors. Does Anyone Know If This Is True? If So Will Someone Please Come Over And Help Me Rake Once In A While (I Will Barbeque And We Can Hang Out In The Pool Later) Lol
Yes, pine needles will kill all grass and weeds. This is why they work so well as "mulch" around bushes – no grass or weeds will grow through from under them. You don't need to rake it but maybe 2 or 3 times per year. Rake to a pile and then sell it. People love it and will pay for it. You can't buy pine needles at the local home improvement store. If you advertise on craigslist – you rake, you haul, you can have for free – you'll be able to get your yard raked for free and not have to deal with it. I myself have actually placed ads looking for someone who would let me come rake their yard for the pine needles.
Pinestraw Dance
Visit Our Local Pine Straw Location for information on installation and delivery
From http://pinestrawlandscaping.com/pinestraw-dance/
Long Leaf Pine Straw 