There are many different types of mulch and pine needle mulch has been growing in popularity for the past decade or more.
Pine needle mulch is generally made from the needles of long-needle pines like Loblolly or Longleaf, and if you have long-needle pines in your yard then you can use them.
This article will cover the cost effectiveness of pine needle mulch as well as how to use it and what the benefits are.
Cost Effective and Lightweight
Price is almost always a consideration when figuring out which mulch to buy and use.
Pine needle mulch is purchased in bales at most hardware or gardening stores and is the most economical at between 10 to 20 cents per square foot of ground coverage.
One bale of pine needle mulch, depending on its size and weight, should be enough to cover about fifty square feet at a depth of two to three inches.
In addition, for the amount of coverage it provides, it is also less heavy than most types of mulch especially the traditional mulches weighing about thirty pounds per bale.
This means if you are spreading it yourself it will not be as exhausting or backbreaking.
If you are getting lawn experts to do it, the overall cost of the service will be less because pine needle mulch is a less expensive option and spreads easily.
How To Use
There are a few important things to know before starting to use pine needle mulch.
First, since pine mulch is lightweight it’s best not to use it in places that are extra windy because it will potentially blow into clumps that will need to be spread out again.
Second, if it has been a particularly dry season or there is fire risk it’s best to hold off on putting down pine needle mulch.
Finally, pine needle mulch does not make the soil significantly more acidic, that is a myth.
With those caveats, pine needle mulch is simple to use. Once you have figured out how many square feet your mulching area is, you can buy the correct amount of pine needle mulch and spread it.
Spreading the pine needle mulch is as easy as cutting off the ties holding the bale together before grabbing a handful and distributing it by hand to a depth of two to three inches.
Make sure not to bury any small plants, but otherwise you can spread the pine needle mulch everywhere, even surrounding taller, more established plants closer to their base.
Over time the pine needles may turn a greyish color as they decompose and more pine needles can be layered on top.
Benefits
We’ve already talked about how cost effective pine needle mulch is and there are many other benefits as well.
It’s good for the environment because no trees need to be cut down unlike with wood chip mulch which involves cutting down trees thus taking more time and energy as well as the necessity of replanting trees.
If you have long-needle pines on your property it is even more environmentally friendly because you can simply rake them to your mulching area.
Pine needle mulch provides valuable nutrients like calcium and nitrogen to the soil while also protecting the soil from erosion and compaction.
It also helps regulate the soil temperature as well by insulating the ground from the extreme highs or lows of the weather.
In addition, the pine needle mulch will insulate young plants, allowing them to become more established.
Pine needle mulch also helps protect the ground from being directly impacted by rain while trapping the moisture which allows it to soak deeper into the ground.
Importantly, pests like termites do not infest pine needle mulch and it’s more resistant to molding and mildew. And it decomposes at a slower rate than other types of mulch meaning it will need to be refreshed less frequently.
Overall, pine needle mulch is an effective and simple mulch to use that has numerous benefits for both the plants and soil.
Mulch Experts
The lawn experts at Gecko Green are available to examine your landscaping and suggest how to care for it.
They don’t offer mulching services, but they can help with any weeds in your garden beds as well as caring for any ornamentals.
In addition, calling the experts at Gecko Green can ease your mind that everything is being cared for and taken care of.
