Working in the yard is a fun and peaceful way to spend the day, yet if you have a big yard, it can seem to take forever just to keep up with it. In these cases, the best approach is to use mulch.
Mulching keeps down weeds, traps moisture, prevents topsoil erosion, and even keeps the soil around the plants at a stable temperature. This is incredibly important with newer plants or those with shallower root systems. Not to mention mulch looks better than bare dirt! The real question is which mulch is going to fit my needs?
It turns out finding the answer to that question is a lot easier than you might think. My extensive research has shows it's hard to go wrong with pine straw. For starters, some worry it may be too acidic. However it is only slightly acidic, and as the naturally occurring bacteria in the soil breaks it down, it gets even less so.
If you repeatedly use pinestraw over the course of many years, you can expect your average soil Ph to change by less than .5%. Considering that's less than than the pH-variation of rainfall, you're golden! That number is 4.5 - 5.6 incidentally, with an average of 5.0, although traditionally the 5.6 is what's been used.
So the reality is that pine straw works well for nearly all plant types. If you are concerned that your soil is borderline acidic to begin with, it might make a difference. You can also adjust the Ph factor in your favor by utilizing things such as lime to shift the soil towards alkalinity.
Since pinestraw works for most types of plants, you'll want to examine the advantages and disadvantages of choosing this type of mulch over another type. When it comes to cost, good luck finding a better deal than the pine straw! Not only does it offer one of the most inexpensive options it is also considered the easiest mulch to work with.
There is one more immense benefit of pine straw over the many other types of mulch, and in this case, I really did save the best for last! The best time to see pine mulch in action is if you wait for a good rain storm. Why? Just go out after the storm and look at all the neighbors who have used water logged wood chips, shredded bark or one of the many other popular mulching options Odds are you'll see your neighbor trying to get their mulch back into place along the flowerbeds, driveways, sidewalks, and even get out of their grass! Pine Straw will stay put for the most part and even looks its prettiest when wet.
In fact it is important to note that some of these mulches can actually become dangerous if they get into the yard. For example a lawn mower can fling chunks of shredded bark at pretty hefty velocities. This is definitely enough to cause a person bruises, break windows, and even dent siding. Run over pine straw with a mower and not so much!
The advantages of pine straw are huge, with almost no down side to it at all. Its effect on soil Ph is easily canceled out, it's easy to work with, inexpensive, and has a tendency to stay put. Even if animals or kids move it into the yard, it's still safe! Best of all, it's completely sustainable without damaging the environment. I suspect it will be a long time before anyone can find anything better, perhaps they never will.
Author Resource:
For 11 years, Custom Pine Straw has been a reliable wholesale distributor of pine mulch to professional commercial and residential landscapers, retail chains and individual retail companies across the U.S. We produce only the cleanest highest quality long pine needle and the finest pine mulch available on the market.
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