I have a few pine trees in the yard. Can I make any use of the billions of fallen needles?
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Pine Needles. Are they good for anything?
- Thread starter Tame The Scovies
- Start date
yes
if they are long
if they are long
millworkman
Extreme Member
Mulch with them. They help keep slugs and other slithering nasties off your plants and keep the soil more moist as well as break down and add organic matter. I wouldnt worry about them making the soil too acidic right away, probably next year though. Just dont mix them in.
Pine needles (the longer ones are best) look good around your shrubs but break down quickly, needing replacement yearly. Shredded pine bark is a better garden component and top mulch for moisture conservation but is also more attractive to slugs.
They also make an awesome sound when you chuck them on a fire
The slugs? Or the bark? lol
Yeah, it's used as a defense for other species germinating nearby. Some species of pine are more acidic than others. Some types can kill your plants. However, others are great for suppressing the germination rates of weeds and won't harm adult plants. It isn't uncommon for gardeners to use them as a weed suppressant. IMO find out what sort of pine you have and make sure your ph lvl is good for peppers. There are a lot of benefits for using pine needles (look them up). I wouldn't put it on young plants or put a lot down (too much can smoother them).
Pepper-Guru
Extreme Member
Pine needles are great.
AlabamaJack
Extreme Member
I have always used them in my mothers Azalea beds around her house....as was said, they are a good soil acidifier eventually and Azalea's love acid...I used to like it but that was a long time ago...
but as far as what you could do with them...
Make a matress...make a pillow....scratch the red bugs you get from them....pile them up and jump into them....use them for starting a fire...ride your bicycle through them...hide in them...use them to make roof's out of on your fort
...braid them for bracelets or necklaces...make a weapon out of them...smell them...
They make a good cushion when you fall out of a tree if the area hasn't been distrubed for several years...
by the way...I have tried all of the above...
but as far as what you could do with them...
Make a matress...make a pillow....scratch the red bugs you get from them....pile them up and jump into them....use them for starting a fire...ride your bicycle through them...hide in them...use them to make roof's out of on your fort
...braid them for bracelets or necklaces...make a weapon out of them...smell them...They make a good cushion when you fall out of a tree if the area hasn't been distrubed for several years...
by the way...I have tried all of the above...
lol@alabamajack.
millworkman
Extreme Member
AJ!!!!
http://wood.uwex.edu/2010/11/18/pine-needles-cause/
Pine Needles Cause Acid Soil – Fact or Fiction
18. Nov, 2010
Believe it or not, this is fiction, a myth. Pine needles do not make the soil more acidic. This bit of garden lore is so common that almost everyone believes it, including many professionals. It is true that the soil most pine trees grow in is acidic, sometimes only slightly, but acidic nonetheless. Was this acidity caused by the pines? Most evergreen species prefer soils that are on the acid side, as do oak, maple, and many other plants. But they did not begin growing in an area and then change the soil to suit their requirements. It would be great if plant could actually do that!
Now, I would like to do a little bit of clarification of this statement because I may have ruffled a few feathers. Many materials are acidic before they are broken down. Pine needles and oak leaves both have pH’s ranging between 3.2 and 3.8 when they fall from the tree. If those materials are incorporated into the soil before decomposing, they may have a small effect on the soil pH. If those raw materials are used on the soil surface as mulch, they will have very little effect on plant growth because the roots are not growing in this material. As the leaves and needles break down, they are neutralized by the microbes that are doing the decomposing work. Most compost has a pH of 6.8-7.0, which is very neutral. Dr. Maynard from UCONN Ag Research Station has done several studies showing the effects of mulch on soil pH.
The general recommendation is to add no more than 10% of pine needles into a compost pile. This has nothing to do with the pH. Pine needles have a slightly waxy coating and are very dry, and they take a long time to break down. For faster compost, limit the number of pine needles and sticks, shred leaves, and balance the “browns” with “greens” like grass clippings, food scraps, and coffee grounds. The benefit of adding pine needles to a compost pile is they maintain good aeration. They do not compact readily and keep air flowing through the pile, which is also important in fast compost creation.
Pine needles (and shredded leaves) are an excellent option to use as mulch materials around all plants. They look good, will help keep down weeds, conserve soil moisture, and eventually break down and add nutrients back into the soil. Pine needles are actually sold for this purpose in bales in many parts of the country.
Part of the reason this myth continues is because it is hard to grow anything under a pine tree. Everyone assumes it is because of the accumulated pine needles making the soil so acidic that nothing will grow. They reason nothing will grow is actually because the roots of evergreens are so numerous and shallow that they outcompete other plants for water and nutrients. They also tend to create quite dense shade which is a difficult growing situation for many plants. I can address this issue in a future article.
Pine Needles Cause Acid Soil – Fact or Fiction
Believe it or not, this is fiction, a myth. Pine needles do not make the soil more acidic. This bit of garden lore is so common that almost everyone believes it, including many professionals. It is true that the soil most pine trees grow in is acidic, sometimes only slightly, but acidic nonetheless. Was this acidity caused by the pines? Most evergreen species prefer soils that are on the acid side, as do oak, maple, and many other plants. But they did not begin growing in an area and then change the soil to suit their requirements. It would be great if plant could actually do that!
Now, I would like to do a little bit of clarification of this statement because I may have ruffled a few feathers. Many materials are acidic before they are broken down. Pine needles and oak leaves both have pH’s ranging between 3.2 and 3.8 when they fall from the tree. If those materials are incorporated into the soil before decomposing, they may have a small effect on the soil pH. If those raw materials are used on the soil surface as mulch, they will have very little effect on plant growth because the roots are not growing in this material. As the leaves and needles break down, they are neutralized by the microbes that are doing the decomposing work. Most compost has a pH of 6.8-7.0, which is very neutral. Dr. Maynard from UCONN Ag Research Station has done several studies showing the effects of mulch on soil pH.
The general recommendation is to add no more than 10% of pine needles into a compost pile. This has nothing to do with the pH. Pine needles have a slightly waxy coating and are very dry, and they take a long time to break down. For faster compost, limit the number of pine needles and sticks, shred leaves, and balance the “browns” with “greens” like grass clippings, food scraps, and coffee grounds. The benefit of adding pine needles to a compost pile is they maintain good aeration. They do not compact readily and keep air flowing through the pile, which is also important in fast compost creation.
Pine needles (and shredded leaves) are an excellent option to use as mulch materials around all plants. They look good, will help keep down weeds, conserve soil moisture, and eventually break down and add nutrients back into the soil. Pine needles are actually sold for this purpose in bales in many parts of the country.
Part of the reason this myth continues is because it is hard to grow anything under a pine tree. Everyone assumes it is because of the accumulated pine needles making the soil so acidic that nothing will grow. They reason nothing will grow is actually because the roots of evergreens are so numerous and shallow that they outcompete other plants for water and nutrients. They also tend to create quite dense shade which is a difficult growing situation for many plants. I can address this issue in a future article.
