Question
Are pine needles a good top mulch or addition to my compost pile? Others have said pine needles are poisonous. I live in Washington Terrace and my soil is sandy by nature.
Answer(s)
Pine needles as mulch are not poisonous. They make an excellent mulch and are becoming more and more common as a mulch in flower and vegetable gardens and around trees and shrubs. They stay put in winds and rain, allow water to easily drain through, discourage weed seed germination, and prevent erosion. As mulch, the needles last about 2 years, and can easily be removed and replaced with fresh needles, or covered with new. Apply mulch about 3-4 inches thick in fall or spring. Ideally, it is best if you can work the compost you apply into the soil.
Pine needles have a minimal effect on the pH level of soil. Utah soils are very alkaline (high pH) and many plants we grow in our gardens could benefit from the addition of any materials that lower the soil pH.
Other Questions In This Topic
- Tomato tutorial
- The last few years, I have had persistent grass growth in my vegetable garden. I till the area each fall and spring, and pull out and discard all the vegetable plants. For the first couple of months, its easy to control the weeds and grass, then about 2/3 of the way through the summer, the grass starts to take over. By the time I pull out the plants in the fall, I practically have a lawn underneath them. Now that everything is pulled up, should I spray Round-up or another grass killer on the entire garden area? Or is there a better way to control the grass?
- How do I know when to cover tomatoes so the do not freeze?
- I have some pumpkins that are still green (October 9th). Is there any way they will become ripe?
- I have heard that black walnut sawdust should not be used in composting. People have told me it is poisonous to other plants. Is that true. I have several bushels of sawdust and would hate to send it to the land fill, but don't want to poison my garden either.
- I wanted to mail order some flowers to plant. Is the end of October too late to plant flowers?
- How do I get rid of snails and slugs?
- When do I pick my watermelon?
