How to Use Pine Needles for Landscaping
When it comes to adding some flair and interest to your garden, there are lots of different landscaping materials and design ideas you can choose from. One material that you might not have considered in this way is pine needles. Unsure of how you could use pine needles for landscaping? Read on for our best ideas and tips.
What to use pine needles for in landscaping
Pine needles are a great natural material to use in your landscaping. If you have a pine tree in your yard, then you’ve already got them there as a free resource. Just rake them up as the needles fall off.
One of the most common uses for pine needles in landscaping is as a form of organic mulch. Mulching your lawn or soil helps to retain its moisture and improve growth of grass of plants, also absorbing the nutrients from organic mulch like pine needles. Read more about mulching on our blog.
You can also use pine needles as a decorative aspect to your landscaping. They can add nice detail to your garden at the same time as providing nutrition to its plants. Unlike other forms of organic mulch, pine needles tend not to dry out in the summer heat, so they are left looking vibrant and full of life all year round and can last for years.
What to avoid
Remember that pine needles are sharp, so grabbing handfuls of them can cause lots of painful little spikes. So, it’s advisable to wear gloves when handling pine needles in large quantities.
You may need to avoid mulching with pine needles around plants that prefer alkaline conditions because pine needles are naturally acidic. This means they will add acid to the soil as they decompose. You can, however, use a fertilizer that helps to raise the pH of the soil if this becomes a problem. Some experts even argue that the acidity of pine needles is not enough to affect the soil.
How much do you need?
When using pine needles as mulch, it is recommended to lay it at least three inches in thickness. We sell pine needles by the bale, with one bale enough to cover a 30 square feet area. So, you just need to measure up your garden to figure out how much you need to buy.
If you’re looking for pine needles to add to your landscaping and you don’t have your own pine tree, then you can buy them from us online. Or, if you’d like more advice on how to use them, get in touch with us at Stratford Landscape Supply, serving North Carolina around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville.