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Home Page > Home Improvement > Gardening > The Pine Straw Mulch Advantage: How Pine Straw Outperforms Other Mulches The Pine Straw Mulch Advantage: How Pine Straw Outperforms Other Mulches Posted: Feb 21, 2008 |Comments: 2 | Views: 200 | ]]>
Mulch is a very important tool in the garden and landscape that:
โ�ขhelps prevent loss of topsoil from wind and water erosion
โ�ขreduces water usage by maintaining soil moisture
โ�ขreduces rainwater runoff
โ�ขreduces soil compaction
โ�ขlessens soil temperature fluctuations
โ�ขimproves soil tilth
โ�ขmakes the landscape more attractive
โ�ขreduces maintenance
โ�ขreduces weed growth
โ�ขinsulates soil to keep plants cooler in summer and warmer in winter
โ�ขimproves soil aeration, structure, and drainage over time
โ�ขimproves soil fertility
โ�ขinhibits certain plant diseases
โ�ขreduces damage from trimmers and lawn mowers
All of these qualities not only improve the health of your garden and landscape, but subsequently improve its overall beauty as well.
There are many types of mulches to choose from. One type, pine straw (sometimes referred to as pine needles), outperforms other mulches in many ways. But before I discuss that, let me explain what pine straw is.
Pine straw comes from several different species of pine trees, and these trees drop their leaves (needles or straw) naturally throughout the year. Once the straw drops to the ground, it is baled, without ever having to cut down a single tree. Since it is produced naturally and sustainably, I sometimes refer to it as the โ��guilt-freeโ�� mulch.
Each speciesโ�� straw will have its own unique characteristics, such as needle length, wax content, and needle flexibility to name a few. The Loblolly species of pine straw for instance, with a needle length ranging from about six to nine inches, makes it easy to apply and shape, and the needle size is the optimum for allowing the soil to breathe well while allowing excellent water infiltration.
Pine straw bales are usually available in either a round or square shape, and of varying weights and sizes.
They are easy to carry and easy to store. In size and appearance, they are very similar to small hay bales.
Besides it being produced naturally and sustainably, there are numerous garden and landscape health and beauty advantages to using pine straw mulch. Some of the ways pine straw outperforms other mulches are:
โ�ขLongevity โ�� it doesn't float and wash away and breaks down more slowly, so it doesn't need to be
reapplied as frequently as other mulches
โ�ขLightweight โ�� it is easier to handle and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches: one large bale can cover as much area as 30 cubic feet of most mulches!
โ�ขCost โ�� the cost per square foot is competitive with other mulches
โ�ขSoil health โ�� it breathes better, doesn't compact, and allows for better water infiltration
โ�ขSimple โ�� it is easy to apply: just unroll the bales and scatter by hand
โ�ขPest free โ�� it doesn't attract termites
โ�ขPlant health โ�� it adds organic material and nutrients to soil and reduces weeds
โ�ขVisually appealing - the uniform color and fine texture of pine straw brings out the color, contrast, and texture of your landscape
โ�ขErosion control โ�� you can use it where grass won't grow to hold soil
โ�ขGreat for bird nests - used frequently for bird nests and bird houses
Mulching is undeniably the single best thing you can do for your garden and landscape. Using pine straw as your mulch will not only save you time and money, but can give you a garden that is the envy of your neighborhood!
(ArticlesBase SC #338997)
Start increasing your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started. Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it's free and easy! Scott Jacobs - About the Author:Scott Jacobs is the owner of Pine Straw Direct, a company that ships bales of pine straw directly to homes and businesses throughout the U.S. for mulching and landscaping at prices that are competitive with other premium mulches. The Pine Straw Direct website (www.PineStrawDirect.com) makes ordering online quick and easy and also includes an online calculator to determine the amount of pine straw needed.
]]> Questions and Answers Ask our experts your Gardening related questions here... Ask 200ย Characters left How many bales of pine straw per acre ? What are the advantages of pine wood? What material is the preferred for container gardening? I will be using organic fertilizing products, but should I be concerned about the composition of the pot. What leaches chemicals least? Rate this Article 1 2 3 4 5 vote(s) 6 vote(s) Feedback Print Re-Publish 0) { ch_selected = Math.floor(Math.random()*ch_queries.length); if(ch_selected == ch_queries.length) ch_selected--; ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected]; } }catch(e){ ch_query = document.title; } ]]> Source: ย http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/the-pine-straw-mulch-advantage-how-pine-straw-outperforms-other-mulches-338997.html Article Tags: mulch, landscape, landscaping, garden, gardening, organic gardening, organic Related Articles Latest Gardening Articles Organic gardening - General Notes on organic horticulture Organic gardening systemsthis organic gardening article Presents general notes on ways of integrating organic gardening in the horticulture field.
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By: wendyl Home Improvement> Gardeningl Jul 16, 2011 Add new Comment Your Name: * Your Email: Comment Body: * ย Verification code:* * Required fieldsComments on this article 2 Scott Jacobs - the article author Nov 24, 2008 To address some comments made about my pine straw mulch article, I offer this additional information:
The comment that pine straw acidifies your soil over time and should only be used with plants that require acidic soil is actually mostly a myth. Pine straw in itself is slightly acidic. As it naturally breaks down, it becomes even less acidic. For it to lower your soil\'s pH even a little, takes many years, and even then, the decrease is only very slight. Any plant that can be grown with other mulches can be grown with pinestraw as a mulch. It is done by us and all over the country all the time. In that pine straw mulch needs to be refreshed more often than wood mulch is also not accurate. Pine straw actually breaks down slower than most other wood mulches, so it doesn\'t need to be refreshed as often. If in direct sunlight, its color will fade just like all other mulches. It actually costs less to refresh pine straw because you only have to buy a very small amount and lightly sprinkle on top to refresh the color if necessary. We have it in areas that it has been in place for over one year and the color is still a nice brown. It also doesn\'t float and then wash away like many other mulches, so it can last much longer. I agree with the comment regarding bale consistency, size, freshness, color, and percentage of debris. These are questions that should be asked and answered. The advantages and performance that pine straw mulch offers both for plant health and ease of application, make it a better performing mulch for most gardeners and landscapers for most gardens and landscapes. -2 Michael Villani Oct 02, 2008 For the most part the article was one sided, as the author, who has a vested interest in us buying pine mulch left out the negatives of using it. Such as that pine straw acidifies your soil over time and should only be used with plants that require acidic soil, such as blueberries and azaleas. Also, pine mulch needs to be refreshed more often than wood mulch, twice a year, which eliminates it's cost advantage. Another consideration when buying pine mulch is bale consistency, size, freshness, color, percentage of debris. These can vary from load to load, even from the same manufacturer. Submit
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Scott Jacobs is the owner of Pine Straw Direct, a company that ships bales of pine straw directly to homes and businesses throughout the U.S. for mulching and landscaping at prices that are competitive with other premium mulches. The Pine Straw Direct website (www.PineStrawDirect.com) makes ordering online quick and easy and also includes an online calculator to determine the amount of pine straw needed.
Sources:
The Pine Straw Mulch Advantage How Pine Straw Outperforms Other MulchesThe Pine Straw Mulch Advantage How Pine Straw Outperforms Other Mulches
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