Mulching your garden and flowerbeds can be beneficial to your plants and also add to the aesthetic appearance of your yard. 
There are many options when considering mulching, and one of those options is pine straw.
Pine straw is an eco friendly option for those looking to mulch their beds and gardens in a responsible manner. Pine trees shed needles, which you probably have noticed if you have spent any time in nature or around pine trees. Once these needles have been shed and drop to the ground they are gathered and cleaned. After this process they are baled together and sold as pine straw for mulching. Since the pine needles are naturally dropped over time and gathered from the ground, there is no harm done to the trees, which makes using pine straw very environmentally friendly.
Pine straw is often used primarily to improve the appearance of a yard as it can give the beds or garden a very clean and fresh look. PIne straw also has many benefits besides appearance. As with many mulches, pine straw can help prevent the growth of new weeds, minimize evaporation of moisture from the soil, help regulate soil temperature to protect plants, and can protect the soil you have from erosion and from being compacted too tightly. Since pine straw is an organic material, it will decay and provide the soil with nutrients as it does so. Some pine needles are slightly acidic and will increase soil acidity as they decay into the soil. This is hugely beneficial for plants that like acidic soil.
Proper application of pine straw is quite simple. Purchase the bales of pine straw and cut them open. It is a good idea to use good quality gardening gloves as pine needles can be rough and sharp on the hands. Sprinkle the pine needles around your plants and cover the beds and garden area to a depth of about three inches. Keep space around plants (a few inches at least) and trees to avoid giving insects and rodents more opportunity to get to them.
If you are applying purely for decor, you may want to add another inch or so of pine straw every six to eight months to keep the area looking fresh and clean. If you are primarily using the pine straw as mulch, you will want to keep a thickness in coverage of about three inches and apply annually.
If you need help with your lawn give Greenfeet Lawncare a call or Click the link below for a Free Estimate.
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