| By :
Victoria Gates
Pine straw is popular landscape mulch consisting of the dried and carefully cleaned needles of pine trees. Pine mulch is a renewable, organic, and naturally occurring resource that is also quite beautiful around plants. Really it is no surprise that many people have chosen to use it as a preferred natural landscaping material. Pine Straw does not tend to blow away in the wind, lasts for a reasonable length of time, and gradually enriches the soil as it breaks down. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to work with to achieve a beautiful and low-maintenance landscape design. Plus Mulching with pine straw is one of the best ways to keep weeds out of your landscape. To apply your pinestraw mulch, begin by cutting the bale of pine straw open with your utility knife or yard trimmers. Simply discard the ties that bound the straw bale together. Next you break up the bale of pine straw with your hands so that you can easily grab handfuls of it to use when applying it. As pine straw is baled, it is typically compressed so that the bales can easily be stacked. While this is great for transport in bulk, but does not make it easy for you to use without first breaking it up. To make it easier try hitting it with a shovel a few times to loosen the bale up. Now you simply gather large handfuls of the pine straw and begin applying it to your desired landscaping location. Remember to leave about an inch and a half of space when landscaping around trees, shrubs or plants. You do not want to apply the pine straw right up to the bases of these plants since doing so can promote rot instead of protection. It is recommended that you apply the pine straw to a depth of about 1 to 2 inches the first time you are applying pine straw. Every year afterward, to maintain your landscape, you should plan on applying another inch or two of fresh pine straw. Finally you simply water and fertilize your landscaped area as usual according to the needs of your plants. Besides looking great, pine straw will do all the beneficial things other mulches do, and much more! Pine mulch will keep the soil at a more consistent temperature, deter many common garden pests, retain moisture, prevent weeds and eventually break down into nutrients that the plants and trees in your landscape need to grow. As pine needles break down they help acidify the soil which makes this especially superior mulch for acid-loving plants, trees and shrubs.
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