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Locally Harvested Pine Straw – Straw Hats & Bags – Distressed accent pieces and more....
Pine needles or Pine straw has is a popular landscape ground cover throughout the South. It is one of the most widely used mulches for all size projects from residential flowerbeds to industrial complexes and highway landscapes.
Pine needles interlock and hold together during hard rains and heavy winds, even on sloping landscapes. Because pine needles interlock, pine straw will not wash out of beds like other mulches. The fine texture and uniform color of pine straw is more aesthetically pleasing to some people. Its attractive, earthy look brings out the color, contrast, and texture of landscapes.
Pine straw Is a natural product for trees and plants that is high in nitrogen thus decomposes into a fertilizer and deters weeds, is ecology-minded and insulates tender roots from temperature extremes, keeping the soil warm during cold spells and cool during warm spells, conserves soil moisture by reducing water evaporation rates and moisture loss encourages water infiltration into the soil and reduces runoff, eliminates erosion caused by wind and rain-splash impact, adheres well to slopes and does not wash away as easily as other mulches during heavy rain and it does not have to be removed; putting fresh straw on top of the old revitalizes the color and is preferred by many landscape personnel because it is easier to work with than wood chip products and keeps some vegetables from forming mildew, mold, or developing rot and retains moisture in the soil and around plants better than other mulches.
Needles stay on the branches for about 2 years, after which they turn reddish brown and fall. While needles can fall throughout the year, under normal weather conditions most pine needles drop in September and October.
Southern Pine species that typically produce pine straw: Longleaf Pine, Slash Pine, Loblolly Pine, Shortleaf Pine
There are many benefits to the collection of pine straw. The removal of pine straw from forestlands means: Fire Hazard Reduction; Especially Around Homes and Local Product Used Locally (Positive Economic Impact)
Pine straw removal could impact: Nutrient Levels In the Southern United States, fertilization is actually done to make up for the pine straw collection. Erosion Control Pine straw prevents erosion of topsoil. Consequently, it is important for harvesting operations to leave a layer of straw and organic matter. Harvesting pine straw may have long- term effects on soil chemistry.
Credits: Pine Straw Feasibility Study: Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, rural/urban development council
