Pine needles as mulch

[5mortons]

I've got a ton of pine needles to rake up, but as I was planting my garden yesterday it occurred to me that I might be able to use them as weed control around strawberries, veggies, etc. I don't know if they'd be good as mulch, since they don't seem to break down to well.

Any suggestions/thoughts/experience with this?

[seaellare]

I am in SC, and they sell pine needles at our gardening centers here for use as mulch! I use them on some of my beds. Don't know much about them except that they are acidic, so use them on placts that like acidic soil. I haven't heard anything negative from anyone using them either! I'm sure others here will give you good advice on them though!

[tiggs&oscar]

Don't know if you are bothered too much with garden pests but I am guessing slugs and snails won't like crawling over pine needles to get to your fruit and veg beds!

TO

[Hortoholic]

Pine needles are the best natural, native mulch we have in New Hampshire and I'm sure in any state -

They are very acidic - Great for Rhodos, Azalias, Kalmias and so on... - also an excellent soil amendment - put a fist full in with each spud you plant and it prevents potato scab.

[tiggs&oscar]

Hortoholic,

Good to know about the pine needles being good for rhodo's as I bought one cheap from my local garden centre. It had been overwintered there and all the new stock had arrived.
It's just given a gorgeous flower display after I gave it a seaweed solution soak on repotting but I shall surround it with pine needles now as it still needs a bit of help.

TO

[noisebeam]

I garden in the low desert southwest with alkaline soil.

Does anyone have any experience using pine needles as mulch for general vegetable gardening in such conditions? Plants include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, basil, borrage, squash, mellons and many others.

I have a near endless supply of them.

Al

[pixelphoto]

I use em around my blueberries as well since they love acid I don't think they are really as acid as a lot of people make out it takes a long time for those suckers to break down maybe after many years they tend to be more acidic. But freshly put on each year you should be ok.