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Gary350
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4 Pickup Truck loads of pine needles.

I have been raking pine needles for several hours, I have 4 pickup truck loads of pine needles in my back yard.

Does this stuff make good compost?

I know it is high acid.

Odd Duck
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Man, I wish I could find some pine needles. They can take a long time to break down and tend to make an acidic compost. Exactly what I want for my future blueberry patch! Pine needles are also good to layer with soil/compost when hilling potatoes. Beyond that, you'll need someone with more experience than me. Hope this helps at least a little.

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Gary350
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I just had an idea. I can put the pine needles in a fence row that keeps growing up with brush and weeds it should keep it all killed. It should work better than 2,4,D because the brush won't grow back as long as pine needles are still there.

Bobberman
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I would nt worry about the acid just add a little lime. Pine needles makes a good airater in the soil. Mix with strained soil and it will work great add a little nitrogen wih something like cotton seed meal and you have a great growing media! Dig down below the first few inches of pine needles and take what is underneath and put the fress needles on top! There are two 40 year old pine trees that I took a foot of decayed pine needles then filled it up with soil. Greatstuff! Great compost material to keep the compost from getting mushy!

toxcrusadr
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They also make great mulch for paths through the garden. I have raised beds with paths in between that get very weedy, so whenever I get pine needles or wood chips, they become mulch.

tomc
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Gary350 wrote:I have been raking pine needles for several hours, I have 4 pickup truck loads of pine needles in my back yard.

Does this stuff make good compost?

I know it is high acid.
Its a 'brown'. Pine needles are acidic. Finished compost made with liberal amounts of this litter is pretty neutral.

When I used this yard waste to acidify soil for blueberry it was inadaquate to my need.

I've used it in my compost and as part of a hugelkultur bed. I'd do that again given the option.



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