Matting is bad if water can't get through and a good exchange of oxygen with the soil can't happen. Not to continually push pine straw, but that is a huge advantage to using it is that it continually allows a good exchange of air and water runs right through it. If your plants are doing great, you are getting what you need to the soil and roots and I wouldn't worry too much about it. If the plants wilt, I would lift the "mat" and see if there is moisture getting to the soil. On the other hand, if the soil doesn't drain well, you could also trap too much moisure and waterlog the plants.
Dixana wrote:Not to be hijacking the thread, but is matting bad? I've been mulching with grass clippings and they have matted down around my plants....
The plants seem to be doing fine but AS made it sound like a bad thing and I don't want to hurt my plants! I don't have dried leaves or anything to mix with them to airate it, I tried some shredded paper but it blew around a lot and do not have forgiving neighbors.