Part of my garden is right underneath a couple big pine trees, so it's been raining needs, pine cones, and pine petals here for 20 years:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PineMulch_w.jpg[/img]
Enlarged to show texture:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PineMulchDetail.jpg[/img]
It's like this for the top ~2 inches, and below that is 3-4 inches of nice, crumbly stuff, and below that is my [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=204313#204313]compacted sand and clay[/url].
What's all that pine likely to do to the soil underneath here? What veggies grow well/poorly in this?
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TheWaterbug
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applestar
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BLUEBERRIES! 
I also use that duff to mix into mulch for potatoes.
My neighbor planted a line of pine trees between our properties, and they have grow over the years to shade my garden
But all along my side of the fence, there is always a nice pile of pine needles and composted pine needles so I make good use of them. 
I also use that duff to mix into mulch for potatoes.
My neighbor planted a line of pine trees between our properties, and they have grow over the years to shade my garden
But all along my side of the fence, there is always a nice pile of pine needles and composted pine needles so I make good use of them. -
mightywombat
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You DO need to properly compost it before it is good for anything, so just in case you don't know how, here's what you do:
Rake, scrape, and shovel all the needles and crumbly "stuff" into a mound with a few mowings worth of grass clippings. iIn addition, I like to a cup of add bone meal for every 4'x4' base mound to increase the nutrient content and lime (chicken poop is better if you can get it) IF you want to make the pH more base. Don't let the mound get too big as you'll be turning them over a few times and it's a PAIN if the they are too big to manage, so make multiple mounds if you need to.
Wet the mounds until they are moist and let 'em sit for about 3 days. I usually cover them with tarps if it isn't too hot out, which increases the microbial activity. After the three days, turn the pile, starting at the outside top to bottom and working your way deeper into the pile until what was on the inside is on the outside. Repeat the process until it is just a relatively small pile of rich, musty smelling soil-like stuff that you can turn into your gardens.
Anyways, now that THAT is done (if you omitted lime or poo) you have compost that is great for hydrangeas (if you like the blue flowers like I do), holly hedges, azaleas, rhododendrons, and hostas do well too. If you REEEALLY want something edible, the only thing II've successfully been able to do is blueberries, but they produce very well. Just remember to stretch netting over the bed if you don't want to fight the birds for them. You will lose.
I hope this has helped!
Rake, scrape, and shovel all the needles and crumbly "stuff" into a mound with a few mowings worth of grass clippings. iIn addition, I like to a cup of add bone meal for every 4'x4' base mound to increase the nutrient content and lime (chicken poop is better if you can get it) IF you want to make the pH more base. Don't let the mound get too big as you'll be turning them over a few times and it's a PAIN if the they are too big to manage, so make multiple mounds if you need to.
Wet the mounds until they are moist and let 'em sit for about 3 days. I usually cover them with tarps if it isn't too hot out, which increases the microbial activity. After the three days, turn the pile, starting at the outside top to bottom and working your way deeper into the pile until what was on the inside is on the outside. Repeat the process until it is just a relatively small pile of rich, musty smelling soil-like stuff that you can turn into your gardens.
Anyways, now that THAT is done (if you omitted lime or poo) you have compost that is great for hydrangeas (if you like the blue flowers like I do), holly hedges, azaleas, rhododendrons, and hostas do well too. If you REEEALLY want something edible, the only thing II've successfully been able to do is blueberries, but they produce very well. Just remember to stretch netting over the bed if you don't want to fight the birds for them. You will lose.
I hope this has helped!
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mightywombat
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