I have a TON of pine needles here on the property that I'd like to use as mulch for certain plants. Does anybody know if they are an acceptable mulch for strawberries or is there a risk of acidifying the soil too much by using them.

What about using pine needles for mulch on raspberries?

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Answers

I used pine needles and grass clipppings mixed two seasons ago with good results. I was concerned about the acidity also but they did o.k.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I have not used pine needles.I use the straw left over from the winter that covered them. However,when I was researching out what to put with what,I saw that both raspberries and strawberries like a slightly acid soil,so it should be fine,at least initially.Do you have a naturally acidic or alkaline soil? Perhaps vary the mulch fom year to year,after this.

Have blueberries? Definitely use the pine needles there!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I have not used pine needles.I use the straw left over from the winter that covered them. However,when I was researching out what to put with what,I saw that both raspberries and strawberries like a slightly acid soil,so it should be fine,at least initially.Do you have a naturally acidic or alkaline soil? Perhaps vary the mulch fom year to year,after this.

Have blueberries? Definitely use the pine needles there! One bed of blueberries has strawberries under it.I initially acidified the soil somewhat by mixing in pine bark mulch,and the strawberries there are doing just fine,as are the blueberries,so far.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Jay: Glad to hear it's working for you. It's certainly a cheap way to go if you have lots of pine needles available. The source of my pine needles comes from a big old Austrian Pine growing near the southwest corner of our house that I've nicknamed the "Old Man". It's a big knobby and knarled tree that looks kinda like a giant bonsai tree. It definitely has a lot of character - not to mention a LOT of pine needles.

Sharon: I'm glad you mentioned that raspberries and strawberries like slightly acidic soil. I thought I had read that somewhere, too, but couldn't put my hands on the information to confirm it or not.

From what I've heard from some of the old-timers around here the soil is slightly alkaline for this region. Although if you have a lot of pine trees and oak trees around your place your soil may be more acidic.

And can you believe it? I've been in this home now for over 2 1/2 years and have yet to get a soil test done so don't know for sure what my soil pH actually is. And here you've been thinking that I'm so organized... I really hate to burst your bubble like that. (oh the horror, the horror) ;-)

And no, we aren't growing blueberries... YET. But I do have an area planned for them. I'll definitely need to get my soil tested to see how much I'll need to lower the pH for them. And yes, I had heard that pine needles were good for blueberries. I just hope I have enough needle mulch for everything I eventually want to use it on.

Thanks for the help, guys.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Well,Jim.I thought it was important enough to mention twice(snort).

I've used the inexpensive ph/fertility kits and had then soil tests done thru extension.I found the ph was out fairly accurate using this test, but the other three were not,sometimes way off. For just ph, another person said the $15 ph meters are good.

I love talking gardening!

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

Oh and Jim...It's certainly no Apocalypse Now that you don't have your soil tested yet,but I am a little disappointed in you.I don't know if we can still talk gardening or not.I think you need to take care of this problem between us.:oD

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

I'm glad I checked this tread out. We have an anonymous pine tree in our yard that would probobly yield some nice needles for making a bed for blueberries. I also have strawberries that I could use some needles on.

Thanks for sharing.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2001