Custom Pine Straw The Official Blog

Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on January 4, 2012

Pine Straw is a very useful natural resource. I recently bought some property that had a few acres of pine trees on it. So I started wondering if there was any money to be made from having these acres of pine trees even though they are not mature enough to be harvested. What I came across was the harvesting of the pine straw dropped to the ground by the pine trees. As I explored the harvesting potential of the pine straw  I found that Pine Straw can be harvested at about age ten and on, at about two times per calendar year. Pine plantations yield 100 to 150 bales per acre per year if all conditions are right or approximately two tons per acre each year. Factors such as tree age, species, stand density, soil fertility and season affect pine straw crop. Other variables that contribute to pine straw yields include interval between harvests, bale size, “cleanliness” of underbrush, and raking efficiency. Three things to always inquire first about before harvesting are:

• Age
• Pine Straw Density
• Season

Also as a rule of thumb, vigorously growing younger stands produce more than overly mature, stagnant stands. This rule also holds true for wood production. Also, a well-managed, clean stand with several years’ accumulation of needles will not necessarily provide greater yield than a well-managed, clean stand with only two year needle fall because older needles disintegrate and become too brittle to bale. Only the fresh, red needles are desired by consumers.

For pine straw removal and proper harvesting one would need a highly productive crew of five or so people and will require about two to three weeks to prepare, clean, rake, bale, and haul pine straw bales from a typical, 30 acre plantation. The process for machine harvesting a typical pine plantation for pine straw requires that you:

1. Remove (prune) the lower limbs of every tree that might block the movement of equipment and laborers within the rows. Pruning may be performed by hand with machete or special saws. Limb removal may also be accomplished more cost effectively by using a modified cutter attached to a small tractor. Hand raking operations may not find pruning necessary depending upon tree height.
2. Remove all trees and shrubs that are within the baling rows. Remove all limbs and other debris from the baling rows. The debris must be picked up or raked off site. Often, one out of 3 or 5 rows will be used as a “trash” rows in which the debris will be deposited. This eliminates the need to move the debris great distances.
3. Rake the pine needles either by hand or by machine into windrows. (A windrow is a row of cut (mowed) hay or small grain crop.)

Surprisingly, raking and baling are the easiest and fastest parts of the process. Cleanup, gathering, and transporting the bales are the more difficult, labor intensive and expensive steps.

1. Make sure to exclude any insects (ants), excess litter, grass, hardwood leaves when baling that might reduce the value of the bale.
2. Bale either by hand or by machine. Twine should be tight enough to hold bale securely without breaking.
3. Transport bales out of woods and deliver to markets or to a storage barn. Straw bales should be protected from rain to prevent molding and nutrient leaching.

Once all has been harvested and baled and shipped off the plantation, owner should receive a healthy penny for their harvest. Hope you enjoy the harvesting potential of pine straw as much as I do. Now go bale some Pine Straw!

By: S. Lauren Easterday

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on November 26, 2011

Pine Straw Mulch is slowly becoming one of the most popular organic Mulch’s on the market. Many who purchase it from gardeners to landscapers are greatly impressed with both the quality and the benefits that come with using such a natural product. It seems in many Mulching forums these days there is a great deal of talk of Pine Straw Mulch and I’m sure you find yourself asking why? There are hundreds of reasons as to why but I will gladly give you a few of the benefits it gives.

For those who are not aware there seems to be a growing problem with something called Shotgun Fungus. Shotgun Fungus is a type of fungus that when it discharges its spores have a sticky substance that makes it so spores can stick to any surface. This makes the fungus difficult to get rid of and often becomes troublesome for everyone who has to deal with it.

Luckily for some the Shotgun Fungus greatly like wood based mulch’s. Using Pine Straw as your Mulch of choice will prevent Shotgun Fungus. If you are experiencing Shotgun Fungus it is recommended you completely get rid of your wood mulch and replace it with Pine Straw Mulch, if it has spread to the side of your house the black spots will stop appearing on the side of your house.

Another problem some seem to face is termites or the fear of getting them. Some Mulch’s can indeed draw termites to it. This is not the case with Pine Straw termites are not attracted to Pine Straw Mulch in the least and will usually try and avoid the mulch. So if you are suffering from a termite infestation due to the mulch your using it would be recommended to switch over to Pine Straw Mulch. The lack of termites will bring both a relief and save money on whatever needed to be repaired due to the damage done by them.

Pine Straw Mulch is also known for being able to keep slugs, snails, and some other small pests out of the gardens. The sharpness of the needles makes it difficult for those smaller pests to maneuver through into your garden. So if you’re not a fan of slugs or snails like myself and seem to have trouble with your other mulch keeping them out, give Pine Straw Mulch a try. It will give you a piece of mind knowing that the next time you’re out in your garden you won’t find yourself coming across a single slug, snail, or other small pests.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on November 12, 2011

Pine Straw Mulch tends to be one of those mulches that people don’t really seem to know much about. What plants does it go best with? What will it do for my soil? What makes it so great? The list of questions goes on and on about Pine Straw Mulch. But I find that the most important thing to focus on is what mulch can do for your plants. Every gardener seems to have a favorite and some of follow a particular theme. Other gardeners are new and inexperienced and are looking for solutions to keep their plants from wilting.

So you have a garden that has plants that thrive in high acid content soil but your finding that it’s a bit difficult to find a Mulch that when said Mulch breaks down it gives your plants what they really need. Pine Straw Mulch is very acidic Mulch making it perfect for the dilemma some of you may be facing. It’s made from Pine needles from Pine trees and Pine trees are known for being acidic plants. But then for some that poses the question of do my plants like acidic soil?

Now that takes a bit of time to look into and research luckily I have found a small list to start you off on your journey. Some gardeners may like to plant both flowers and vegetables well luckily for them some flowers and shrubs share a liking for acidic soil with some yummy fruits and veggies. Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Gardenias, and Hydrangea plants really enjoy acidic soil. Which means if you wish to grow a garden filled with blueberries, black berries, and cucumbers, you can put them in the garden with your flowers. Or even the left over Pine Straw can be using for a small plot to enrich that soil and give you a small little patch of area to garden with.

Pine Straw Mulch is still Mulch even if gardeners decide to use it to help enrich their soils and thus it can always add a great deal of benefit to your garden. Pine Straw Mulch decreases the amount of weeds which means less time on your hands and knees and more time working on your garden in the warm months perfecting those prized cucumbers or blueberries for a fair or for your families’ personal enjoyment. The mulch traps in moisture protecting plants during dry spells leaving less of a chance of going over what you’re allowed during droughts. The possibilities are endless and people are finding more and more plants that Pine Straw Mulch works best for in both gardening for leisure and for commercial use.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on November 2, 2011

Most people are not aware of the differences in Pine Straw Mulch but there are 3 types of Pine Straw Mulch. The 3 different types of Pine Straw Mulch are Longleaf Pine Straw which is considered the best Pine Straw Mulch that money can buy. It’s a rather rare form of Mulch but it is recommended that Landscaping companies try to find a place that sells it for the sake of your landscaping projects. It is the most durable and thus will last the longest giving your bedding’s the longest protection and appeal.

The next type of Pine Straw Mulch is Slash Pine Straw. Slash Pine Straw is the most common type of Mulch in the category of Pine Straw Mulch’s that you can find on the market. It’s affordable, cleanly, and durable. It’s what most Landscapers should be purchasing if they do not wish to hunt or are on a bit more of a budget but do not wish to give something of cheap quality. It will not last as long as Longleaf Pine Mulch but it will still last long enough to where one will not have to redo the mulching in their landscaping beds frequently.

Loblolly Pine Straw is the worst Pine Straw one can purchase. It does not last long and it isn’t all that appealing. It’s cheap which gives it the only advantage in a sense but landscapers will find themselves having to purchase it more frequently and often for their projects. I believe that most consumers will find themselves to be short changed so it’s not recommended to do so. A displeased Customer is a customer that will not be returning to the company. Most respectable Pine Straw companies will not even bother selling this which thankfully makes it such a rare form of Pine Straw Mulch to come by but for a good reason.

Luckily though for must landscaping companies and even those who are purchasing Pine Straw mulch for themselves can find the best quality Longleaf Pine Straw at affordable prices online. In particular one company that I am personally aware of that sells top quality Longleaf pine straw mulch is called Custom Pine Straw. The company owners are very friendly and helpful. Their prices are reasonable and thus you don’t have to settle for anything more than the last. Their site gives wonderful tips for using Pine Mulch and the company is wonderful on their shipping. You couldn’t ask for a better place to go for your Pine Straw Mulch needs.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on October 31, 2011

It seems like today with consumers and the economy people are always looking for a way to save money and have items with many purposes and uses. Pine Straw Mulch can be just that. With most regular mulch’s available the consumer is not guaranteed to really get their monies worth. But Pine Straw gives you that in so many ways. Looking to save money on weed killers? Pine Straw has been proven to kill the weeds for you. Have extra Pine Straw Mulch that you’re not using for bedding and have any holes that need a quick fill in? Pine Straw works wonderfully for that.

But maybe that’s not your cup of tea. Maybe you want more for your money. There are so many more ways to use Pine Straw Mulch. With the way the housing market has been these days home owners selling their homes need to find ways to make their houses look more appealing to prospective buyers, Pine Straw Mulch can do just that. It will bring out the flower beds and a nice aroma of pine relaxing potential buyers. Being organic those green friendly prospective house buyers will appreciate the fact that your making their future gardens so eco-friendly. Plus for those whom have heavy rainy seasons Pine Straw Mulch does not wash away easily or end up washing onto your house’s driveway. With that in mind if it rains heavily before a house showing you’re not forced to run around outside attempting to fix the damage done to your flower beds or cancel the house showing.

For some farmers looking to both enrich and vitalize their soils Pine Straw Mulch could very well be a new innovative way for enriching their soils for planting crops. Tomato’s especially Jersey Tomato’s thrive in soils with a high acid content. So as when the Pine Straw Mulch breaks down and enriches the soil it can give key nutrients needed for farmers like those whom farm Tomato’s. Farmers are always looking for ways to make their plants thrive and Pine Straw Mulch could perhaps give that edge a farmer is looking for.  There are other plants that thrive in high acid content so for those with nurseries with said acid loving plants Pine Straw Mulch could be a great way to save money and time while allowing for your tree’s or other plants to thrive and grow. The healthier the nursery or farm the better business becomes.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on October 29, 2011

See part one for full details…

After you apply the pine mulch you need to make sure you gently hand-rake or move it away from against the stems or the trunks of the bushes and trees. Placing any sort of mulch too close to a tree-trunk will provide the conditions for the development of rot. If this sort of problem should happen, the damage cannot be undone, and the plant or plants will most likely die in a matter of seasons. Improper mulching will also provide an ideal home for rodents, which can also chew on plant stems or roots resulting in the death of the plant.

You should certainly mulch your fall-transplant trees and work on landscaping your plants as soon as you’ve planted and watered them. The pine mulch is needed to keep the soil warm and moist for as long as possible before the cold weather freezes the soil. Mulch helps to give the plants time for the roots of transplanted trees and shrubs to become well-established.

With the more established garden plants it is best to mulch earlier in the autumn if possible since doing so helps to retain the warmth in the soil and roots continue to grow for an extended period of time. Plants can benefit by absorbing more moisture as they head into colder months which puts them in much better shape. In the springtime you will of course need to remove the pine mulch from your perennial plants or at least pull it away soon as snow melts and the plants begin to flourish again. For other types of plants, trees, and shrubs you can leave the much as it is and simply refresh it.

Pine Straw mulch is really very important in the autumn since the perennials will harden as the fall season turns to winter. While plants may endure very low temperatures in the winter months, such temperatures in the fall may very well kill the plants since they aren’t fully hardened-off. This is why it is so critical to put your mulch in as early as possible. If there is a steep decline in temperatures in the fall you can rest-at-ease since the soil temperatures in your garden will drop much more slowly due to the mulched soil. In conclusion, I hope you learned a few new tip to help you with your fall mulch plans and your garden will be healthy and gorgeous next spring!

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on October 28, 2011

Pine mulch is used as a standard form of winter season protection for many younger and delicate shallow-root plants. During the summer months mulch is quite effective at retaining appropriate levels of soil moisture, preventing erosion from heavy rain, as well as at controlling pesky weeds. In the winter months the mulch acts like a warm blanket for the sleeping plants.

If you should fail to add a fresh carpet of mulch to your garden plants or shrubs it could very well lead to considerable damage to the plants. The common occurrence of openly thawing and freezing with un-mulched soil could cause a phenomenon called “frost heaving” in the springtime. This detrimental freezing and thawing pattern occurs mainly in the fall and spring of the year. Especially in fall this may keep perennials from hardening off properly or cause damage to unhardened plants

Mulch can help retain the soils heat and keep it from freezing, which protects the root systems. At first the soil under the layer of pine mulch does not freeze quite as much, so the plants will continue to absorb needed moisture. Of course over time the soil will eventually freeze, and in the springtime most mulch won’t help much with degeneration of plant foliage.

Pine straw even helps evergreen shrubs go into colder months with more moisture so less damage occurs from drying-out in the thaw of spring. Snow-cover can actually provide a rather good protection for garden plants but it’s not possible to predict how much snowfall, we could get each winter. The best idea is to spread treated and cleaned pine needles (also called pine straw) a natural and organic material around the base of your landscaping plants and bushes.

It is often falsely believed that you should avoid using pine needles if you don’t want acidic soil. While pine straw does create a slightly higher acidity it is not enough to be detrimental to other garden plants. The rule of thumb for fall and winter mulch application is to apply a two or three-inch layer over your garden beds. Adding more than two or three inches may smother the root system and possibly damage or even kill the plant.

This especially is important to remember when adding mulch around shallow-rooted perennials like the yarrow plant. Some tender plants could withstand too much mulch, but over-mulching your garden is considered to be a leading cause of death for many types of plants and shrubs. Pine needles are excellent because they will pack down very little, so you won’t need to add any additional layers as the winter progresses saving you time and from a rather chilly uncomfortable experience.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on October 27, 2011

When it comes to gardening a good gardener is always looking for a type of mulch that will help to attract the positive attention of friends and neighbors alike to their garden. Pinestraw is mulch that will bring out the true colors of the shrubs, flowers, and other plants in their landscape or flower beds. Pine Straw Mulch is the best choice to add the sophisticated appeal that gardeners are looking for.

But appeal just isn’t the only thing Pine Straw Mulch gives to a garden, the light and heady scent of pine can also help to cover up any unpleasant musty odors the fertilizer used for your plants may generate. The scent of pine needles may even bring a sense of peace and comfort to those who smell it. Studies have indeed proven that the scent of pine is considered a soothing and relaxing scent. If you are one of those types who truly enjoy the scent of pine then you’ll really enjoy using Pine Straw in your landscape.

However, the scent is generally virtually unnoticeable and there is more to Pine Straw Mulch than just the pretty looks or pleasant scent. Pine Straw Mulch is also an excellent weed killer, yes that’s right the clean pine needles prepared for mulch do function as an effective natural weed killer. The gardener’s most hated enemy in the world is weeds and Pine Straw mulch lowers or in some cases even completely eliminates all of the weeds. This means no more spending hours in your flower beds pulling weeds out and suffering from a stiff back or your knee’s bothering you which is great for those gardeners whom have arthritis.

Another wonderful benefit that gardeners who use natural mulches can boast about is being environmentally friendly. A green earth is a happy earth and a happy earth means clean air and happy healthy people. Pine Straw mulches are completely organic and have no chemicals or anything in it that could possibly hurt your plants or the animals. Pine Straw is made from the pine needles dropped by pine trees that produce needles, and then are hand-raked and cleaned to eliminate weed seeds.

So for those gardeners who look for all of these features in your mulch, Pine Mulch is indeed the very best mulch for your needs. The appealing color it adds to your landscape, the pleasant scent that helps to mask any undesired odor, the calming and soothing scent of pine, the lowered need to do any weeding, and last but not least how green friendly Pine Mulch is to the environment. You really couldn’t ask for more. For all gardeners out there I wish you a happy season, enjoy your plants in good health!

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on October 26, 2011

Pine straw is wonderful for many reasons just as it is wonderful for many seasons! Fall and winter are quickly approaching and with the steady onset of the cooling temperatures your garden is going to need mulch to protect your plants from the harsh seasons to come. Pine Straw mulch offers the superior protection your garden needs for the fall and winter seasons. Your plants will thank you with beautiful shows of color in every season they bloom!

During the fall season plants go through the natural process of preparing themselves for the rather cold and tedious winter months. Pine Straw is a layer of mulch that many homeowners put down to protect the roots of tender plants from the chilly and perhaps even freezing weather to come. Thus the root systems are given the protection they require to survive through the harsher seasons, so when the warmer seasons come your plants will continue to be able to thrive and grow.

Fall seasons may be drier and because of this some plants will end up wilting without the much needed rain. However, Pine Straw mulch will trap the moisture keeping the required water in for longer which makes your plants both happy and hydrated. In this way your plants will not suffer from lack of water and when winter finally makes its way in, the Pine Straw will help protect your plants.

Pine Straw mulch also helps to keep up the appealing look of your garden in the autumn months. For those homeowners who tend to spend a good deal of time worrying about what the neighbors next door might think of the sight of unattended flower beds or the general appearance of the landscape, Pine Straw will keep the appearance looking more vibrant with rich color even as fall slowly reaches its end.  Before the first winter snow your neighbors will be giving jealous praise and much deserved praise to your gorgeous garden.

There are so many other reasons Pine Straw mulch is a wonderful choice for the Fall and Winter seasons but personally I find that the one’s I have mentioned in this article are the most important to gardeners like myself. Remember that Pine Straw isn’t just a fall or winter mulch, it can be used for any season and will give your garden the beauty and protection it needs to continue to remain healthy, thrive, and grow.

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Posted By Pine Straw Mulch on September 26, 2011

Are you in the mood to improve your landscape or garden this summer? Looking for ideas on the best choice for mulch is an excellent place to begin. First of all “mulch” is a general term used to describe any organic or inorganic substance placed over the top of your garden soil. Mulch is considered by most to be one of the most important components in a landscape. There are many benefits to mulch especially organic mulch.

Pine straw is one of the most desired natural organic mulches. Pine mulch is available in most garden centers or wholesale in bulk from local or online companies. Pine straw boasts numerous benefits including the prevention of topsoil loss due to wind and water erosion, reduction of damage from trimmers or mowers, improving soil fertility, reducing weed growth, stabilizing soil temperature fluctuations, and improving soil tilth.

According to an article by Colorodo State University the term soil tilth refers to “The soil’s general suitability to support plant growth, or more specifically to support root growth. Tilth is technically defined as “the physical condition of soil as related to its ease of tillage, fitness of seedbed, and impedance to seedling emergence and root penetration.” A soil with good tilth has large pore spaces for adequate air infiltration and water movement. (Roots only grow where the soil tilth allows for adequate levels of soil oxygen.) It also holds a reasonable supply of water and nutrients.”

In addition to the use of pine straw in your landscape reduces water usage by maintaining soil moisture more naturally. Pine straw helps with other common water concerns as well. Rainwater runoff is reduced, and less soil will be washed away during a storm. This also greatly helps to reduce the issue of soil compaction.

Of course another benefit of using pine straw as garden and landscaping mulch is the attractiveness. Next time you go out, notice many businesses use pine straw in their professional landscaping. Take note of businesses that use stone and wood chips as well, wood chips tend to be very messy, especially after heavy summer rainstorms, and rocks offer no nutrition for the plants. Several companies including most golf courses choose to use pine straw to accent their plants.

In fact the prestigious TPC Sawgrass golf course, home of “The Players” golf championship, use pine straw in most of their gorgeous landscaping jobs. If pine straw is prestigious enough as a backdrop for a golf tournament broadcast worldwide, it is certainly a top choice for the average businessman or homeowner.

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