The Many Pine Straw Varieties
I fill my life with projects galore, from the simple to the extreme. Lately I have wanted to revamp my garden to withstand the elements and yet still remain eye-catching. In this quest I found the use of pine needles and pine straw to be the esthetic I had been looking for.
To my great surprise there are many different types of pine straw to be had. I never knew the possibilities of different colors, textures, and in some cases longevity. I have found three major pine straws to choose from when changing the look of your garden and they are Longleaf, Slash, and Loblolly Pine Straws. I also took the time to learn about the different plants, shrubs and flowers which will grow well through Pine Straw and the durability of Pine Straws through different elements of weather such as wind and cooler temperatures.
Longleaf Pine Straw is also known as Long Needle Pine Straw and to our scientists’ Pinus Palustris. Longleaf Pine Straw is the longest and thickest needle and carries the heaviest wax outer coating which helps with its extreme durability and longevity. Longleaf is also considered the premium pine needle in its category and is widely used for landscaping.
Slash Pine Straw is known for its cleanliness, durability, and affordability. Slash is also known as the Yellow Slash Pine Straw and Standard Pine Straw. Scientists know this as Pinus Elliottii. Slash is the most popular pine straw I found for use in gardens and landscaping.
Loblolly Pine Straw is the third most widely known and used of the pine straws. Loblolly is also named the Short Needle Pine Straw when categorized with other pine straws. Scientists call this one Pinus Taeda.
A wide array of plants, shrubs, and flowers thrive in the hands of using pine straw as gardening mulch. Such as azaleas, hostas, ferns, hydrangeas, magnolias, bleeding hearts, rose a sharons, and several berry bushes. Planting the flower, bush or shrub of your choice and then covering the foot wide diameter around with pine straw helps to keep pesky insects at bay. Pine Straw will also help keep moisture around longer for your plants benefit. And as long as you keep the pine straw at least at a depth of about 3 inches, the pine straw will help protect against intrusive weeds and other pesky problems.
Placing Pine Straw or Pine Needles around the bases of yours trees, shrubs and other plants can be effective in protecting various and vast root systems from cooler temperatures. Pine Straw will also withstand high winds and protect your plants during storms from wind damage. However if you live in a part of the country where high winds are a regular occurrence you will want to specifically use the longleaf pine straw and keep it at a depth of 6inches with a two foot diameter around your bases.
Wow, who would have thought choosing a simple Pine Straw to use in beautifying your garden could be this vast in possibilities. After learning all this information I decided to go with a Slash Pine Straw mainly for its wide use and positive feedback from its users. I hope in reading this you will find your way through the path of pine and be more rest assured when the time comes for you too to unleash the beauty Pine Straws can bring to your garden.
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