"Loosecanon" <loosecanon@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> "Chookie" <ehrebeniuk@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
The issue is that conifers have waxy coatings on their
>> leaves, which means that they tend to be water-repellent and to break
>> down
>> very slowly. So a heavy layer of "needles" might cause your plants to
>> die of
>> thirst before anything else. The breakdown process also uses up
>> nitrogen,
>> which your garden plants would prefer to use for growing leaves. I'd
>> compost
>> them, myself, or if I were trying to kill something I'd put the whole
lot
>> there.
> I have a layer of pine needles throughout most of my garden. Because
they
> are on the surface they shade the soil. No plants in my garden have died
> as a result of acidity in fact most are healthy and without fertiliser
> too.
You are discussing two different things. Chookie didn't mention that
plants
died of acidity but from thirst from a heavy layer of needles. I agree
with
her. Pine needles are water repellant in large quantities and are a pain
in
the bum when they do that.
Your idea of using pine mulch is a different matter. I too use pine
needles
if I can't get anything else and find then OK but not as good as other
things. and you identified the best things about them. They are free and
do look quite good.
If
> you look under the needles the soil is moist and a nice layer of humus
is
> forming whereas exposed sections in the garden are dry 30cm's down. The
> weed count is way down also where exposed soil has weeds everywhere.
>
> If worried about acidity add some dolomite. Don't underrate pine needles
> they look better in the garden than woodchips. In the USA they dye
> pineneedles all sorts of colours so people can use them in the garden.
>
> I also like the pine needles as I can go to one of the forests here fill
> up 6 x 100 litre tree bags and that will last me more than 9 months
before
> a top up is needed. It only costs me fuel and my time, usually I do it
> when I am coming back from somewhere.
>
> Most of my trips involve stop offs to gather something in season at
> abandoned sites. Figs, lemons and olives have been my most recent.
>
> Pine chips should be ok if on the surface. Try not to dig them into the
> soil as they will rob whatever nitrogen is there. I prefer not to use
them
> as they tend to be blown around while breaking down.
>
> Cheers
>
> Richard
>
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