Pine Straw Mulch – The Guilt Free Mulch
Here in Florida we need to apply mulch to our gardens for several reasons. Adding the right kind of mulch to your garden has a beneficial effect on your soil and plants.
Mulch can prevent moisture loss from the soil through evaporation, thus reducing demands for watering. If the mulch is applied thickly enough, it can prevent weeds from germinating in planting beds and can help maintain a more even temperature in the soil. Organic material such as pine straw will decay over time and improve the soil structure and add nutrients to the soil.
In Florida our topsoil tends to be very sandy so the addition of nutrients from organic mulches will improve the soil over time. Fast degrading materials like pine needles are preferable as they break down into the soil and improve its consistency. Pine bark tends to float away when it rains and does not break down into the soil.
Finally pine straw is a sustainable product – you do not need to destroy the tree in order to produce it. Pine straw is made up of pine needles from pine trees, gathered up from beneath the trees, in other words it is a waste product! Pine bark however, is made by shredding the pine tree trunk when the tree is felled.
Use of Pine Straw
Used properly Pine straw mulch greatly improves your topsoil.
Pine straw mulch should be spread in a layer over bare soil to a depth of approximately four inches. Clear the area of weeds and tidy the area, then spread the pine straw so that it forms a cushion around each plant, take care to leave space around the base of trees and shrubs.
Over time the pine straw will flatten and form a dense mat which prevents weed germination. After some months the pine straw breaks down and a new layer can then be applied.
Pine Straw
The Garden Club of Celebration sells pine straw at a sale price to the community twice each year, in October and March, the times of year when you are either preparing your beds for the Spring or tidying up after the summer.
Pine straw is delivered to your home in bales, each bale will cover an area approximately 3ft by 6ft. This is equivalent to two bags of pine bark.
During the sale bales are $6.50 and a delivery charge of 50c per bale is added at the order stage. We hope that this increase will not deter folks from ordering and all profits are given away as scholarships or donations.
With the summer rains and water from irrigation, the pine straw slowly breaks down and can be renewed every six months with another delivery.
Prior to the sale The Garden Club sends an email to everyone who has purchased pine straw in the previous two sales. This email serves as a reminder to place an order for the upcoming sale.
AT SALE TIME Payment is made online only. No checks
Whilst we use the Paypal system for payment at the payment screen it is possible to scroll down to the credit card section and use a credit card without having to register with Paypal.
There is a limited number of bales available but no more orders will be taken after 19th March
It is no longer possible to offer pine straw throughout the year
The profit we make from the pine straw sale provides scholarships for Celebration High school children who are planning to study a science –related subjects and for community enrichment projects – see scholarship section for further details.
Pine Straw 14 Facts
Mulching is undeniably the single best thing you can do for your garden and landscape. Using pine straw as your mulch will not only save you time and money, but can give you a garden that is the envy of your neighborhood!
- Sustainable/natural– Produced as a natural product from trees that drop their needles all year long.
- Lightweight–easy and light to handle
- Longevity–breaks down slowly and does not wash away
- Soil health–breathes better, no compaction good water infiltration
- Plant health–adds organic material and reduces weeds
- Pest free–does not attract termites
- Cost–one bale is equal to two bags of pine bark
- Erosion control–used to cover ground where grass will not grow
- Quick and simple–Cut the string and scatter by hand
- Visually pleasing–uniform colour brings out colour, contrast and texture of your landscape.
- Child friendly–does not hurt when children fall on it
- Bird nesting material
- Insulates soil–keeps plants cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
- Stays in place–does spread over lawns and sidewalks