Pine Straw Direct's gardening blog

Improve your garden and save money with mulch

July 6, 2010

I can't remember another summer here in the south that was as hot this early in the summer as this one has been. In these temperatures, if you miss watering on time, your plants can wilt and die quickly. We have already seen temperatures reach or exceed 100 degrees...and it is only the first of July!

Now is the time to fully understand how important mulch is to your garden and landscape. In hot temperatures, mulch is a very important tool and money saver in the garden and landscape as it:

reduces water usage by maintaining soil moisture by slowing water evaporation
reduces rainwater runoff so more is available for your plants
reduces soil compaction that prevents water penetration
lessens soil temperature fluctuations that can stress your plants
reduces weed growth that creates competition for water with your desirable plants
insulates soil to keep plants cooler in the summer
improves soil fertility which reduces plant stress
inhibits certain plant diseases which can stress plants

All of these not only improve the health of your garden and landscape, but subsequently improve its overall beauty as well.

If your garden isn't mulched already, I suggest you start with at least a 2.5 inch layer of pine straw. If you have already mulched but not to that depth, I would increase it to at least that depth in order to be effective.

The advantages to using pine straw over some other types of mulches is that besides being produced naturally and sustainably, there are numerous garden and landscape health and beauty advantages to using it as well. Pine straw outperforms other mulches in longevity as it doesn't float and wash away and breaks down more slowly, so it doesn't need to be reapplied as frequently as other mulches; in application it is lightweight so it is easier to handle and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches and one large bale can cover as much area as 30 cubic feet of many mulches; in cost as the cost per square foot is competitive with other mulches; in soil health as it breathes better, doesn't compact, and allows for better water infiltration; in simplicity as it is easy to apply by just unrolling the bales and scattering by hand; in being pest free as it doesn't attract termites; in erosion control as you can use it where grass won't grow to hold soil; in plant health as it adds organic material and nutrients to soil and reduces weeds; and in being visually appealing in that the natural blend of color and fine texture of pine straw provides a natural contrast and texture to your landscaping.

This time of year, 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!

Although we have gotten some much needed rain over the past few weeks, the worst of summer still lies ahead.

Remember to wear a hat and sunscreen when working outdoors........

Jody

Comments?  Email me at: info@pinestrawdirect.com

Waiting on Spring and new findings on pine straw acidity

January 13, 2009

Cooler temperatures....make that cold temperatures, across the majority of the country, make it hard to imagine that Spring will in fact get here in the not too distant future. It's not hard though to be thinking about gardening and landscaping when you are cooped up in the house waiting for the ground to start warming up. If you haven't already started, now is a good time to begin planning your spring garden and landscape projects. Seed and plant catalogs are out there in abundance and most companies have their new year offerings online and ready for ordering. And it won't be much longer before the time gardeners look forward to arrives: the first plants begin arriving at local stores and nurseries.

The owner of Pine Straw Info (www.PineStrawInfo.com) has just published a new article based on his recent pine straw research and analytical testing that has some interesting findings. The debates have waged on for many years regarding the common and widespread misconception that pine straw is acidic, it will turn your soil acidic, and only plants that like acidic soil can be grown with pine straw as mulch. In the article, titled: Pine Straw (Pine Needle) Mulch Acidity: Separating Fact From Fiction Through Analytical Testing, his research reveals that any plant that can be grown with other mulches can be grown with pinestraw as a mulch. Here's why: pine straw in itself is slightly acidic, but only at the acidity level of normal rain water. The majority of all plants (ornamental, flowering, vegetables, etc.) require a slightly acidic soil for maximum nutrient uptake from the soil. Testing shows pine straw is right in that perfect range of acidity for maximum nutrient uptake. Users of pine straw mulch know it works and have the gardens to prove it. So if you know anyone who still believes the acidity myth, do them a favor and have them read the article. Click  HERE  to see the article.

Until next time, I hope you stay warm!

Jody

Comments?  Email me at: info@pinestrawdirect.com

Cooler temperatures, some rain, and Fall mulching

September 4, 2009

Cooler temperatures (and some much needed rain for some of us) have inched their way across much of the U.S. and those of us lucky enough to get them are definitely enjoying it. Makes me want to get back out in the garden. Seems like summer and hot temperatures got here a little earlier this year and drove me back inside earlier and more than I would have liked.

The cooler temperature gets me thinking about Fall and getting the flowerbeds cleaned up and in shape for winter. Winter seems so far off, but will be here before you know it. It is already September. This year has flown by pretty quickly. Hopefully you kept a good layer of mulch around all your plants this summer to conserve moisture and keep your plant's roots cooler. Now is the time to check the depth of that mulch to make sure you have enough to protect those plant's roots from freezing temperatures and to continue to conserve moisture. Many of your plants will still require some moisture over the winter and mulch will help reduce evaporation from the winter rains and snow. I like to keep my mulch about 2.5 to 3 inches deep throughout my gardens. Remember to leave a little breathing room around the base of your trees and plants. Never put mulch right up against plant stems or tree trunks.

This is also the time of year to assess what you liked and didn't like in your landscape. Once winter sets in, leaves will drop and the landscape won't look the same. Take some notes and plan your spring garden now while you can still tell what it looks like when everything is green and in bloom.

Enjoy the nice weather that is surely coming your way. It never seems to last long enough........

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

Mulches, water conservation, and better plant health

June 22, 2009

With the heat of summer in full swing in most all parts of the country and many areas suffering from a lack of rainfall, now is the time to fully understand how important mulch is to your garden and landscape. In hot temperatures, mulch is a very important tool and money saver in the garden and landscape as it:

reduces water usage by maintaining soil moisture by slowing water evaporation
reduces rainwater runoff so more is available for your plants
reduces soil compaction that prevents water penetration
lessens soil temperature fluctuations that can stress your plants
reduces weed growth that creates competition for water with your desirable plants
insulates soil to keep plants cooler in the summer
improves soil fertility which reduces plant stress

inhibits certain plant diseases which can stress plants
 

All of these not only improve the health of your garden and landscape, but subsequently improve its overall beauty as well.

If your garden isn't mulched already, I would start with at least a 2.5 inch layer of pine straw. If it isn't already mulched at that depth, I would increase it to at least that depth in order to be effective.

The advantages to using pine straw over some other types of mulches is that besides it being produced naturally and sustainably, there are numerous garden and landscape health and beauty advantages to using it as well. Pine straw outperforms other mulches in longevity as it doesn't float and wash away and breaks down more slowly, so it          doesn't need to be reapplied as frequently as other mulches; being lightweight as it is easier to handle and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches and one large bale can cover as much area as 30 cubic feet of many mulches; in cost as the cost per square foot is competitive with other mulches; in soil health as it breathes better, doesn't compact, and allows for better water infiltration; in simplicity as it is easy to apply by just unrolling the bales and scattering by hand; in being pest free as it doesn't attract termites; in erosion control as you can use it where grass won't grow to hold soil; in plant health as it adds organic material and nutrients to soil and reduces weeds; and in being visually appealing in that the uniform color and fine texture of pine straw brings out the color, contrast, and texture of your landscape.

This time of year, 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! 

Stay cool and remember to wear a hat and sunscreen when working outdoors........

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

Sticky notes and gardening products sales

May 1, 2009

I use post-it notes all over my desk and calendar as reminders for what I need to get done. As weeks pass and projects don't get done, those sticky notes get moved from one week of my calendar to the next. Sometimes they even lose their stickiness from being moved so many times. Looking back at my calendar, it looks like I moved the note reminding me to write in this blog at least eight times. My intention was to write again in early March, but the spring rush of pine straw sales began about a month earlier than normal this year and demand was way up over last year. The past couple of months have been so busy, they have just flown by as we have rushed to fill orders as more and more gardeners and landscapers are discovering how pine straw outperforms other mulches. So I am finally back at my desk to write something.

A refreshing movement that we see occurring this year is that seeds and starter plant sales are reported as being up over 60%. That appears to be driven partly by rising consumer food prices and salmonella scares that have more folks trying their hand at growing their own vegetables. Regardless of the reason, it is hard to deny that homegrown food tastes better than almost anything you can buy. I got my kids involved in growing tomatoes last year and that were some of the best tasting I have had in years. This year we bought several packets of flower seed and now have a healthy batch of flower seedlings ready to transplant into some of our gardens. It is a lot more fun for my children to see the fruits of their labor (literally!) when the tomatoes come off the vine or the flowers bloom than it ever is to push a cart down the produce aisle or to bring already flowering plants home from the store. Although I still find doing both of those to be a real necessity as I just can't find the time or space to garden on a larger scale, nor can I grow flowers like the professional growers do.

We are also still seeing a large shift in consumer attitudes towards living green, and growing your own food definitely supports that concept. An interesting angle to that, I'm hearing of more and more people asking for information regarding raising chickens in their suburban backyards. The city code enforcement folks and the homeowner's associations around the country may be about to get busier!

Don't forget that in addition to outperforming other mulches, pine straw is a green product that is organic and sustainably produced. 

Until next time........

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

New gardening for wildlife website

February 3, 2009

We here at Pine Straw Direct always try to garden in our own gardens in an environmentally sound manner and with consideration for nature and wildlife. When I was recently invited to join a new online forum called  Wildlife Gardeners, I was even more intrigued since my background is also in environmental management and I have had several properties certified as wildlife habitats. On the other hand, with somewhere over 1 trillion (yes, that's trillion with a T) web pages floating around on the internet, and me feeling like I have seen all of them, I wasn't sure I wanted to go look at yet another one. I am glad that I did!

At first glance, I was very pleased at how well the site was put together, as well as the number of forum topics that were available for discussion. Every heading and subheading imaginable is already there (I counted 13 headings and 63 subheadings!). These include everything from garden art and landscape design to photos (and photo contests) all the way to discussions of specific animals, insects and habitats. Since the site doesn't rely on any sort of ads for revenue, there are none to distract you or clog things up. They do however have a great area where you can find green products and service providers if you wish to do so. This area of the site includes everything from books, to plants, to our pine straw mulch, to wildlife rehabilitation services. Just an amazing assortment of stuff.

I have been actively participating in several forums over the last two months and can personally say, the site is first class and very professionally operated. It is really easy

to navigate and it has some great features such as emailing you when any forum you have subscribed to has been updated. There is also a whole host of really helpful folks participating in the discussions and operating the site if you have any problems. Just don't let the name Wildlife Gardeners fool you, as this is by far one of the best one-stop sites I have seen for EVERYTHING gardening. Click  HERE  to go to the new

Wildlife Gardeners  site.

It won't be long now.....Spring is right around the corner!

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

The windy and rainy winter is here

January 15, 2009

With all the windy and rainy (well, snowy for some of you!) weather here this past

week, I started thinking about the frequent emails I receive asking if pine straw,

pine needles, pine straw mulch, or pine needle mulch (all the same thing-the

different terminology just depends on what part of the country in which you garden)

will stay in place in the garden with high winds. When you look at pine straw, naturally

it appears that the individual needles will just blow away with a stout wind. The truth is, once the straw has been watered in by you or naturally by the rain, it forms somewhat

of an interlocked mat structure that holds tight even in high winds. I have several customers who have written me to tell me how well it holds for them in very windy

areas of the country, but I suppose the most convincing argument would be the results

I experienced in my own yard the two times we experienced a direct hit from an inland hurricane. Growing up near the coast, I thought living this far north of the Gulf of Mexico would take us away from the damaging winds of hurricanes. Both Hurricane Rita and

Hurricane Ike proved me wrong on that front. Although I don't have the data handy from Hurricane Rita, Hurricane Ike tore through here last year still packing sustained winds

of 60 mph and gusts to 80 mph. These high winds lasted for approximately six straight hours, and when it was over, there was widespread and extensive damage to trees throughout this area. These  photos  show the pine straw in a few of the flower beds in my yard not only was not blown away, it wasn't even disturbed. The debris you see in the "After" photos, is from the leaves that were stripped from the trees during the many hours of high winds. If you live in a windy area or are expecting high winds, just make sure after you apply your pine straw mulch you water it in a little or get some rain on it

to make sure it holds well. One of the other major advantages to pine straw in stormy weather is that it doesn't float and then wash away (or at least all over your sidewalks, driveway, patio, porch, street, etc. like other mulches do). As you know, many homes that do not have rain gutters have the landscaping around them torn up after every rain. Rain easily infiltrates pine straw and evenly disperses the water, without floating out of the flower beds. It is the best mulch for erosion control. Since we are talking about rain and snow, lots of folks also use pine straw in their landscaping because their dogs like to walk through the flower beds and then track the mulch everywhere, including into the house. That problem is eliminated with pine straw. It doesn't track.

Stay warm and dry. Spring will be here soon!

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

It's seed and plant catalog time again

January 2, 2009

Happy New Year! I got my first seed catalog in the mail a day or two ago and that always helps break the restlessness of not being able to do much in the garden this time of year. I found some new plants in that catalog that I plan on giving a try this coming spring. Perusing the catalog also motivated me enough to go out in the cold and take some seed heads still holding on to a few stalks of zinnia and marigold and bury them under the mulch. Hopefully new plants will peek out from there when the weather warms up in the spring. When I said cold, I meant as in a couple of days ago cold. The temperature today is forecasted to hit 74 degrees! Winter weather in Texas  is so unpredictable. The high on Monday is forecasted to be 44 degrees. I hope this new year is a happy one for you and brings great blessings to your garden and landscape. Spring is not too terribly far away, so now is the time to enjoy all the catalogs that are coming your way and start planning your spring garden. We recently added a video to YouTube showing how to spread the pine straw from our bales.   While you're waiting on the ground to warm back up, click on this Pine Straw Mulch Spreading link to see our video. Stay warm and we'll talk to you in a few weeks.

Scott

Comments?  Email me at: scott@pinestrawdirect.com

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