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Re: [nafex] Was: Weed fabric; Now: Mulch and Stink Bugs



Sitka spruce needles are much like fir needles and make a good mulch.
But when they fall in the forest floor they mat down so they do not rake easily.

You really need to use a shovel or a fork to lift them up. It is quite a bit of
work, not like raking up pine needles. Then there is not the volume that a pine
tree creates. The neeldes are only about an inch long and I think they stay on
the tree longer than pine needles.
I do spread them on the garden when I clean up the gutters and the drives, but
that only produces a couple of wheelbarrows a year. For mulch I need volumn and
that is why I use wood chips and sawdust.
Over the past 8 years I have put 2 chip truck loads on my trees. (160 c.y.) It
would take me 250 years to get that volumn from the spruce and fir needles.
Sam

Doreen Howard wrote:

> Douglas fir needles will work fine--I've used them.  Raking up pine needles
> isn't a bad chore.  When I lived in Springfield, IL, I'd take my wheelbarrow
> out into the greenbelt and fill it within 5 minutes.  Same in Texas--there
> it is was Loblolly pine, a white pine that took the heat.  In fact, all the
> neighbors would rake up the needles and put them out in the trash. So, I'd
> take my wheelbarrow and go up and down the alley collecting the black
> plastic bags filled with needles.  I become know as the Bag Lady of Hurst
> Place.  Soon, I had the neighbors trained.  They'd pitch their bags filled
> with needles over my back fence or pile them in the driveway.
> D.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lon J. Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>
> To: Doreen Howard <doreenh@ticon.net>
> Cc: NAFEX List <nafex@egroups.com>
> Date: Tuesday, July 04, 2000 10:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [nafex] Was: Weed fabric; Now: Mulch and Stink Bugs
>
> >Pine straw is nonexistent here.  Closest thing might be Doug fir needles,
> >but I'd have to go into a planting and rake them myself - they aren't sold.
> >----------
> >>From: "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>
> >>To: <nafex@egroups.com>
> >>Subject: [nafex] Was: Weed fabric; Now: Mulch and Stink Bugs
> >>Date: Tue, Jul 4, 2000, 6:09 PM
> >>
> >
> >>Lon, don't you have access to pine straw?  It stops about any weed, and it
> >>deters slugs and many other pests.
> >>
> >
>
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> Win A Guy ...and make him fix up your place!
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