Subject: Removing pine needles from beds

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 21:34:11 -0500

I'm a fairly new perennial gardener.  I read in several places that branches
from your Christmas tree make good mulch to cover plants.  Obediently, my
husband cut the branches and we laid them over the plants.
Today I gathered them up, and of course, there are pine needles all ove
the place!! will they hurt the soil or plants?  Do I need to rake them up
somehow?  Is it OK to leav them?
Help - Thanks,
shelley

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From: [email-masked] (Don Bonner)
Date: Sat, 1 Apr 1995 05:12:46 GMT

>somehow?  Is it OK to leav them?

When they say mulch you are generally supposed to shred the trees up into 
little tiny pieces.

The needles should pose no problems to your garden and can be raked into the 
soil. 

I have used pine needles on numerous occasions as winter mulch for my garden.  
I usually raked them up in the spring but I used a lot more needles than you 
did.

Don
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>From each according to their abilities.
To each according to their needs.
                                          [email-masked]
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From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Apr 1995 16:51:31 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> The Polsons,
[email-masked] writes:
>Pine needles, in large amounts, can make your soil more acidic, but
>they're often used as a mulch. Don't worry about them....they're busy
>battling weeds for you out there!
>
The pine needles from my neighbor's trees do act as a mulch for a bed
that's full of hostas, and the hostas seem to like it.  I've never
shredded them, as another posting suggests might be necessary.  
Jenny Stiller
Haverford, PA

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From: [email-masked] (The Polsons)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 17:57:05 -0800

-Willow     ([email-masked])
---------------------------------------------------
I'm back!!!!! YIPEE!!!!

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From: [email-masked] (killand)
Date: 2 Apr 1995 00:53:19 GMT

>somehow?  Is it OK to leav them?

HI Shelley;

As near as I can tell there are not THAT MANY NEEDLES.
I suggest working them in when the beds are dug for
spring.  

There should not be a problem with needles and the perennials in
the beds. :-).

TTYL
Derryl Killan

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From: [email-masked] (killand)
Date: 2 Apr 1995 00:53:19 GMT

HI Shelley;

TTYL
Derryl Killan

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From: [email-masked] (killand)
Date: 2 Apr 1995 00:53:19 GMT

HI Shelley;

TTYL
Derryl Killan