Coating your garden with mulch is an effective way to encourage plant growth and protect your soil. While there are options like fill dirt, bulk mulch, and rock landscaping, pine straw is a popular option. It is natural, sustainable, and low maintenance. The guide below looks further at the advantages of this material.

What Are the Positives of Pine Straw Mulch?

1. Improves Soil

Unlike sand or gravel, pine straw decomposes, slowly releasing organic matter in the process. This attracts microorganisms that improve soil texture and shift the dirt, allowing more air to reach it. In addition, the pine needles contain some basic elements, like aluminum, which can help balance out soil acidity. This is beneficial for plants like ferns or asparagus. 

Pine straw helps insulate the soil, keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in summer. It also protects the dirt from extreme weather like heavy rain and high winds. However, when there is precipitation, moisture will linger in the mulch, which will stop plants from drying out when it is not raining.

2. Sustainable

Pine straw is collected after the needles fall off of pine trees, so no trees need to be cut down or damaged to harvest it—unlike what sometimes happens with bark mulch. This makes it a sustainable option for those who care about the environment. While there is rarely an occasion to get rid of pine mulch, discarding it also won’t pollute the environment.

3. Low Maintenance

Since pine straw breaks down slowly, you don’t have to replace your mulch as often as you would if you used bark. Additionally, it doesn’t blow away as easily as playground chips or topsoil. It stays loosely interwoven, so there’s no need to fluff it like other landscaping materials that may become more compact with time.

For advice on what materials will work best for your landscape design plans, contact Affordable Landscape Supplies in Burlington, Kentucky. This family-owned company can help maximize your property’s curb appeal and preserve your garden’s health by providing you with mulch, topsoil, and decorative stone. Visit them online to learn more about their offerings. Call (859) 586-9142 with questions.