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nafex - [NAFEX] pine needles and voles

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  • From: Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] pine needles and voles
  • Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:22:58 -0400

Voles kind of like most mulches but in home orchard situations I think the advantages of mulch far outweigh the liability although I've never used pine mulch.  I guess it might be a bigger problem just because it doesn't break down after one season so it would continue to provide cover in the fall.  If it encouraged pine voles that could be a huge problem.
 
I don't believe the hydrophobic aspect of pine needles is at all helpful however.  I like just plain, slightly aged wood chips a few months after they come out of a well maintained commercial chipper (no strips please, just chunks).  I also use a lot of mellowed stable waste which is pine shavings that have been augmented with horse manure and urine and allowed to sit for a couple months.  Because of the high carbo content of the shavings it doesn't excessively juice up the trees in my nursery with excessive N.
 
For me the stored water in either of these materials helps me get through drought almost as much as keeping the weeds down.  I have my guys spread out newspapers and put the mulch on top and it's good enough for the season.  Most of the advantage of keeping weeds down is accomplished by mid-summer as far as tree growth is concerned.
 
I actually trap out the voles in my orchard with typical plastic mouse traps baited with nuts and covered with plastic trays.  I cycle about 100 traps through my 3 acres starting in mid-Fall.  Haven't had a tree girdled (meadow voles) or de-rooted (pine voles) since I started doing this.  Both species are plentiful here.


  • [NAFEX] pine needles and voles, Alan Haigh, 06/08/2009

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