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nafex - Re: [nafex] Pine needle mulch

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  • From: david liezen <chandos49@hotmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Pine needle mulch
  • Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:24:02 +0000


Fascinating; Jack and Red Pine, I gather from the range maps of pine species
in my old tree guide, are what most likely you find in Minnesota. The soil
here in Spokane is both basalt and granitic in origins, and I supplement the
ground where the blueberries were planted with peat moss, just to be safe. I
have never had it tested; think it worth trying next year just because of
this post.
Jim: five years sounds about right for breakdown of pine needles. I wouldn't
be surprised if ponderosa needles lasted even longer. Most of our moisture
comes in winter, so decomposition takes ages.
Dave Liezen


----------------------------------------
> From: jimfruth@charter.net
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:54:12 -0600
> Suwhat you bject: [nafex] Pine needle mulch
>
> The University of Minnesota, et.al., teach that pine needles are acid
> but that is totally hogwash, balderdash, horse feathers. etc. Pine needles
> are no more acidic that most other mulches.
> Before I began testing the pH of pine needles, I had purchased some
> lingonberry plants. The sales person instructed me to plant them under a
> pine tree adding that the ground would be acidic. When the plants died, I
> had the soil tested and the lab found it to be slightly alkaline! When I
> acidified the soil for planting more lingonberries, the pine tree died.
> In a Horticulture class I teach. I advise students to mulch with pine
> needles because most rain water passes through whereas most other mulches
> need to be thoroughly moistened before the soil gets wet. Another major
> advantage of pine needle mulch is that it takes up to five years for them to
> breakdown.
>
> Jim Fruth
> Pequot Lakes, MN
>
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