As a landscaper I often get asked questions similar to this: I am selling my house, what can I do to make it pop? Or, it's winter, the property looks dormant, what can we do to dress it up? My answer is always the same, PINE NEEDLES.
Why pine needles?
- Bang for the buck. In most cases pine needles can be installed less expensively than other types of mulch.
- It is a renewable resource. The same trees produce the needles year after year. They fall seasonably like leaves do. No trees are cut down or removed.
- Benefits to the soil. The pine needles decompose and therefore are a benefit to the plants, adding nutrients back to the soil.
- Moisture control. Pine needles allow water to penetrate, but at the same time help hold soil in place and reduce erosion. They also hold moisture in the soil for the benefit of plants.
- Insulation. Pine needles are a great insulation for plants.
While the above are just a few of the reason I mostly recommend pine needles, probably the biggest is the appearance. In a wintertime landscape, pine needles completely change the perception of the property. If you use a Quality long leaf needle, the impact will be tremendous.
And there it is… That's the key when installing pine needles. Quality. There are a lot of different places to purchase pine needles and the prices do vary. Other variables are bale size, weight, and cleanliness. We use some very simple rules when we purchase. We know our vendors. We have learned over time who has quality needles and who doesn't. We stick with the vendors who provide quality products. We include in our relationships with the vendors right of refusal. We inspect the needles when they arrive. If we do not like the quality, bale size, bale weight, or cleanliness of the bales (lack of leaves, sticks and other debris), we send them back. We buy large quantities (by the tractor trailer load) insuring we are a good customer to our vendors.
So we are your contractor. Why should you choose us over someone else who is also installing pine needles? There are a few things to keep in mind concerning pine needles installation.
- Concrete edges. For pine needles to remain in place around driveways, walkways, patios etc, they need to be "stabbed" along the edge of the concrete. We take a straight hoe, and literally push the needles down in along the side of the concrete, lodging them between the soil and the hard surface.
- Pine needles need to be rolled around beds to insure they hold in place. We train our employees to do this with a back pack blower insuring the needles are tucked tightly.
- At some point after the installation, pine needles will begin to relax and want to move around at the edges. Here is a key ingredient. On our contracted properties, maintaining the edges of the needle beds continually is included in our installation price. We will periodically re-stab or re-roll the needles insuring they maintain a crisp edge for as long as possible.
One other fact I will mention when discussing pine needles… As I mentioned above, pine needles fall seasonably like leaves. Now is the season when fallen pine needles are fresh and at their peak. They are longer, have better color, and are harvested cleaner with less debris. The longer they lay on the ground, or are bundled and sit in storage, the more quality you lose. It will take more to cover the same area and the color will not be as keen. (The heavy drop is in the fall no matter when they are purchased.) So now is the time to order to get the most from your needles.
Some things to keep in mind as you consider mulching your beds this year. Here's to having our properties look their best!
The AA Tex Lawn Team
