Pine Straw in Wilmington, NC

stepping stone pathway to a metal bench in a pine straw garden with blossoming trees

Pine Straw is Practical:

We have all heard that mulching is good for the garden.  Mulching retains moisture in your soil.  It helps with weed control and decreases soil erosion.  Mulching improves soil health and helps protect plants from summer heat and winter cold.  However, to mulch or to pine straw, that is the question? 

If you have pine trees in your yard, don’t fight nature (unless you really hate pine straw)!

  • Pine straw is lightweight.
  • It provides acidity to soil which some plants, like azalea bushes, thrive in.
  • Pine straw is eco-friendly.
  • When it comes to installation, it’s easy. 
pine straw in a rocky stone garden with green plants

Pine Straw is Eco-Friendly:

pine straw in a Pine Tree forest
  • Naturally, pine straw comes from pine trees as they shed needles throughout the year. 
  • After needles drop to the ground, they are raked, cleaned and baled without the need to harm or cut down the trees.
  • This makes pine straw a very environmentally friendly choice as a landscaping and mulching material.

Pine Straw Is Easy To Install:

  • Most professionals recommend an annual application of pine straw.  However, you can put down pine straw at any time of the year to give an area a fresh, neat appearance.
  • Prior to spreading straw, clean and weed the area, apply a weed preventer and complete pruning and trimming of existing trees and shrubs.
  • Remove the bale ties and simply take handfuls of the straw, shaking it over the application area. 
  • Consider wearing gloves when applying pine straw.  The needles can be very prickly and hard to manage with bare hands.
  • Spread the straw to a thickness of about 3 inches.  The straw will settle a short time after application. 
  • Keep the straw about 2 to 3 inches away from plant bases and the trunks of trees and shrubs.  Spread the straw approximately a foot beyond the bed edge. 
  • Roll the edges of the straw by either raking or using a leaf blower to give the finished project a professional touch.
pine straw at stone garden

Pine Straw Can Be Installed For You:

Don’t want to install that pine straw yourself?  Email us, or give us a call, and we’ll recommend a landscaper from our Contractor Referral Network.

Visit Stone Garden website and use our handy calculator to determine how many bales you will need.

Pine Straw is Quality:

Not all pine straw is created equally.  Stone Garden sells a premium grade of straw known as Long Leaf which contains more resin than slash straw.   Advantages of Long Leaf pine straw include:

  • Needles are stronger and break down more slowly so need to be reapplied less frequently
  • Needles are longer in length for better coverage
  • Golden color lasts for a longer duration
  • One bale of Long Leaf straw covers approximately 50 square feet at 2” deep (recommended for beds with existing straw) and 45 square at 3” deep (recommended to cover bare/new ground).
pine straw in a garden with stone bench

Our knowledgeable staff look forward to working with you.