I live in Louisianna and should build a mound around trees, the base now has top soil
2007-03-09 12:25:14 · 5 answers · asked by Alvin T 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
no as pine needles are acidic and will probably harm your citrus. i would use some wood-chip, straw, peanut husks, old corn cobs, but you can put pine needles around thins like azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and other acid loving plants. what ever you decide to mulch with try to keep it about 100mm ( 4 inches ) away from the trunk as this will prevent collar rot.
2007-03-09 23:03:41 · answer #1 · answered by Cass 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Pine needles are fine if used for the right purpose! all mulches need to be used properly! never mulch too close to the base of the tree as wet mulch touch the trunk could cause fungus and rot,, all the ACIDITY (as mentioned by Cass) is long gone as the needles are dried out so this isn't a problem.. the needles can be used to keep weeds and other growth from coming up around the base of the tree,,, if it gets too hot and dry then you need to pull the needles back and water the trees,,, replace the needles after watering,,, if you get prolonged rain you should again pull the needles back to allow the soil to dry and aerate then replace again for weed control... i am from south central "Cajun" country and I farm 20 acres of fruit and nut trees plus a large garden,, needles are free and abundant,,,if you worry about soil acidity just get a tester and add supplements as needed.....
2007-03-11 06:19:33 · answer #2 · answered by fuzzykjun 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The active roots of tree that furnish it with life are around the perimeter of the trees limbs diameter which is a huge diameter. So a tree that has limbs of about 30 feet around it has its active roots that give life to the tree beyond that 30 foot range.
So its useless for a tree to mulch around its base unless its a newly planted tree that one is trying to keep moist for it to take root.
Large rooted trees dont need mulch around them, in fact that creates nests for insects, so keep it clean around mature trees.
2007-03-10 00:10:14 · answer #3 · answered by James M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
probobly not, because pine needles tend to nestle VERY tightly together and will cause water to run away from the base and not allow proper moisture to reach the root system.
2007-03-09 20:34:00 · answer #4 · answered by ablewill 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pine needales, wood chips and 8-8-8 fertilizer will help a lot.
2007-03-09 20:39:24 · answer #5 · answered by smittybo20 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋