Pine straw is an organic mulch made from fallen pine needles, explains Mary Jane Duford, founder of the beginner gardening blog Home for the Harvest. Like any garden mulch, pine needles create a ...

In some areas of the country, the choice between mulching with pine needles and wood mulch is a tough one. Since the 1980s, pine straw has been the favorite mulch in the South. It is inexpensive, ...

In last week’s column, I shared a reader’s enthusiasm for using pine straw in the garden/landscape. Since then, I’ve received several emails questioning why it was not mentioned that, for better or ...

A. Does pine straw make a good mulch to use with tomato plants in a raised bed? — R. Jeffers, Virginia Beach Q. Like any mulch, pine straw has pros and cons. Among the pros: It’s lightweight and ...

Wood mulch and wood chips will mat down to make a firm but spongy surface for your garden paths and around playsets. Pine straw is too slippery to walk on, so skip it when mulching these high-traffic ...

Starting a vegetable garden can be a rewarding prospect for any homeowner. In addition to having fresh veggies on the ready, digging in the dirt has big health benefits. Though yanking out weeds might ...

Over the years, I’ve had many questions from readers about using pine straw as a mulch in the vegetable garden. Is it a good idea? Let’s cover some of the basics. Mulching is a long-established ...

Late Sunday afternoon the kids and I headed out to our back yard with the rakes. We have a ton, not exaggerating, a ton of pine straw or as northerners call it pine needles. We save money every year ...

Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers' questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at [email protected]. I took some elephant ears and banana plants from Thibodaux and planted them at ...

Gardening is something I enjoy doing and I spend at least half of each day in my garden. It gets me outside, in the fresh air, and exercising. However, pulling weeds is my least favorite garden chore.

To help your perennials survive the winter, our pro gardener explains which of these you should mulch after the first hard frost and why.