A question thats never been asked before on the boards regarding pine needles!

[DJ Disney Kid]

Recently I spent a week at POR and I LOVED the long pine needles they use as mulch around the grounds. Any idea where you can buy that stuff? I've been to Menards, Home Depot and Lowes and they had nothing.

 

[ms mouse]

The mulch is called pine straw and is used commonly in the south. We can buy it at our local yard and garden center in bales.

 

[DizneyNutz]

Recently I spent a week at POR and I LOVED the long pine needles they use as mulch around the grounds. Any idea where you can buy that stuff? I've been to Menards, Home Depot and Lowes and they had nothing.

The long needles that are about a foot long or longer come from the Long Leaf Pine commonly found in the south as the OP stated. If you are wanting them ask specifically for Long Leaf pine straw. This is the most common type sold in the south, because they usually keep the pine stands burnt off so when the needles drop, they don't have a lot of trash (ie: pine cones and sticks) when they come through with the rakes and bailing machines.

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

Hmm well I live in the Midwest, Chicago to be exact. Any idea if I can get them around here or is it strictly a southern thing?

 

[Deb & Bill]

We just rake it up in the yard and put it on the flower beds in the fall. I used to live in the SE Suburban area of Chicago and never saw it there. We have it down south.

 

[disnut8]

Hmm well I live in the Midwest, Chicago to be exact. Any idea if I can get them around here or is it strictly a southern thing?

We lived outside of Omaha (Bellevue) for 12 years and pine straw was not an option there. I had never heard of it until we moved to outside Atlanta eight years ago.

I really doubt it's readily available in the Midwest. The South uses it to go around the plants and things and, the important part - we have only the rare snow on the ground. You do not want to try and shovel snow that is on top of pine straw. You will have to replace the straw the next summer. Down there, one application of pine straw will last for years.

Down here, the stuff is very plentiful and you get it in bales and can spread it yourself (pretty labor intensive) or most places will spread it for you. It's a common thing in the spring to have the pine straw sold along roads with signs advertising how much and if they will spread it for you.

 

[Im_with_Dopey]

Google Pine straw.... you can order it and have it fed-ex'd to you