Can pine mulch contaminate the garden soil?
Question:We recently had several pine trees removed, and the tree people mulched them. We kept the mulch and spread it all over our dirt driveway and it packed in nicely. Now I want to use some as decorative mulch around my plants. My nephew told me that the mulch would eventually contaminate the ground with "terpentine" and my plants would die. True?
Answers:
I don't know about turpentine, however, pine is very acidic and can burn roots of sensitive plants.
The outer beaches of Long Island NY used to use the collected Christmas trees for beach erosion prevention, until they realized it was killing off they natural plant life. Of coarse they stopped after that.
Don't use it in your flower beds.
Did you ever notice that nothing grows under a pine tree.
No, it's not true or pine mulch would never be sold. However, after Katrina, there were concerns about mulches that came from that area. I think it's ok now.
their has been a problem with some mulches lately with termite infestations they used a
lot of the damaged trees from hurricane Katrina and apparently termites got at them
The only negative would be your soil would be very acidic. If you have evergreens and other acid loving plants in that area it is fine, but plants that prefer more of an alkaline soil will need some lime applied to them.
PS the Katrina thing was an urban legend.
I bought pine mulch from my garden centre...as it said it was good for flowers..pine trees can be acidic.but thats all to the good as I want my hydrengeas to turn blue...maye the acid in pine trees is what he is thinking of.
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