It's a matter of availability :-) Pine straw mulch that is typically widely available in southern states is from a variety of long needled pines that grow there natively. The same types of pines do not grow in northern states, therefore, it is far less available, although not impossible to obtain. Typically, favored commercial mulches tend to be of products common to that area - pine straw in the south, redwood or eucalyptus along the west coast (CA), cedar in the PNW and various other hardwood mulches from trees common to other areas in those areas.

It IS possible to mail order pine straw, although whether or not that would be the most cost effective solution for you is something you need to determine. Personally, I'd go for what is readily and locally available first as that tends to be the least expensive, if not perhaps the longest lasting. Sometimes durability is not the most important consideration :-) Your choice!

Here is a link that might be useful: pine straw mail order source

Short needle pine has a 6 inch needle, Long needle has a 12 to 14 inch needle. People in the south throw it in the land full. I would not lie to you.
If you can get a cost to ship the bales from Columbia, South Carolina to your town, I will drop it off at the UPS or what ever you want. But you will fine it cost 3-5 dollars a bale & shipping is not cheat. No JOKE, let me know if you want some shipped to you.

It may be because the marketers do not perceive a market for pine straw up here or maybe getting the pine straw into plastic bags is not easy to do, but cypress mulches are sold up here so shipping should not be a problem.

Pine straw is not sold in bags. It is typically baled like a small, gently compressed hay bale. This allows for the easy shipping and storage of lots and lots of pine straw.

Loblolly or Longleaf pine straw is a wonderful mulch, but there are some draw backs. The stuff I've seen in the big box stores often looks old and dusty to me. Pine straw doesn't last all that long, and the bales should be fresh when purchased.

As it ages a bit, pine straw becomes highly flammable, too. It's use has been stopped in many communities along roadsides, rest areas, municipal buildings, etc. for that reason.

Much of the economical value of using pine straw is lost as you realize that it had to be applied at least twice a year, if not more. It becomes gray and brittle in the summer sun and not attractive (or effective) as it breaks down.

Then, of course, in your area the cost of shipping would be the primary problem (as has been mentioned). Oh, the chiggers and ticks. Has anyone mentioned that, yet. ;-)

I had checked out the site in the link provided in the past. If I'm not mistaken they are in Texas. My budget is not going to allow that. I am in Pa. I have seen the southern pines while down there recently and I know what you mean by the needle difference. I was lucky enough to get some free needles this fall from the local compost site most were white pine and some were a fairly thick and 4 inch long, not sure what kind.I would buy white pine if they sold it here, I just put on a little thicker.I guess I'll be going to the leaf drop off each fall and be happy with what I get. If I wouldn't have flew back from my trip I would have loaded my friends truck up.

I live in metro Atlanta and most of the homes around here have pine straw. I had it at first but became frustrated with it. If you walk in your beds at all, it will break down the pine straw and it tracks all over the place (and into your house). And what rhizo said, it has to be replaced twice a year and turns an ugly gray color from the sun.

It IS good on hills, because it will not run down a slope like bark or other mulches. If you can get the Florida long needle, that would be best. I do now have a thriving loblolly forest in my back yard and we now have our own pine straw supply for that area.

Hopmomof2boys, I got in my email that you made a post on this subject, but, it isn't showing here, kinda strange. Please repost your info here about Pine straw in Pa, maybe Chester is where you said? That is zone 7 maybe? Longleaf pine may grow there, right now I am not sure where Chester is.

I get some from my neighbor who has a windbreak of large northern pines.

I use it mainly in the strawberry patch. It is good also around blackberries and raspberries and under the picnic table.

Hi Wayne, and anyone else, my neighbor down a really long driveway has Eastern White Pines, many of them, I would feel stupid asking if I could take some needles though. I will look up the Pinestraw.Pa tonight, I had no monitor for my computer until now, so tonight I'm answering my emails etc, besides the white pines have really thin needles, but, they do last longer than wood chips anyway, and compressed bales of coconut coir last really long for me in Pa here (decent rain) they last 3 years or more, but, they are expensive if you need a good bit, you soak them in water and they expand, then you can spread them , they're about 15 bucks a bale, the bale should fill up a decent sized wheel barrow, but to get a whole tree circle of decent size you'll need about 4-5 bales, which are shrink wrapped medium sized cubes. Okay, later.

My neighbor lets the needles remain under the pine trees. This make a very good grass and weed preventing mulch. In the fall a bunch blows eastward into his yard. He picks them up with a sweeper behind his mower.

I wish that I could have a bit of Pine needles blow into my yard. I do have 2 Eastern white pines, which my parents planted a couple decades ago, but, any needles which they drop I just leave for those 2 Pines to be mulched with, I have been going over my emails for several hours, so I having gottewn around to looking up Northern pinestraw.com. I haven't been able to go online for a good while, because my computer monitor died, so I just was able to get a new monitor, and then check my emails, and answer them. I had mentioned in the past, I had went to a leaf dump site in late summer or early fall and collected fall leaves and many Pine needles, usually eastern white pine, so thin needles,. so getting some thicker Pine needles (Scotts pines, or others) would be great, but as far as me getting thicker northern pines, I have yet to go and search for northern pine straw. com. I've had so many emails to answer after being without a monitor for my computer.