Composting Pine Needles
bigpaulie1972
15 years ago
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scents_from_heaven
15 years agoannafl
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Ph issue if composting pine needles and chipped up pine branches
Comments (10)Coniferous needles are no more acidic than other leaves. pH A pH between 5.5 and 8.5 is optimal for compost microorganisms. As bacteria and fungi digest organic matter, they release organic acids. In the early stages of composting, these acids often accumulate. The resulting drop in pH encourages the growth of fungi and the breakdown of lignin and cellulose. Usually the organic acids become further broken down during the composting process. If the system becomes anaerobic, however, acid accumulation can lower the pH to 4.5, severely limiting microbial activity. In such cases, aeration usually is sufficient to return the compost pH to acceptable ranges. Here is a link that might be useful: Compost Chemistry...See Morefaq 2.0
Comments (20)Maybe we can repost this with a note NOT to reply that way it stays at the top? Is there a way we can sticky this?...See MoreComposting pine needles and leaves?
Comments (10)There are zillions of 'how to' guides for composting on the web. Look up several of them and you'll get the idea. The most efficient method of composting leaves and pine needles is to chop them up into smaller pieces....many folks simply mow over them! The smaller the pieces, the faster it will turn into usable compost. However, this is not mandatory by any means. Layering is important in composting. You want add layers of coarse material in between leaves to keep oxygen introduced into the pile. No oxygen....no composting. Small wood chips (not pine bark, which decomposes slowly), twigs, vegetable scraps, newspaper shreds, are all just a few examples of what you can use to make layers. Mix the pine needles with the leaves and they will decompose faster. Adding a handful of nitrogen can speed up the process, and you need to keep the whole batch tumbled or stirred periodically. If it is allowed to simply mat down, anaerobic conditions may arise and you'll not be happy with the results. There are many ways to corral your compost pile....chicken wire, wooden bins, or even commercially made compost boxes or tumblers. It all depends on how much personal effort you are willing to put into it. To skip all of this composting biz completely, simply chop those leaves and needles up, mix them together, and use them to make a 2 to 3 inch layer of organic mulch in your garden and landscape beds. A layer that small will decompose quickly with the help of worms (who will do all of the work of getting it into the soil), and all of the decomposing microorganisms that exist in every soil. Decomposed leaves and pine needles do not change the pH of the soil significantly, so don't be concerned about that (in case someone should mention it...it's a myth). Here is a link that might be useful: Composting...See Morenon-flowering ladyslipper
Comments (6)Hi there Plantfreak; Thank you for your quick response! I have C.Acaule (pink ladyslipper). It bloomed before the garden was put in but not since. I have a feeling the the soil is not just right. The leaves are huge and healthy. The area gets a bit more afternoon sun than it had previously by about 10%. The soil is potting soil & woodland soil from my woods, mixed with peat moss, pearlite, manure and compost. I add this same mixtue each year in spring also. However, the exact spot that the slipper is in, I did not really turn over with this mix as I was afraid to disturb the plant, though I may have disturbed it a bit in digging the rest of the garden and I'm sure some of this has leached into the plants area. I did however, put the mixture over top mixing a few inchs down. I have done that procedure with pine needles and woodland soil taked from the tree understory from my woods. I have also used plant fertilizer and compost topping when doing the whole garden. I will go to the site you suggest and perhaps solve the problem. Thanks so much for you help!!...See Morebigpaulie1972
15 years agoan_ill-mannered_ache
15 years agoellie_may12
15 years agowaffleshorticulture
15 years agoabriefrespite_gmail_com
13 years agoKelly Semon
2 years ago
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