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pine needles messing soil up

jan_cornelissen

19 years ago

hi,

a patch of my garden has got really bad soil, i.e. nothing much will grow in it. I've got a feeling that this has to do with the pine needles falling on it from next door's pine tree. But i also keep hearing that natives like low pH soil conditions. has anyone got any ideas what's going on?

cheers Jan

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Comments (4)

User
19 years ago
Hi Jan,
Pine needles make the soil acid. Most Aust. natives like acid soil. I don't know what you have growing in this area. It may be the roots that are causing the problem. How close is the tree? We have a row of 5 pine trees next door to us, which is three quarters the length of our property. So I know the problems associated with this. They really suck up the moisture, so it is a bit of a battle at times. Please post again if you'd like to know some of the things I grow in that area.
Cheers,
Dee.
jan_cornelissen
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi Dee,

moistre might be an issue as they're huge and about 4 m away. I've got only natives growing in the area and they're supposed to be drought resistant. If you can advice me on any plants that are doing fine at your place that would be great.

cheers Jan
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wattleblossom
19 years ago
Jan, I have exactly the same problem with a neighbour's pine tree. Recognising that the roots of this very large tree could cause a problem, and before planting that part of the garden, I built a low retaining wall 10cm in from the fence and then built the soil up in front of it by about 50-60cm. Hopefully, by the time the roots of my plants are down far enough to compete with the pine tree they will be well on their way. As for the needles, I should point out that I'm a bit of a garden tragic and have been known to pick them up!
User
19 years ago
Hi Jan,

Here's the list:
Viburnum tinus
Solanum jasminoides (potato creeper)
Hebe
Plectranthus australis (swedish ivy)
Mondo grass
Zonal pelargoniums
Climbing pelargoniums (climbing geranium)
Agapanthus
Conifers (not sure of varieties)
Lamium galeobdolon variegata (Aluminium plant)
Golden Diosma

I agree with Wattleblossom about building up the soil a little if you can. It will help your plants get established a little quicker. But I must warn you, the pine tree roots will gradually invade this soil as well.

Cheers,
Dee.

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