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Sun, Jul 24, 11 at 23:10
| When getting free wood chip mulch I have been exclusively trying to get wood chips with a high percentage of pine needles mixed in them in the hopes it will help acidify the alkaline soil many of us have here in southern California have, including myself. Some posters claim they don't help acidify the soil, others say they do. Who is right?
So far it seems to be helping, and my fruit trees seem to be growing better, but maybe its just a coincidence. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| The pine needles I tested back in the 1970's had a pH of 3.8. A study done by Dr. Abigail Maynhard at the New Haven Agricultural Research Station in New Haven, Connecticut and printed some time ago in Organic Gardening magazine found that pine needles had so significant affect on soil pH. Several other studies I have seen since then support that finding. What I have seen, repeated over and over, is that if organic matter (wood chips and pine needles count) is added to almost any soil plant growth improves. |
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| "Who is right?" Both. When organics are initially broken down, the acidity can change but in the long term, it reverts back to being somewhat neutral. This is one reason people ought to be clear as to which stage of decomposition they are speaking of. Lloyd |
Here is a link that might be useful: Monitoring Compost pH
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- Posted by tsugajunkie z5 SE WI (My Page) on Mon, Jul 25, 11 at 21:56
| If you use it as mulch it will have a tiny effect on the very surface and that's it. Used on the surface like that they'll break down aerobically. tj |
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| This link may be of interest to some people. There is another very good article on the web about this but posting of the link is prohibited due to spam from Daves Garden |
Here is a link that might be useful: Pine straw and soil pH
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- Posted by californian 10 (My Page) on Tue, Jul 26, 11 at 11:08
| Thanks to everyone who replied so far. I think I tracked down the articles referred to, and even if the soil acidification is only temporary and becomes negligible, pine needle mulch also has other benefits other mulches don't have, like being fluffier so more air can get through, and the needles contain terpenes that keep weed seeds from sprouting until it evaporates. |
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