A prickly carpet of pine needles could be doing your garden a world of good.
Standing tall, the humble pine tree thrives in gardens, driveways and parklands up and down the UK.
The Scots pine is native to the UK and these handsome evergreens can thrive in various soil types, meaning they are often used to create natural borders between outdoor spaces. Stunning in the summer, they drop their skinny, sharp leaves – or ‘needles’ – from August onwards.
These falling needles can be an unsightly nuisance for gardeners and homeowners as they create a prickly carpet of faded green slender leaves. But the truth is, pine needles can be one of your greatest weapons when it comes to keeping weeds away, without spending a penny.
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While the pine tree is most synonymous with the smaller versions we bring indoors at Christmas time, the evergreen offers a wealth of benefits for your garden.
A sustainable and renewable resource, pine needles can be used to suppress the spread of unwanted weeds. By stopping invasive plants from growing in their tracks, the humble pine needle can help protect your shrubs and trees from rotting.
According to the Epic Gardening website, experts said: “Pine needles make excellent mulch in many locations. Applying them a few inches deep prevents weeds, conserves moisture, and decreases erosion. Plus, their waxy coating makes them slow to break down, so you only have to apply them once per year.”
Pine needles also play a vital part in helping the soil retain moisture by keeping it damp. They can also help shield plants from frost and temperature extremes in the British winter, acting as a natural layer of insulation to ensure plants survive the chilly temperatures.
With Christmas not far away it is also worth noting that a discarded Christmas tree can offer numerous benefits for other plant life in the garden.
According to the experts at Kew Gardens: “The Norway spruce is a tough cookie. A fast-growing conifer, these trees are frost hardy with thick bark to protect them from the cold and waxy needles which prevent water loss. Tough pine cones protect the seeds during harsh winters.”
