Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Oct 12, 2010 2:24 pm I need advice please. I registered with Mulchnet recently and have today received a load of pine bark and needles. it smells divine but then I became concerned about the effects of it on my plants (soon to go in). They are all natives in the front with a selection of fruit trees in the back. A quick look on the internet and I am even more hesitant. The natives from Zanthorrea (great staff) have been chosen with the soil type taken into consideration - coastal, sandy (with improvements according to info gleaned from a Great Gardens Workshop). What should I do about this mulch? Re: Pine Bark Chips and needles 2Oct 12, 2010 11:07 pm Chuck it on, the world will not end. There is more rubbish than the local tip when fresh tree mulch is concerned but the reasons for why that is is not for public comment The plants are going to love you and you will love the smell and your plants . Most of Perth's and Lower West soils are Alkaline so the apparent acidic properties of pine are not going to destroy things. Too many in horticulture are hung up on pH and what you are doing is adding organic content to the soil which in turn becomes a buffer for pH and that therefore means the more organic the soil, the less important pH is You are not creating a Frankenstein lab of chemicals that adjust pH and so on. You will be taking the first steps toward a wonderful organic and highly sustainable garden. Get some straw down under it too if possible and that will kick things off even more! Just pull the mulch away from the plants. If the plants are small and they disappear behind the mulch, they will grow and be protected by the mulch. Also the mulch will compost at the soil surface. You are now in the making new soils business Ignore the whole nitrogen drawn down thing. It isn't very relative in this situation. In fact many of my mentors and myself will tell you that there is no need to add fertiliser either when laying fresh mulches No need at all. All the websites will say otherwise but they don't know what I know Re: Pine Bark Chips and needles 3Oct 13, 2010 1:40 am Thank you so much Fu. I have been reading your detailed and encouraging responses all over this forum for a few weeks now and I am chuffed to get one myself. It is a relief to know that I have not made a huge blunder in accepting the pine chips and I had already intended to lay straw (info picked up in another thread here). I look forward to seeing the garden develop as you depict it. Re: Pine Bark Chips and needles 4Oct 13, 2010 11:24 am It will. The real good stuff will be occurring away from your view in the soil. Plants may not be growing up top but underneath they will be producing far bigger root systems and in years following start growing at rates far in excess of what you may anticipate. You will need to repeat the mulching. Good soil is also a key factor and the addition of bentonite clay and zeolite will do wonders on top of all that In winter (arrival of winter rain in May) get a heap of peastraw or any straw down nice and thick again on top again. 100mm thick, let it rot into the soil and then in November add a layer of green tree lopper mulch again * If you have been reading my posts all over the Homeone forum, I doubt if they are of anything but comedy value (and many would still say they aren't funny ) Re: Pine Bark Chips and needles 5Oct 13, 2010 11:26 am If using peastraw you will get peas coming up and maybe a few grasses. Let them grow Then when they get bigger they are very easy to pull out and just lay them on the surface and they return to the soil DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Are you going to have the frame exposed or are you cladding it with something. Usually if you are making an exposed frame you would use solid legs around 100x100 or… 3 6584 Iām just in the process of replacing 2 stud walls that have been severely damaged by termites and am planning to use h2 blue pine. I just wanted to if anyone can advise… 0 52856 Hi, as per the subject. Does anyone have any recommendations for the best value decking oil (Bunning is close to where I live) for a treated pine deck? Thanks 0 10971 |