Should you use Pine Straw or Mulch?

To have a lovely lawn is every homemaker’s dream. However, the question always arises, which one is better? Mulch or pine straw? In this article, we will be discussing pine straw vs mulch pros and cons so that you can make the best decision when deciding on the best for your flower beds.

Firstly, let us tell you what is pine straw? It is used to prevent water from evaporating from soil to keep it moisturized and to avoid erosion. Also, it keeps the plants’ temperature normal in cold conditions. Mulch and pine straw are significantly different from each other. Down below we have enlisted the pros and cons of each to help you best decide what would be the right fit for your home and garden.

Take a look at some pros and cons of pine straw and mulch:

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Pros for Pine straw

• It is much cheaper than mulch. 
• Easily spreadable, you don’t have to put an extra effort. 
• Easy rearrangement, without a problem. 

However, that’s not it, with its good side, comes the bad. Here are some cons of pine straw you need to look at: 

Cons for Pine straw

• You need to do quick refreshments as compared to mulch. 
• It can make your soil overly acidic which is harmful. 
• It requires frequent cleaning. It will create a mess in your lawn after some time.

Now that we know about pine straw, mulch is what you need to look at next. 

Pros for Mulch

• Moisturizes the plants significantly better against pines straw. 
• Your soil will be able to absorb nutrients more properly
• It will not blow away and stay put for longer.

Cons for Mulch

• It is heavier on the pocket as opposed to pine straw 
• You would have to spend more time spreading it as it tends to take a longer process.
• Less looks more until you actually start applying it. You may quickly run out of it as the quality wouldn’t seem satisfying. 

For the last point, you would need to get in touch with a pro, who would be able to tell you how much mulch you need according to the measurement of your yard. You are probably going to go wrong with your own calculation when trying to apply mulch in your flower bed. 

Conclusion

Pine straw vs mulch has always been a heated debate. While both of them have their good qualities, their cons are hard to overlook too. Mostly, people would prefer choosing a combination. Which is usually suitable. Later they decide how much of each would they need for depending on the area, type of lawn and other requirements. Let’s suppose, if your garden has a couple of pine trees added for the aesthetics, then naturally, it is better to use pine straws. This is because not only would it be cheaper but also that it will be easily blendable with the right environment given to it. Moreover, with plants such as azalea bushes, it is highly recommended as they accept more acidic soil. 

Mulch is perfect if you don’t call for an everyday lawn-care routine. It can keep you keen looking fresh for a long time. You would not need to maintain it every single day. Other than that, it’s amazing if you need to insulate your plants and pack up the nutrients for your special and beautiful seasonal plants.