Are they going to compost you, a la Jimmy Hoffa?? lol!!!

Nancy.

I feel like I've been buried in dirt today. And pine needles. We sold over 1000 bales today. Apparently, no other store in the county has them. I ordered another truck load this morning. It arrived around 4pm. 5 hours and they had us a new truck. Not sure when no one else can get them.

1000 bales of pine needles?! Wow. I never even knew there was such a thing. What do they look like, square bales like hay?
How much do they sell for?

{{gwi:601908}}

$3.79/bale.

Interesting, Token. I never heard of pine needle bales either.
Patti

Isn't that something.

I have heard of pine needles in bales! Being in a non-pine producing part of the country, we long for things like pine needles!

They make pretty mulch, and are good for things that like an acidic soil. We have a decidedly alkaline soil, almost to 8.....!!! Things that like acidic soil have to be grown in pots with special potting soil, and watered with vinegar water. The pine needle mulch helps a lot. I work them into the soil to help to lower our ph.

That is a funny thing. It is easy to up the ph of the soil, but impossible to lower it. Bummer.

AND....when we do have pine trees here, it is almost always accompanied by poison ivy!

Janie

Man, I thought everyone had pine straw. Most people here use it to mulch their azaleas and camellias.

Maybe I should get out into our pines and start raking!! lol!

Token, it would be so nice if we had people in our local "garden centers" who knew the difference between an annual and perennial, much less a hardiness zone. The people who shop your store don't know how lucky they are!
BBH

This garden center is very lucky to have you!

If I ever ask a question, they just look at me blankly.....I have never received a good answer.

Are you enjoying the work? I hope so.

I'm so GLAD we do not have space for a trailer of mulch materials at the garden center where I work.
Plant hardiness is a tough one. You are at a big box, right Token? I'm at a small place and we can write all our own signage and explain that stuff right on signs or group plants where we want them. This helps SO much!

GGG

I've never heard of pine mulch, but have seen it with people with a lot of pines....seriously. Our local guru advised that if you get scab on your potatoes, to layer pine needles under them when you plant. Not sure how it works, but he took care of the gardens of our Prime Minister and Governor General, so he may know a thing or 3.

Nancy.

I work for the local Lowe's - A NC company.

There are lots of things I still have to learn, but I've been using pine straw as a mulch since I could first hold a rake. My parents' house in SC had more long leaf pines in the yard than you could shake a stick at. Every fall we'd rake the pine needles and put them around the house for the plants.

I use pine straw on the paths in the front yard. It's lovely, soft, and lasts longer than wood mulch. I was given a foyer full of pine straw as a gift a couple of years ago.

I can only haul 2 bales at a time in my little car. 3 if I'm willing to lug the cleaner out after I unload. The people at the nearest Lowe's probably sigh when they see me coming for the 3rd or 4th time in a day.

One of the local nurseries offers pine needle bales too, but they seem to run out within a day or two of getting it in.

I planted a pine last year, thinking someday I might get a handful of needles to use. Ha!

Token, I met a wonderful lady at a Home Depot last year. I saw her yesterday (dirt under her nails and windblown hair, so she passed muster) and took the time to thank her again for dragging me around to show me the interesting plants that had shown up. More big box garden center employees should have experience (I'd settle for enthusiasm though). I'll bet the customers appreciate your help. Meanwhile, a local nursery man told me it was too early to plant daylilies! I told him I'd have to bury all the ones coming up in my yard if that was the case.

slubberdegulion - lol !! me too, and I'm coupla zones north!!!

Nancy.

It is NOT too early to plant daylilies. It may be too early to buy them, but I transplant them every year this time. It stresses them less and I can usually get blooms from them later in the summer.

I have had several people come up to me and ask me if I know what that tiny white flower in some of our hanging baskets could be. Bacopa. I ordered a half cart of it this week. I think a lot of people are shocked that a 6'1, 220lb guy with a goatee and a shaved head can talk to them about lilacs, roses, and just about any perennial we carry. I find it amusing, and they usually thank me and send their friends. It's been a lot of fun so far. If only there wasn't so much paperwork involved.

Daylilies are very hardy perennials. I have left pieces on top of the ground after dividing where the have gone through a winter naked of soil, including this last winter where it dipped to -4F a couple of nights. Nothing seems to do them in.

Annette