Go for it. I would give it a try if I had access to needles. You might want to add more large chunk Perlite

Steve

Steve, I buy Large bags of horticulture size perlite, always have that on hand.

Bob, you probably do this already but I use our pine needles for compost in the fall and they work marvelously.

Ken, you are right, for citrus it’s beneficial, they can go down to ph 6, there’s where I try to keep mine.

Many use pine needles in their soil and like it. My dad use to all the time. The only problem he would have is that they would break down quickly, and yet it's free!

" Since your source for pine needles is probably not green, they are NOT acidic. Collecting old pine needles is pointless if you are trying to acidify your soil. The second point is that even when fresh, pine needles are only slightly acidic and therefore can have limited effect on changing the pH of the soil. "

Mike, I use strictly rainwater which is acidic, my fertilizer is acidic. I usely experiment for myself , got a good feel for stuff my trees need And ingredients are so easy to come by here in my neck of the wood.

Way too many tree’s and you lose track of what you are doing or trying to accomplish.l know that pinebark last longer than needles but that is just part of it.

if you keep your mix too wet too long, needles will not last. Citrus likes some dryness between watering.

My challenge is: The Art of Container Garedening. This is just my latest and LAST challenge.

Been at fruit growing since the early seventies, should know something.

Your trees are doing very nice now without them, I'd be curious as to how they do when you add them . Sounds like a plan Bob)0). Keep us posted please. Your trees look very nice these days.

Let us know how it works out Bob! And please post pics when your trees go out. I’m counting down the days!

What about the terpenes? And difference in particle size?

Particle size is an easy one, if it last two years, great ,if not go up in particle size, hopefully I not bigger than a 1/4”, 5/16 ok. Too fast drainage, not beneficial to a tree that likes moisture, in that case, use a saucer with strings from a mop head for capillary action to flow access fertilized drainage water back up. Fertilizer with high nitrogen content will burn up solids quickly.