Heather,

I use pine needles as I can get all I want for free. I have to make them quite deep [5 inches or so] to get weed prevention benefit compared to wood mulch. I keep piling it up until I am tired of getting it.

To get the debris out, I use a weed blower that is not too powerful but powerful enough. I have a lower end Black and Decker electric one that I got from Lowes. I am successful in blowing away the leaves and not the pine.

Pine has to be done yearly.

Pine has the effect of making the ground a little more acidic so I get darker, richer colors than I used to.

I don't water, but I might in your climate. But I do think it would cut down on how much watering. I know when things are a little dry, it is still damp under the mulch.

I don't think wood mulch is supposed to touch the daylilies from what I've read, but I do pine needles clear up to the daylilies with no ill effects. It helps keep the violets away from them and moisture in. I suppose it would not be a good idea in areas where it is super wet.

Brad

I use pine straw that I buy at Home Depot or Lowes. I like the fact it makes the soil more acidic like daylilies like it. I much about three inches and the pine straw can touch the daylilies without risk of rot. It does have to be reapplied annually. I leave natural "debris" - do you mean leaves? They break down to feed the soil. I do water when there's not enough rain - even with the mulch.

I used to use pine bark nuggets. It take about four inches to keep down the weeds. I also got termites because of that kind of mulch.

Debra

I’m so sad pine needle mulch isn’t available in northern Illinois. Friends in N. Carolina use it, it looks good too.

Sherry

Debra, what the heck is pine Straw?

That was last year's photo before the straw was put on the beds. For the winter, I did put straw over the black manure-mulch you see on the beds.

Alex, I just have to comment on your photo. First, what an adorable photo with the two kitties together! I love it! And second, I am envious of all the space you have for seedlings. Also.... Thank you for taking care of the ferals. You are wonderful.

I don't have the funds for bark mulch, hay or pine straw so I just utilize what Mother Nature dumps on my yard every Fall. Tons and tons of leaves. We need to pick them up so why not shred them up and use as mulch? It doesn't look as pretty closeup as bought mulch, but over time it enriches the soil and I have tons of earthworms. The only downside is that rain doesn't penetrate it as well as other mulches. Also, my property is full of evergreens, mostly huge white pines, spruce and hemlocks which drop their needles on a regular basis. Many of them overhang my daylily beds. I just leave the needles where they fall. There are no adverse affects to my daylilies when they are piled up around the plants.

Pine straw is pine needles.

Right, pine straw is pine needles that have been baled into rectangles for sale.

sure wish I could find that here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Alex, looks like you have lovely black earth to grow in . I only wish! . The stuff here is dreadful , such heavy clay which would be a bonus if we ever got any rain......but we don't . So plants here don't often reach their registered height ......maybe that is why I am always looking for really tall plants just so I can't get some height here. When we were looking at buying a place, the lady we bought this place from had a small veggie garden . While showing me around she bent down picked up a scraggly looking little onion , handed it to me and said " You try and grow something here." Didn't mean much to me at the time, I wasn't a gardener.. Now some 15 years into gardening I am still trying to achieve decent growing conditions here. The mulch might hold in moisture ......a really scarce commodity around here.

Celeste - the straw is a necessity as it is the best insulator for the feral shelters over the winter. If I were rich, I'd build them their own heated out building, but (sigh) such is not the case. At least there's a good use for the straw afterwards.

Heather - that lovely black earth is imported also; an indulgence, if you will, that I decided to make after seeing the mountain of composted manure our Amish neighbors had trucked in for their strawberry field. Decided I had to have some! It is AMAZING stuff and worth every penny, IMO. We buy it by the cubic yard - this is the second year I've bought some. If you can find a local source that will sell to you by truckload, I recommend it. Once purchased, if it's anything like what I'm getting, you won't want to be without it in future.

Alex