Pine needles aren't bad for your lawn if you just mulch them in. Of course, you should cut a mulch bed around the tree where most needles will fall, but the needles on the grass should just be mowed over. They will not acidify your soil.

One of the reasons the front grass looks bad is from the pine needles. I love the tree and rake the needles as often as I can

==>>>

why are you fighting mother nature...

lawn isnt supposed to grow under pines trees ...

so leave the needles there.. until they kill all the grass ...and stop trying to grow alternatives where God didnt mean them to grow ...

the pine.. is self mulching under itself .. and you keep raking up FREE .. key word there...FREE ..mulch ...

in my experience.. the pine is such a super competitor for water ... and it is a veritable desert under there ... and that is why very little will THRIVE under there ...

also.. clover is about the only green thing in what i call a mowed lawn in july and august .. and the only downside of big swathes of it.. are the honey bees ... which if you have kids.. might not be appreciated ...

ken