most of us have no clue about pecan ...

do they get soggy and mat up over winter.. stopping the free flow of air .... ???

if not ... then they ought to be fine.. even better if you chop them up a bit the the mower ....

perhaps leave the crowns themselves not covered very deep.. and just surround the roots with it ..

frankly.. i dont know why you even need WINTER mulch in z8 ... but as a spring soil amendment.. applied in fall ... why not.. unless there is some evil pecan problem i dont know about ...

no problem with pine needles ... many of us ship them up north and use them ... and .. btw ... they will have no impact as an acidic soil amendment ... unless you pile them on very deep for a century or two ...

ken

Pecan leaves have a small amount of juglone, which can cause decline in some plants. Hosta are not effected by it. I have 2 hosta beds under pecan trees and everything is doing okay. They are mulched with pinestraw and the leaves that fall on top are light when dry and most blow away.

I also have a black walnut tree and they have a lot of juglone. I have to be careful what I plant in his root area--he is a killer. I have to pick up all of the walnuts before mowing because they become missiles when they are hit with the mower blade. I bag them up and toss them in the woods for the squirrels. I use a walmart bag to protect my hands, if the husk is broken it leaves a brown dye on your hands that doesn't wash off. Ask me how I know :c) I have had 3 major misadventures with walnuts, yellow jackets, and spray foam in my life.

Ken, we do get temps down to 10 degree at times. I lost my last Satsuma tree to one of those. It was the Juglone that I was worried about. Frankie had a clue because she has pecans trees!