Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas?

BullShark · 07-21-2009, 12:03 PM

The grass and weeds grow furiously this time of year, it's a bit much to keep up with sometimes. I have quite a few pines on my property and I was considering using fallen needles to mulch around my bananas to suppress the grass and weeds. My soil is fairly neutral and I know pine needles are acid. Would this be ok for the nanners?

Jack Daw · 07-21-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullShark

The grass and weeds grow furiously this time of year, it's a bit much to keep up with sometimes. I have quite a few pines on my property and I was considering using fallen needles to mulch around my bananas to suppress the grass and weeds. My soil is fairly neutral and I know pine needles are acid. Would this be ok for the nanners?

Pine needles and needles in general include toxic (at least for other plants) essential oils.

alexizhere19 · 07-21-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullShark

The grass and weeds grow furiously this time of year, it's a bit much to keep up with sometimes. I have quite a few pines on my property and I was considering using fallen needles to mulch around my bananas to suppress the grass and weeds. My soil is fairly neutral and I know pine needles are acid. Would this be ok for the nanners?

Hey Jack,

I live in South Carolina where pines are plentiful. Now i myself have used pine needles before years ago when we had them on the property but I now use hardwood mulch and Oak leaves. But the local lowes and nurseries sell them in bales as mulch and people use them like crazy and I have notice no ill effects but then again i used for 3 years and maybe it takes longer to show effects. I have never heard of toxins causin problems. Is there something i'm missing or is there a certain type of pine. We generally use long needle pines, so if you would chime in and help us out.

alex

alexizhere19 · 07-21-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote by Jack Daw "Pine needles and needles in general include toxic (at least for other plants) essential oils."

Forgot to mention that these are brown needles not green so these toxins may have been leached out.

alex

Jack Daw · 07-21-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexizhere19

Quote by Jack Daw "Pine needles and needles in general include toxic (at least for other plants) essential oils."

Forgot to mention that these are brown needles not green so these toxins may have been leached out.

alex

Yeo, those are dried and toxins have probably moved out of the needle. But I thought that the original question regarded fresh needles. Go for a walk to the wild and look below any pine tree (or any with needles for that matter), there's a very scarse, very typical vegetation that doesn't mind these toxins. Other than that, it's just plain soil.

alexizhere19 · 07-21-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Daw

Yeo, those are dried and toxins have probably moved out of the needle. But I thought that the original question regarded fresh needles. Go for a walk to the wild and look below any pine tree (or any with needles for that matter), there's a very scarse, very typical vegetation that doesn't mind these toxins. Other than that, it's just plain soil.

Ok, i wasn't sure either about fresh or dried. I wanted to make sure. Thanks for your input Jack.

alex

Bananaman88 · 07-21-2009, 02:39 PM

Pine needles should be perfectly fine for use on your bananas. We use them all the time as a mulch where I work. They are acidic, but from what I understand, the amount of acidity they add to the soil is neglegible.

BullShark · 07-21-2009, 03:30 PM

I've seen them used on strawberry and blueberry so seeing as Bananaman88 isn't having any problem with them I'll give it a try.

FWIW I am talking about dry, dead pine needles. I'm not aware of any toxic effect though. Where I live it's normal to find all kinds of stuff growing around pines. Usually palmettos, beauty berry, grass, vines and blackberry. The only time other things won't grow around a pine tree is when there's a thick blanket of pine needles mulching out new growth. There are many kinds of pine tree though so some may have a different effect.

LilRaverBoi · 07-21-2009, 07:21 PM

Yeah, I've been told pine needles will increase the acidity of your soil. Not sure the significance of this as I've never experimented with it. Just throwing that into the discussion.

alexizhere19 · 07-21-2009, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Yeah, I've been told pine needles will increase the acidity of your soil. Not sure the significance of this as I've never experimented with it. Just throwing that into the discussion.

It will increase acidity in your soil over time, but dont look for a huge lift immediately. From MY experience in 3 years i saw point drop from 6.6 to 5.6 around my house where I used them. but another two years later the PH was 5.5 so in my opinion i noticed that it lowers to a certain level but it leveled of around that. now on that note thats not to say that after 10 years it wouldn' drop more. But that's nothing a little lime couldn't fix as it is a easy source of mulch here.

alex

sirmoebly · 07-21-2009, 07:55 PM

I have used pine needles for 10 years and I think there great..... sometimes the neighbors come down for some.......I have heavy clay soil thou...

07-21-2009, 12:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
BullShark Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 54 BananaBucks : 91,280 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 6 Times Was Thanked 34 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas? The grass and weeds grow furiously this time of year, it's a bit much to keep up with sometimes. I have quite a few pines on my property and I was considering using fallen needles to mulch around my bananas to suppress the grass and weeds. My soil is fairly neutral and I know pine needles are acid. Would this be ok for the nanners?

07-21-2009, 12:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
alexizhere19 My Thumbs are Golden alexizhere19's Photo Gallery Location: york,sc Zone: 8a Name: alex Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 304 BananaBucks : 47,981 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 184 Times Was Thanked 190 Times in 93 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 249 Times	Re: Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas? Quote by Jack Daw "Pine needles and needles in general include toxic (at least for other plants) essential oils." Forgot to mention that these are brown needles not green so these toxins may have been leached out. alex __________________ woo woo woo in the county jail just a good ole boy never meanin no harm

07-21-2009, 02:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bananaman88 Bananaculturist Bananaman88's Photo Gallery Location: Houston, TX area Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Brent Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3,019 BananaBucks : 316,007 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,339 Times Was Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,178 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times	Re: Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas? Pine needles should be perfectly fine for use on your bananas. We use them all the time as a mulch where I work. They are acidic, but from what I understand, the amount of acidity they add to the soil is neglegible.

07-21-2009, 03:30 PM	#8 (permalink)
BullShark Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 54 BananaBucks : 91,280 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 6 Times Was Thanked 34 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas? I've seen them used on strawberry and blueberry so seeing as Bananaman88 isn't having any problem with them I'll give it a try. FWIW I am talking about dry, dead pine needles. I'm not aware of any toxic effect though. Where I live it's normal to find all kinds of stuff growing around pines. Usually palmettos, beauty berry, grass, vines and blackberry. The only time other things won't grow around a pine tree is when there's a thick blanket of pine needles mulching out new growth. There are many kinds of pine tree though so some may have a different effect.

07-21-2009, 07:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
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07-21-2009, 07:55 PM	#11 (permalink)
sirmoebly sirmoebly's Photo Gallery Location: Oak Harbor, Ohio Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Name: Moe Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 378 BananaBucks : 27,176 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 181 Times Was Thanked 160 Times in 92 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Would Pine Needle Mulch Work For Bananas? I have used pine needles for 10 years and I think there great..... sometimes the neighbors come down for some.......I have heavy clay soil thou...

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