Wood Mulch vs. Pine Straw

Wood Mulch or Pine Straw?

A common question we receive when discussing mulching around homes is which mulching medium is best to use. Of the three types we use (rock, wood mulch, and pine straw), wood mulch and pine straw are the two most common. When discussing the difference in these two types of mulch, there are a few key questions we receive.

• Which medium is better for weed control?
• Is there a difference in chemical makeup that affects plant growth?
• In general, is one better than the other?

The goal of this blog is to help explain the major differences and benefits of both mediums, and aid you in deciding which is best for your landscape. Let’s jump in!

What is mulch and what is pine straw?

As with many things, here in Virginia we are in a transition zone of desired mulch. Go south and you’ll find pine straw to be more common than mulch. Go north and pinestraw is rare to find. Mulch is the bark from timbered trees (usually local) primarily from Oak, Maple, Hickory, and other hardwood species. There are specie and color specific mulches available. Pine straw is bulk needle drop from long-needle Pine species of the southern states that is baled for a bronze colored mulching medium.

Weed Control

Imagine this: you’ve just had your landscaping installed. You sit out on your front porch to watch the sunset paint your new shrubs, trees, and flowers in a warm hue. There’s a light breeze floating through, and everything is perfect. The last thing on your mind at this very moment is weeds. Weeds are a gardener’s nemesis, and that goes for landscape beds as well!

In our experience, regardless of whether you use pine straw or mulch, weeds will always be present. Most often, pine straw seems to have more weed controlling power than mulch. The mulching medium alone will not prevent weeds entirely, but both will do a great job of aiding in the control of said weeds. While we recommend spraying weeds with a weed killer such as Round-Up, pulling weeds is often the go-to option for many homeowners. When weeds are pulled, they often bring soil up with them, which gets spread over the mulch surface. One method you can do to prevent this is to pull the mulch back when you pull weeds. While this is relatively easy to do, replacing the mulch and smoothing it back over when you’re done can sometimes be a headache. With pine straw, this is less bothersome as it will almost always settle into a flat plane with a little time. Keep in mind your mulch or pine straw thickness should be 3-5″ thick optimize weed control within your plant beds.

Chemical Makeup

Plants need a variety of chemicals in their soil to flourish. The three major components are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The other components are less common, but include magnesium, calcium, and sulfur. Some of these other components adjust the alkalinity of the soil to decrease acidity. Both wood mulch and pine straw increase the acidity of soil, but they only do so slightly. While some plants prefer more acidic soil, the amount of change from your mulch alone isn’t enough to greatly affect your plants.

So, which is better?

There’s really no evidence that pine straw is better or worse than wood mulch. It eventually comes down to a few key points, and they all depend on personal preference.

Aesthetic
Pine straw has a more natural, unmanicured appearance than traditional wood mulch. The needles mimic a forest floor, providing a rustic aesthetic. Mulch offers a much more manicured appearance and can come in many different colors, types, and sizes. Pine straw only comes in one color, so if you prefer a color other than rusty brown, mulch would likely be a better choice.

Installation
While mulch requires transport, manual spreading, and smoothing, pine straw can be installed much more quickly and with less effort. This makes it ideal for DIY maintenance. It is lighter and easier to use than mulch, and when “top-dressing” it stretches further than a traditional wood mulch. Again, this is at the cost of a more manicured look. Keep in mind wind is something to consider as for timing of pine straw install. One rainfall and it locks in place, but can blow with heavy winds immediately after installation.

Longevity
Keep in mind there is ”natural” wood mulch and ”dyed” natural wood mulch. Dyed wood mulch does an excellent job of holding its color for longer (usually 12+ months). It is not uncommon to mulch every other year whether natural or dyed, as wood mulch maintains its presence without replenishment for 18-24 months. With pine straw it is ideal to replenish once a year. Natural mulch and pine straw have a much shorter level of color retention. Both tend to fade with sun exposure, changing to a grayer color as each age (natural mulch – 3 months, pine straw 6-9 months). While still effective as a ground cover, this change in color is a factor for consideration.

Color Retention