Do Pine Needles Make Soil More Acidic? Truth or Gardening Myth?

Tips, Tricks

1. Not surprised.Along the years, here, in Portugal, poor and iliterate small farmers changed poor, compact (and acid) soils with pine needles. The soil became black and loose in the garden, and it's some pale yellow on the rest of the land in the places where I watched. Thanks
2. what if you grind them?
3. i am just now seeing this?! this is from 2014! okay i guess i haven't caught up on all your videos. lol. perfect timing tho! this in reference to using eggshells,coffee grounds and banana peels in my planting holes. so i WON'T be digging the pine needles this year. better left as a covering. i just got really tired of walking on dirt. i know i know i shouldn't be walking on the dirt. i just can't help myself. and the pine needles feel good under my house slippers! well now that i know how to hook into the links i feel so much pressure is off! thank you one yard revolution!👍
4. i have pine trees, pine trees and more pine trees....how is this for mulch around vegetables
5. Cool channel fellow!
6. My friend what leaf mold to choose from of them for vegetables. plane tree leaves or pine needles? congratulations for your channel.
7. How about oak leaves? I've heard they are also acidic, but could be all hearsay again from self proclaimed experts.
8. I'd be very careful about taking any advice from that Stephen Legaree Patrick! I've heard him on a number of occasions now and feel sure that he just makes it up as he goes along!
9. too confusing
10. Pine bark/needles works for blueberries because it 'is' acidic, not because it changes surrounding soil. So if you can keep a nutrient cash in the bark and needles, the blueberries will thrive in it eventually. Most notable by how when you clear back the fines, you will find the roots of the bushes growing right in the mulch itself, and this is the same with peat. Slightly aged bark is better because it is porous, and holds moisture and nutrient. The fine roots of the blueberry, will cling to these nuggets. After blueberries get established, they may host their own specific mycorrhizae fungus, that aids them in collecting and processing nutrition from an otherwise microbial bland medium.
    
    If you really want to use pine, the bark is better for blueberries, especially if you age and fertilize the bark well ahead of time. Think of how many plant species cling to, and grow onto the bark of living trees. The trick is, to not use fines too small that decompose rapidly.
    
    The needles are better as a mulch for keeping the roots moist and cool than an actual soil additive, although, they can help keep it airy and light.
11. Darn it. I live in the West where we have alkaline soil. I as hoping I could lower the pH with all the free pine needles I collected from my yard. Oh well. Thanks for the video!
12. This info will be such a relief for the Pine trees ;-)
13. Is it true that using bark as a mulch will make soil more acidic?
14. Best corespondent.
15. well well well now i would like to know how can i make my soil acidic thank u
16. Add bokashi and fermented plant extracts for acidity
17. Acidity of a solution of a chemical depends on its concentration. If you grind up pine needles and test its pH without adding water, it is very acidic. After decomposting (by action of bacteria and fugus), the decomposed pine needle has an unknown pH depending on what the bacterial and fungal actions are. Even then the decomposed pine needles will be much diluted by rain water which raises it pH to closer to 7. Pine needles are just like tree leaves as they both add organic matter to your soil that eventually turn into humic acid. Any organic matter is better than no organic matter, except when there is so inhibiting chemical present in the organic matter. Never worry too much about pH cause plants are pretty flexible and adapting. As long as there are enough essential minerals, a lot of organic matter (humic acid), good drainage, a right amount of sun light and heat, and good aeration, any plant should grow well.
18. Great collaboration and great info. Answers my query and my friends' questions as to what to do with fallen pine needles in the highlands.
19. I have heard of using used coffee grinds in a 1 grinds to 5 water mixture. It's supposed to bring it to a ph of 5.