Thoughts about Mulch

Mulch is probably the most important and the most overlooked ingredient in a healthy garden. In a natural ecosystem, mulch is just the previous season's fallen leaves and sticks, but in an urban environment we need to emulate this with intentional mulch.

Chop 'n' Drop

While pruning and deadheading in your garden, we will often follow a technique some people call "Chop 'n' Drop": the pruned or trimmed plant material is left in the garden under the plant it came from and allowed to become part of the mulch layer, where it will help regulate soil conditions until finally it breaks down and its nutrients reenter the root zone. This can be especially important for wildlife: for example some insects lay their eggs in the stems of flowers or grasses, and if the cuttings are left in the garden the next generation can remain to return the next season.

Leaving the Leaves

We also often follow the philosophy of "leaving the leaves". Of course, we diligently clean up all hard surfaces and gravel areas, but the leaves of some trees make excellent mulch, especially the leaves of the Southern Live Oak and the needles of the Bald Cypress and Long Leaf Pine (all native to our area). In these cases we often rake or blow the leaf litter up into the garden beds to help build the mulch layer. This step reduces the amount of mulch (like pine straw) that needs to be imported, reducing maintenance costs as well as ecological impact. More importantly, just like the chop 'n' drop technique, it preserves wildlife habitat. Animals like insects and lizards like to hide or even lay eggs in leaf litter, so this technique just puts them back in the garden instead of removing them.

Why use Pine Straw Mulch?

The needles of the longleaf pine tree are the traditional mulch of choice in New Orleans, and our recommendation most of the time. We usually mulch gardens about twice a year or as needed.

There are two options for Pine Straw:

Long-Needle comes in bales. It is unprocessed and consists of needles about 10-14" long bundled in groups the way they grew on the tree. It is slightly cheaper for the area covered, but it has a rougher look. It is more suited for larger areas or newer gardens. The needles tend to interlock helping to keep the mulch in place.

Crushed or Chopped comes in bags. This is the best choice for smaller gardens or touchups as it instantly lends a neat finished look and lays flat in small spaces.

We use Pine Straw because:

Pine straw mulch is a locally-produced annually renewable resource and its use supports other local businesses.
A thick layer will keep down weeds, reducing maintenance labor and keeping your garden more consistently beautiful.
The neutral light-brown shade and texture provides a beautiful contrast against foliage and flowers.
New Orleans' soil is notoriously alkaline. Pine straw is acidic, and neutralizes or lowers the pH of the soil making it more suitable for many of our favorite plants like camellias, azaleas, gardenias, and citrus trees.
Pine straw regulates soil moisture and temperature, helping your garden keep its cool during our droughts and hot spells.
Pine straw also allows water to penetrate the soil quicker and more easily than other mulch choices.
Termites don't like pine straw.
Fallen leaves and other debris blend right in so your garden still looks good even when the mulch is old.
Over time, the pine straw breaks down and will become a compost that organically fertilizes your garden.

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Fine Gardening & Landscape Work

New Orleans, Louisiana • Est. 2019