How to Harvest Pine Straw
The freshly fallen needles of pines create an aromatic and pleasant ground cover. Across the southeastern United States, gathering this "pine straw" for use as mulch and a decorative top dressing in landscapes is popular and a multimillion dollar business. Harvesting pine straw from the conifer woodlands is relatively easy if twigs are removed before a long-tined rake or pitch fork is used to gather needles. In rows of pines planted to maximize space for the specific business of making pine straw, mechanized hay rakes can be used for efficient and quick harvesting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Walk the pine-needled floor under the trees and assess the potential crop of needles. Note the depth and length of the needles you wish to harvest. Needles longer than 4 to 6 inches are easiest to gather with your hands or pitch fork, but small-scale harvesting of very short needles is possible with the right size shovel.
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Remove any large fallen branches or twigs from the mat of pine needles designated for harvesting. Also brush or pull back any needles that may be atop an old tree stump or rock that you may trip over. Pull back any clumps of needles that are covering any uneven or soft ground spots so you won't twist an ankle or lose footing.
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Roll the wheelbarrow or large garden cart to the area where you wish to gather needles. If space allows, back up a pickup truck or other large-bed vehicle to gather and transport the pine straw.
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Gather small piles of needles holding the pitch fork with the tines perpendicular to the ground--using it more like a rake than a shovel.
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Pick up the piles of gathered needles with the pitch fork, either by poking into the pile or scooping the pile base up into the wheelbarrow.
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Tips & Warnings
Pine needles are considered evergreen, but their lifespan is only 2 to 3 years before they are shed. Needles can drop from a pine at any time, but heavy shedding occurs in the autumn months.
Harvest needles before they begin breaking down significantly, when their length or texture may be too soft or short for easy gathering.
Pine trees that are over 8 years of age produce enough needles to create a nice thatch of pine straw for occasional harvest. By 15 to 25 years, the tree is at its peak for the amount of fallen pine needle debris it produces.
Repeated and frequent harvesting of pine straw from pine woodlands can damage the health of the trees. The pine straw is a natural mulch and source of nutrients for the pines, so leave some straw to benefit the trees.
