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

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Added 4 years ago by tomm

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Pine needles make a great mulch, but do they make soil acidic, or is this a gardening myth? I ask Stephen Legaree to share his thoughts on the topic. Also, please see the links to sources on this topic below:

Links provided by MrChipGardener:

Forest Industry Council - http://www.forestindustrycouncil.com.au/factsheets/f2.pdf

Washington State University - http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/eastside/Fact%20Sheets/C091%20Soil%20pH%2005.pdf

Links to additional sources:

Colorado State University Extension http://csuturf.colostate.edu/Powerpoints/2011%20Turf%20Myths.pdf

GardenMyths.com
http://www.gardenmyths.com/pine-needles-acidify-your-soil/

"Decoding Gardening Advice", p. 49
http://www.amazon.com/Decoding-Gardening-Advice-Science-Recommendations/dp/1604692200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410534123&sr=8-1&keywords=decoding+gardening+advice

Stephen also used these references:

Wood Chip Mulch: Landscape Boon or Bane?
http://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/magazine%20pdfs/
Woodchips.pdf

BorealForest.org
http://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=world_boreal_forest

Acid Rain Effects - Soils http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/196soil.html

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