Making mulch from pine cones is considered a fairly common solution used by many gardeners. This natural material has many advantages. It saturates the soil with valuable substances and helps avoid moisture loss. In addition, the material inhibits the development of weeds. For its use to be effective, it is important to adhere to a number of important recommendations.
Mulching - description of the process
This term refers to the covering of the soil surface with various materials. Using mulching you can achieve the following results:
- protect the soil surface from direct rays of the sun;
- avoid rapid evaporation of moisture;
- reduce the frequency of soil loosening.
In addition, with the help of mulch it is possible to saturate the soil with valuable substances, cope with unwanted vegetation and protect the soil from weathering. In addition, this material protects the roots from freezing in winter and overheating in summer.
Should you use pine cones for mulch?
Pine cones are great as mulching material. To remove unnecessary growth that breaks through such a covering, it is enough to push it apart with your hands and remove the weeds. When the soil is moistened, the cones shrink, and in warm and sunny weather they open. Thanks to this, they prevent the soil from drying out.
Another important advantage of this coating is the pronounced aesthetic effect. This is especially important in the fall, when plants begin to gradually fade. It is important to take into account that pine cones also have some disadvantages.
Advantages and disadvantages
Using pine cones as mulch has its pros and cons. This material can be spread around plants in whole or crushed form. Its characteristic features include a woody structure and a conical shape. The main advantages of the material are the following features:
- Effective protection of soil from erosion. The resin in the cones pushes into the water and breaks up large drops of rain.
- Free air circulation. Thanks to their conical shape, the cones prevent the destruction of the top layer of soil.
- Easy to remove weeds.To do this, just move the cones apart and then return them back.
- Preservation of moisture in the soil structure. In hot weather, the cones open up. Thus, the size of the covering layer increases. This helps prevent the sun's rays from entering.
- Purifying the air and repelling parasites. This is due to the content of essential oils in the composition.
- Excellent thermal insulation characteristics. This keeps you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.
- Improving the appearance of the site. Pine cones look very decorative. This is especially true in the fall, when the vegetation becomes less lush.
However, the use of this material for mulching also has some disadvantages. It may attract small insects and snails. These pests use pine cones as a food source and habitat.
In addition, the material cannot be used on inclined surfaces. It is also not recommended to use cones as mulch for flower beds that are located near barbecue grills, barbecue areas or other fire-hazardous objects.
What plants is it suitable for?
Pine resin contains phytoncides, which are biologically active substances. They successfully repel pests of beneficial plants. Therefore, such mulch is often used not only in the garden or flower beds, but also in the vegetable garden.
Cooking instructions
It is necessary to mulch the beds in the spring. This is done after germination. In this case, the soil must be sufficiently moist and warmed up. Therefore, a few days before the procedure, it is recommended to weed the bed and water it well. Its edges should be fenced with borders.
Search for material
First you need to collect natural material that will be used as mulch. It is recommended to harvest cones in dry and warm weather. However, you cannot go into the forest immediately after rain. This will lead to pests getting into the area with future mulch. It is important to consider that wet cones close the scales, while dry cones open.
It is necessary to start mulching the plantings when the soil has sufficiently warmed up and sprouts of cultivated plants have appeared. First, it is recommended to clear the beds of weeds and water them abundantly. Before laying the material, the ground needs to be loosened a little.
After preparing the substrate, the substance can be laid out. In this case, the layer of cones should be 5-10 centimeters. It is strictly forbidden to compact them.
When growing annuals, mulch can be left on the surface of the soil until autumn arrives. Before harvesting, the cones can be collected and poured into a well-lit area. They need to be dried for 2 weeks. It is recommended to stir the material from time to time.After which it should be put into bags and stored in a well-ventilated area until the next season.
Mulch material can be left around perennials. However, in this case, it is important to take into account that the period of its use will be significantly reduced.
Which buds should you not use?
When collecting material for mulch, it is important to ensure that there are no rotten or damaged specimens in it. Cones must be collected without seeds. It is definitely recommended to take this into account when picking fruits directly from the tree. Moreover, by the beginning of May they are already empty.
It is important to take into account that it is not recommended to use spruce fruits as a mulching material. The fact is that after winter they become half-rotten. However, fir cones are still sometimes used in small quantities - mostly for decoration.
Recommendations for beginners
When using pine cone mulch, it is recommended to take into account the following features:
- Lay dry material on wet soil. If you put the cones on dry ground, they will fly away from the wind. If the substrate is too wet, the material will sink too deep and clog the surface. This will have a bad effect on the development of cultures.
- Do not use too much mulch. Its size should be 5-8 centimeters. Otherwise, a large number of slugs may appear in the tree trunk circle.
- Do not add pine cones to the compost after mulching. They contain a resin that inhibits the decay process.
- Add additional fertilizer. Organic material provides the soil with only 1/4 of the necessary elements. The remaining parts must be applied through fertilizers.
There are many benefits to using pine cones as mulch.They saturate the soil with valuable substances, retain moisture in the soil, and prevent the active development of weeds.
It is important to collect the material correctly and adhere to the basic rules for its use. This will help you get the desired results and avoid negative consequences for the plants.
