Neighbor said to use pine needles instead of straw for winter mulch

My neighbor Tom in Bangor insisted pine needles would keep my blueberry bushes warmer than straw through February. I tried it last winter and lost three bushes to frost heave, while his using straw had zero damage. Anyone else had better luck with pine needles or is this just bad advice?

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2 Comments

lucas_johnson2mo ago

yeah pine needles are way too light for that, they just blow away or pack down too thin. straw actually traps air which is what keeps the ground from heaving. needles just kinda sit there and let the cold get through.

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val2812mo ago

Is it really gonna make that much difference either way?

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