Posted on 05/30/2021 6:49:50 AM PDT by deport
Yes pine straw is gold in the southern states. The one single problem I’ve encountered are the timber rattlers that blend in mighty well in that stuff. They’ll typically not rattle until you are right on them or step on them. Wear snake boots!!!
I learned my “something new” early this morning.
*********
I grew up in a area where the came thru and clear cut the hardwood trees. They then planted pine trees in rows so many feet apart. As they grew they came back and harvested every X tree along the row for say fence post. They a few year later they came and harvested the poles for electrical grids, etc. And finally they were cut for lumber. Replant and start the process again.
I was caught in the middle of the worst wildfire in Texas history 10 years ago. The Lost Pines fire of 2011.
We were camping at Bastrop State Park and having a wonderful day when it all began. Fortunately we were able to get our RV out and get out of there. But you are correct. Nothing burns hotter and faster in dry pine needles.
Thanks, that’s more useful than frickin pine needles because people post pay walled crap every day and just ignore complaints about it.
Clear your cookies that begin with "washington" and you will get access.
In its infinite wisdom, our USDA put in a plan to stimulate the population of quail in GA. This involved, among other things, not collecting pine straw. Some tracts have it a foot deep now. I can’t say as to how it has affected the quail population, but we have pine straw out the wazoo.
Every area has natural “waste” products.
Pine straw in the southeast, leaves and grass clippings in the northeast etc. . .
Surplus apples or pears added to your batch and have a flavorful ale.
I read of a company making caskets out of nut shells. Yep, it’s true.
The million dollar idea is to figure out how to put them to productive use.
Ground up, two year composted straw from the run in with a generous helping of composted leaves, pit through a sifter sells for a boatload of cash per yard.
Poop and leaves, left out in the weather for two years is worth money.
What a country!
Didn’t have a problem with the site. No pay item came up while
I read the article in full, copied and pasted for the thread. Now
you have a blessed day.
Some tracts have it a foot deep now.
***********
I’m surprised it hasn’t been burned either on purpose or accidently.
For any acid loving plants like most berries and some flowers; https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plants-benefit-pine-needle-mulch-37620.html
Yaupon does. It explodes. Full of wax.
The lesser known Tri-county fire happened at the same time at Magnolia. The BLM fire boss said he had never seen a fire burn so fast or so hot. It was the Yaupon. First the needles, then the Yaupon then the Rattan and then the crowns of the pine trees. They dug out hot spots of pine tree stumps 6 to 8 feet deep.
“ I’m surprised it hasn’t been burned either on purpose or accidently.”
Me too! In other conservation easement tracts, they insist we plow firebreaks, clean, burn, etc. Many have asked about gathering that straw. Some people do get upset when told no. The conservation easement will expire soon, and we will collect that straw.
Fun fact: Almost all of the dry mass of a tree comes from air, not from soil.
Otherwise, there would be a tree-size hole around the tree.
If you have a lawn for example, grass is not going to grow well at all under the pine tree. Pine trees suck up lots of water and the needles are naturally inhibitory to grasses.
A pine tree as it matures becomes increasingly susceptible to wood rot. The inner core can be completely dead and it is not apparent at all visually. I have had a pine go from grand and healthy to a dead stick in weeks. That same VA house 10 years or so prior to my ownership, had a corner of the house destroyed by a fallen “healthy”pine. My home in GA had 3 pines in the backyard that I eventually removed to get rid of the mud around them. My neighbor had a pine tree decide to die overnight and a month or 2 later the pine snapped and fell across our fences and into the green belt. If it had fallen the other way, one our two houses would probably have been hit by the pine.
The tree farmer in the OP article stated he began culling peach trees and planting pine in the 1970s. His oldest pines will be well into prime maturity now. It's not mentioned in the article but I'm sure that he is methodically culling a fraction of the trees each year and replanting a new tree. A dead tree is not good for much more than firewood. A healthy mature tree culled out is good for higher value uses. More $$$.
Watch out for ticks, as they love pine needle straw nests.
Could you post an example of where outline.com/ goes? It’s not working for me. I must be doing it wrong.
Blueberries love pines too...
“He could get $4,000 an acre for clear-cutting his mature longleaf pines for timber. “
Surely it’s more.
An acre of fir on the west coast will bring at least $20k.
The wash po rule is excerpt
Has that changed?
Any newspaper is pay wall now except some give a few free passes first
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.