Is it Is Okay to Use Pine Mulch Around Tomato Plants to Control Weeds?

Nature of Pine Needles

• Pine needles are readily available from many varieties of pines. Some needles fall during the spring and others in the fall. Long, thin and cylindrical, it takes many needles to build a mulch layer. Pine needles are coated with a substance that resists decomposing. This makes pine needles last much longer than ordinary leaves for mulching. Instead of having to replace the mulch several times a year, one application will typically last for the whole season.

Using Pine Needles

• One to two layers of pine needles is sufficient for mulch. If too thick a layer is put down it hampers water reaching the soil. As with any mulch, avoid having the needles directly contacting the tomatoes stems. If they do, it becomes easier for insects and diseases to reach the plants. When the tomatoes are about eight to 12 inches tall, add the mulch to the garden. But first, hoe all the weeds and destroy their roots. Rake the needles smooth and equal throughout the area. The goal is to avoid sunlight on any part of the soil, which will allow the weeds to quickly come back.

Benefits of Pine Needles

• A continued hoeing of weeds around tomatoes runs the risk of disrupting the tender plant roots. It also allows moisture to evaporate quicker from the soil by disrupting the soil's crust. Pine needle mulch can alleviate both problems. At the end of the growing season, pine needles can easily be tilled into the soil to provide more organic material for the micro fauna to consume. The worms and microbes will eventually convert the needles into a chemical form that the plants will absorb through the roots as food.

Pine Needles and pH Balance

• Tomato plants do best in soil that is slightly acidic, or in the 6 to 7 range on the pH scale. A common myth is that pine needles will create too acidic of a condition for plants to grow. Using needles on top of the soil as mulch does not affect the soil pH properties, and they break down so slowly that they have no opportunity to change the balance. You can use the needles without fear that you are creating a negative effect in the soil.