Composting Pine Needles

Please share your thoughts and "Do's and Don'ts" for composting pine needles. I have to circle the wagons and the troops and rake up all of them. I want to fill up the new 'wiz-bang' recycled plastics composter I purchased from the local landfill district office (It's about 42" high, and 4' across).

Thank you!
~Ooo~
Bill in SE Mass.

By ~OOO~

Answers: Composting Pine Needles

Read answers for this question below.

By (Guest Post) 11/05/2008

How long does it take for pine needles to compost?

By Becky (Guest Post) 10/02/2007

Should you shread the pine needles before adding them to the compost pile to speed up the process, or does it make a difference?
Thanks!
Becky

By nowax (Guest Post) 12/29/2004

As long as you truly "compost" the needles (that is, that you put them into a mix with several other compostable materials and let them break down into compost or dirt) the acidic ph of the pine needles will be neutralized.

You can use pine needles as mulch (that is, not composted) around acid loving plants: rhododendreons, evergreens, azealas, etc....

By 11/28/2004

Pine needles can acidify the soil so are best around acid loving plants - or presumably on alkaline soils!

Regards

Jo

By 11/28/2004

Hi Bill,

Just mix with other compostable materials in layers and you're good to go. Compost does best when there is an equal mix of greens (fresh plant trimmings, kitchen veggie trimmings and grass clippings) and browns (shredded newspaper, brown pine needles, fallen leaves, etc.). Take a look here.

http://www.mastercomposter.com/ref/orgmat1.html
http://www.gardenguides.com/articles/dynamic.htm
http://www.oldgrowth.org/compost/
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/data/soil/2000042647001285.html

Oh, the pine needles would be a brown.

You are very fortunate to have 'troops'! :-)
Newt