[chrissie B]

i was reading an article i the Athens news about different types of mulches and their various costs , some one had sent in saying they use pine cones , i presume they broke them up , he was from kefalonia and like us here are knee deep in pine cones most or the time , can any one see any problems using them if not I'm off with a sack or two .
Chrissie b

[poultrygeist]

It would seem that councils are using cones along with bark, etc as a mulch and it's good for insects, obviously then birds, ect.

Don't know whether crushing or whole is best. Prob down to appearance.

No idea if they make the soil acidic or just add nothing but organic bulk but I guess they rot fairly slowly so should be a good long term cover.

Also good for hanging up as fat ball feeders but not sure if you do that over there ?

Rob

[Annie]

...also make excellent firelighters.

[poultrygeist]

That's true. We used to live near a large public woods which was part deciduous, part coniferous.
When we walked the dog I'd take a backpack and fill it with twigs and branches and loads of cones when it hadn't been raining.
USed to fill the woodburner with cones and pot pourri in Summer and then light with them from Autumn.

But never once thought to use them as mulch. Not seen any cones round here. Nearly all deicduous.

Rob