A neighbor is having a large pine tree cut today and I need tree mulch

Louise
by Louise
I need the mulch for my yard and he said he thought they'd come dump some in my driveway if I want it. HOWEVER, the neighbor says the tree is diseased. Seems maybe getting mulch from that tree might not be a good idea. I need a lot to spread around my many plantings in my front yard. I certainly do NOT want to kill my plants. I want them to remain healthy. Should I find another source for the mulch?
  13 answers
  • Gwen Marshall Gwen Marshall on Jul 24, 2015
    I wouldn!t take a chance, unless what it has isn!t harmfull
  • Katherine Katherine on Jul 24, 2015
    I had a healthy River Birch removed from my yard last year and used the mulch in one of my flowerbeds. Nothing will grow there now and the existing butterfly bush is clearly on it's last legs. I don't know if the wood was "hot" or if this particular type of tree contains something poisonous to plants, or what. So, I wouldn't take chance. I think you'd be better off buying a dump truck load from a mulch store.
  • Karen Karen on Jul 24, 2015
    I always heard that pine needles are acidic and will kill the grass/plants. Supposedly, nothing will grow under a pine tree. I would check the internet/garden expert, etc. before I took his pine needles and used them as mulch.
  • Bonny McDaniel Bonny McDaniel on Jul 24, 2015
    We cut down two large pines but I only used the bark for mulch...the rest of it was piled and composted and I'll use it, eventually on my acid loving plants. Be careful when you compost it and don't have it near any wood buildings or fences as it gets really hot and might catch fire.
  • Fbcmemory Makers Fbcmemory Makers on Jul 24, 2015
    I've always heaard that diseased pines need to be burned because the disease is spread by an insect that could still be in your dead tree
    • Bonny McDaniel Bonny McDaniel on Jul 25, 2015
      @Fbcmemory Makers a disease would be different from an insect infestation. If it was the pine bark beetle, then it should be burned. There are other 'diseases' that attack trees, most of them are because of dry rot problems that weaken the tree. However, she won't be using the mulch from this tree...so, no problem.
  • Louise Louise on Jul 24, 2015
    I decided not to use mulch from this tree. And, I asked one of the guys with the company and he also said it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
  • Louise Louise on Aug 29, 2015
    pinet prees make good firewood for your heater, also the pine cones do 2.
  • Louise Louise on Aug 29, 2015
    are good 2 start the fire.
  • Katherine Katherine on Aug 31, 2015
    Louise, actually pine trees are a very bad idea for making a fire. Pines contain a lot of sap which will smoke heavily when burned.
  • Mary  Law Mary Law on Jan 08, 2016
    Pine also messes up your chimney resulting in a fire hazard. Any fresh cut mulch needs to sit a year to let every thing die.
  • Louise Louise on Jan 09, 2016
    I usually collect them in the summer 2 dry. they r good 2 start a fire.
  • Debbie Meadows Williams Debbie Meadows Williams on Sep 30, 2016
    Wow...This went way off subject fast! I don't know if I would use Pine as a mulch more especially one that is diseased. My point about not using pine is that so many bugs LOVE pine of mostly because it is soft. I live in Ga also & another BIG issue is roaches & Water bugs. They love the pine sap. Best is if you see someone cutting down a hardwood tree.
  • Katherine Katherine on Oct 03, 2016
    I've used pink bark mulch for 20 years or so and have gorgeous, black dirt and beautiful flowers as a result. I'm afraid that wood roaches are just a fact of life in the south. As long as any mulch has had time to "cool off" before it's used whether the tree was diseased or not is unimportant.