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If you live within the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world, as we do here in northern Arizona, or any other size or type of pine forest, you’ve probably seen those black trash bags bulging with pine needles stacked along neighborhood streets, waiting for bulk trash pick-up.
Unfortunately, pine needles are often seen as a nuisance to be raked up and discarded. But they can be a valuable and readily available, not to mention free, resource for gardeners and homeowners. Rather than bagging and sending them to the landfill, there are many ways to use and repurpose both brown and fresh pine needles.
Here are some of our favorite practical and creative ways to put all those pine needles to work, from mulching to making tea.
Use Pine Needles as Mulch
Pine needles, also known as pine straw, form a great mat of garden mulch that won’t blow away—even in the big winds we get out here. Simply spread a layer of needles around the base of your plants. Pine straw decomposes slowly, providing a long-lasting mulch that will suppress weeds while allowing water through and reducing evaporation.
When it comes to using pine needles as mulch, you sometimes see the caveat that pine needles are acidic, so they can lower soil pH, which is beneficial for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons but detrimental to others.
However, according to my alma mater, the University of New Hampshire, this is a common gardening myth, and even a two- to three-inch layer of pine needle mulch won’t change the soil pH enough to measure. We’ve found this to be true in our own garden and raised beds, where we mulch everything, from zucchini to strawberries to spinach and Swiss chard, with pine needles and with great results.
Compost Pine Needles
Pine needles can also be a beneficial addition to your compost pile. They’re considered a composting “brown,” meaning they add carbon to your mix. That said, they’re nutrient-thin, so you’ll want to add plenty of other organic materials. Some composters advise that pine needles should make up no more than 10% of your bin or pile.
On the plus side, the water-resistant pine needles also decompose slowly, so they can help to aerate your compost. Mixing them with other composting materials will speed up the decomp process. Breaking the needles into smaller pieces can also help them break down more quickly.
Make Pine Needle-Infused Oil
Pine needle-infused oil is a simple but versatile product that can be used for a variety of purposes, including polishing furniture and as an herbal salve for treating wounds and dry skin.
To make pine needle-infused oil, pack a jar full of fresh or dried pine needles and fill it with vegetable oil. Let the jar sit for two to three weeks, then strain out the needles.
To make a salve, add a little coconut oil and beeswax to the pine needle oil until you have a creamy consistency. Use this salve to help heal cuts, scrapes, insect stings, and splinters and moisturize dry and chapped hands. You can also buy handmade pine needle essential oil. This organic fir needle oil is steam-distilled.
Use Pine Needles as Livestock Bedding
Pine needles can be used as bedding for chickens, goats, and other livestock. They can also help keep the coop or barn smelling fresh.
To use pine needles as bedding, simply spread a layer of needles on the floor of the coop or barn. It’s best to mix the needles with other types of bedding, though, like straw or wood shavings, as pine needles are not very absorbent on their own.
Use Pine Needles as Kindling
Actually, tinder would be the more correct term here. Kindling is bigger than tinder.
Pine needles have a lot of resin and are, therefore, highly flammable, making them excellent tinder for firestarting.
To use pine needles as tinder, gather a handful of dry needles—green needles won’t take as easily and could even put out the fire—and place them in the center of the fire pit, wood stove, or fireplace. Add small sticks and twigs on top of the needles, then light the needles with a match or lighter. Blow gently on the flame. The needles will ignite quickly and help to get the fire going.
Make Pine Needle Tea
A tasty and healthy drink (when you use the right varieties of pine, that is), pine needle tea can be made from fresh or dried needles. Pine needles are rich in vitamin C and have been used for centuries to treat scurvy.
Pine needle tea has a citrusy flavor—some describe it as “piney,” go figure—and is a great way to use up at least a little of those excess pine tree offerings. That said (and this is important!), learn more about making pine needle tea before you try it yourself because some varieties of pine are safe and beneficial to drink, while others, including the ponderosa pine we have all around us here in northern Arizona, are toxic.
Eastern white pine and balsam fir are among the best varieties to use for pine needle tea.
To make the tea, rinse about two tablespoons worth of fresh or dry pine needles and put them in a mug. Pour eight ounces of boiling water over the needles and steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the pine needles and sweeten the drink with honey if desired. As with most things, drink pine needle tea in moderation. If you don't have access to the right kinds of pine and want to try this healthy drink, there are lots of organic pine needle tea options on Etsy.
Use Pine Needles for Making Cob and Adobe
We used a bunch of our pine needle stash this past summer while building our cob oven and making adobe bricks for various projects, including lining our Dutch oven cooking pit.
Traditionally, cob and adobe, both building materials composed of clay, sand, and a reinforcing material, are made with straw. But in our case and others’ projects we looked at, pine needles were the reinforcer.
And they worked great! In fact, having made cob and adobe with straw in the past, we found the pine needles easier to work with and to mix in, which we did either in a bucket with an old paint mixer for small batches or with our feet for large quantities.
Other Creative Ways To Use Pine Needles Around the Home
Make Pine Needle Sachets Fill small muslin bags with dried pine needles and place them in your drawers and closets. The pine needle sachets will help repel moths and other insects and leave your clothes smelling fresh at the same time.
Create Pine Needle Potpourri Mix dried pine needles with other fragrant herbs and spices like cinnamon and cloves, then add some citrus peel to create a fragrant potpourri. Place the potpourri in a bowl or sachet to add a natural scent to your home.
Use Pine Needles as a Natural Dye You can use pine needles to create a natural fabric dye. Simmer pine needles in water for several hours, then strain them out and soak the fabric in the dye for several hours to achieve a light green color.
Create Pine Needle Art and Craft
Repurpose pine needles to create unique art pieces. Glue the needles onto a canvas or paper to create a landscape or abstract design. You can also use pine needles to make wreaths, garlands, and other decorative crafts.
Use Pine Needles as a Natural Air Freshener Place a handful of pine needles in a small muslin bag and hang it in your car or near your air vents at home. Like with the sachets above, the pine needles will help to freshen the air with a natural scent. This is definitely a more sustainable way to do it than buying those disposable spray cans of sometimes overpowering mist.
Repurpose Pine Needles for a Sustainable Home and Garden
If you didn’t think so before, we hope you’ll now agree that pine needles are a valuable resource that can be used and repurposed in many ways around the home and garden. From composting and mulching to fire-starting and making air fresheners, there are many ways to use pine needles that can benefit both you and the environment. By repurposing pine needles, you can reduce waste and create a more sustainable home and garden.
What do you do with your or a friend or neighbor’s pine needles? Let us know in the comments below.
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