Goal: The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA), and the UM Department of Horticulture are working toward creating a ‘Pine Straw’ industry in the state of Missouri, through a process of research, product development and education, designed to encourage producers, retailers, and consumers to adopt the use of this renewable, sustainable, natural mulch material.

A landowner at Heckemeyer Farms, Sikeston, Mo., discusses pine straw opportunities with a specialist in between rows of 12-year old loblolly pines. The pine straw is harvested while the trees mature.

What is Pine Straw?

• The naturally shed needles of pine trees are known as ‘Pine Straw’.
• It is an excellent landscape mulching material.
• Pine Straw is a multi-million dollar industry.
• In the Southeastern U.S, pine straw is the #1 mulching material used in landscape plantings.
• Many sites in Missouri are suitable for Pine Straw Production.

Why use Pine Straw?

• While a tree can only give its bark once; it can give needles every year. Pine Straw production is sustainable agriculture.
• Pine Straw is actually a leaf (needle), and thus benefits the landscape in much the same way as decomposing leaves benefit the forest floor by recycling nutrients and maintaining soil organic matter.

  Pine straw is effectively used as mulch in this urban landscape setting.

• Hardwood bark mulch can cause a buildup of calcium and potassium in the soil increasing pH and causing an imbalance in soil minerals that can interfere with nutrient uptake. The minerals in pine needles are balanced and therefore, their decomposition does not create an imbalance in the soil.
• Hardwood and pine bark mulch can wash away in a strong rain. Pine Straw knits together and holds in place during heavy rain, helping to prevent soil erosion.  

How is Pine Straw sold?

• Pine Straw is sold in compressed bales ranging from 20 to 30 lbs., and retails for $9.00 to $10.00 per bale.
• A bale of Pine Straw will cover between 70 and 100 square feet at a depth of about 3 to 4 inches.
• Hardwood bark mulch is sold in bags ranging from 2 to 3 cubic feet, retails for $2.00 to $4.00 per bag, and covers between 10 and 20 square feet at a depth of about 3 to 4 inches.

Pine straw is baled in preparation for selling or use as mulch.

What research is being done with Pine Straw?

• Research is being done to evaluate the feasibility of growing nursery stock interplanted in an agroforestry pine straw plantation using the Pot-in-Pot system.
• Twenty-five different genotypes of pitch x loblolly hybrids and fourteen cold-hardy loblolly pines are being evaluated for their suitability for the production of Pine Straw mulch.
• Over twenty different pine species from around the world are being evaluated for their suitability for Pine Straw mulch production, and as ornamental landscape trees.  

Future Pine Straw Research Objectives:

1. Applied short-term research leading to the development of best management practices for producing Pine Straw;
2. Market research to nurture the fledgling Pine Straw demand;
3. On-farm demonstrations concerning Pine Straw production and harvest;
4. Demonstrations of pine straw mulch in urban landscapes;
5. Evaluation of producing Pine Straw in a linear windbreak configuration;
6. Evaluation of alfalfa as a companion crop in establishment phase of a Pine Straw plantation;
7. Evaluation of shade tolerant nursery stock to grow between mature pines in a Pine Straw plantation and;
8. Evaluation of various pine species for edible nut production and pine straw potential.

Where do I get Pine Straw?
Retail:

• Appearing soon at a local nursery outlet near you!
• Pine Straw, ask your local nursery outlet to carry it!
• Pine Straw, ask for it by name!

Wholesale (Boot Heel region)

• Heckemeyer Farms
  206 College Rd.
  Sikeston, MO 63801
  (573) 471-8198

Additional Nurseries Carrying Pine Straw:

• TOTAL ENVIRONMENTS
  804 Old Hwy 63 N
  Columbia, MO 65201
  573-874-8690
• VINTAGE HILL
  5643 Hwy 87
  Franklin, MO 65250

For more information contact:

Dr. Chris Starbuck	Steven D. Kirk
(573) 882-9630	(573) 882-9269
starbuckc@missouri.edu	kirks@missouri.edu

This work was funded through the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry under cooperative agreement AG-02100251 with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The results presented are the sole responsibility of the P.I. and/or MU and may not represent the policies or positions of the ARS