Know what you are buying
Here are a few examples of the different species of pine trees so we can see a comparison of the needles. Needles fall off the pine tree in a reddish brown gloss color and weather over time to ashy gray. The long needle pine with its needle length and rosin content holds its quality best over time. This is why long needle pinestraw is the best for use in landscaping
Slash Pine (Pinus elliotti) needles 9”
What to look for in a bale of long needle straw
- First a bale should only contain premium grade Carolina Gold Pinestraw!
- First thing to look at is size of the bale. A good size bale of long needle straw should measure 11x12x28 inches. It should also weigh approximately 15-17 lbs dry.
- Next look at the construction of the bale. This is how some companies get away with putting less straw in a bale. Take the bale and stand it on its end and compress the bale downward. It should be tight and the strings should not loosen up.
- A good bale of pinestraw will have 5-6 folds in the bale. You should be able to visibly see these when looking at the side of the bale. If it has less the bale will be unstable and more likely to break or fall apart.