{"id":13120,"date":"2022-05-20T00:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T00:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/?p=13120"},"modified":"2022-05-20T00:49:33","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T00:49:33","slug":"how-long-does-it-take-for-pine-needles-to-decompose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecofamilylife.com\/garden\/compost-garden\/how-long-does-it-take-for-pine-needles-to-decompose\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does It Take for Pine Needles to Decompose? | 6 Tips for Compost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have a pine tree in your yard, you likely wonder at times what to do with the seemingly unending supply of needles that is constantly on the ground. Pine needles might not look that bad, but when they start to pile up and you can\u2019t seem to get rid of them, composting them is always a good idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes from 3 weeks to 2 months for pine needles to decompose. You cannot just throw them into your compost pile but there are a few simple steps to follow to prepare them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you decide to compost your pine needles, here are six tips that will make it easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Keep pine needles to less than 10% of the mix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all heard about brown versus green composting materials, and the proportions are especially important when you\u2019re using pine needles in your compost. The recommended number is 10%, which means that no more than 10% of your compost pile should consist of pine needles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that pine needles decompose very slowly, which means that it\u2019s important that they be mixed with a good variety of other composting materials if you want to produce a healthy soil<\/a> in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Remember that pine needles are acidic in nature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most compost piles tend to be naturally alkaline, but pine needles are slightly acidic. There is a myth out there that pine needles will cause your soil to become acidic, but that is not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When pine needles are fresh and green, they usually have a pH of 3.2 to 3.8, but once they fall off of the tree and start to decompose, they start losing their acidity. Keep in mind that the pH scale goes from 1 to 14, with the lower numbers being more acidic and the higher numbers being more alkaline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most plants prefer soil that has a neutral pH, but once the pine needles fall off the tree and start to decompose, they end up with a pH that is fairly neutral at 5.6 to 6.0. In fact, the longer you keep pine needles in your compost pile, the more neutral they become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason you don\u2019t have to worry about the soil being ruined because you\u2019re putting your pine needles in it. You will still have to make sure that you don\u2019t put too many pine needles in there, but you\u2019ll be fine as long as you keep the proportions correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Add 3 things to your compost pile with pine needles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of what you intend to put in your compost pile, remember that all compost piles need three things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n