Mulching With Pine Needles for Tomatoes

Mulch provides protection against frost and weeds, lessens soil erosion, adds organic nutrients and makes a garden more aesthetically pleasing. Using pine needles to mulch tomatoes also controls the soil temperature and increases its acidity, two properties that help tomatoes thrive. Pine needles are purchased at home improvement stores and gardening centers or save money by collecting them from a forest or your own backyard.

Boric acid powder or white vinegar
Newspaper
Rake

Instructions

- 1
  Remove as many weeds as possible from the soil. You can pull live weeds or kill them first with a layer of boric acid powder or white vinegar. Allow the boric acid powder or vinegar to penetrate the weeds for 24 hours before pulling them from the soil.
- 2
  Cover the soil around the tomato plants with newspaper. The newspaper prevents future weed growth and is biodegradable.
- 3
  Spread a 2-inch layer of pine needles over the soil. Leave adequate space around the tomato plants to allow for future growth.
- 4
  Even out the layer of pine needles with a rake. Run a rake over the needles until an aesthetically pleasant, uniform layer is created.
- 5
  Water the mulch and reapply an additional layer in three to four months. The pine needles degrade over time and require reapplication.

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