A. Does pine straw make a good mulch to use with tomato plants in a raised bed? — R. Jeffers, Virginia Beach Q. Like any mulch, pine straw has pros and cons. Among the pros: It’s lightweight and ...

In some areas of the country, the choice between mulching with pine needles and wood mulch is a tough one. Since the 1980s, pine straw has been the favorite mulch in the South. It is inexpensive, ...

In last week’s column, I shared a reader’s enthusiasm for using pine straw in the garden/landscape. Since then, I’ve received several emails questioning why it was not mentioned that, for better or ...

Wood mulch and wood chips will mat down to make a firm but spongy surface for your garden paths and around playsets. Pine straw is too slippery to walk on, so skip it when mulching these high-traffic ...

Adding mulch to your garden is invaluable for controlling weeds and keeping the soil moist. While bark chips are probably ...

Right under our nose (and probably in your yard) is a great gardening tool that we have historically and culturally shunned. Pine straw. Raked up and often disposed of, this natural/ organic/ ...

For Thanksgiving, Christmas and other dinners of importance, the Columbia McNultys always had creamed celery. When I asked why that instead of something fancier, I learned that my grandmother thought ...