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 ...

Late Sunday afternoon the kids and I headed out to our back yard with the rakes. We have a ton, not exaggerating, a ton of pine straw or as northerners call it pine needles. We save money every year ...

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 ...