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Why Pine Straw Makes a Great Mulch for Nashville Landscapes

March 7, 2024January 29, 2018 by The Parke Company

We all know that mulch plays an important role in protecting gardens, tree bases, and shrubbery. Mulch comes in a variety of materials and colors and each has its “best application scenario.” However, one that we think goes largely unconsidered is pine needles.

At the Parke Company, Nashville’s leading landscaping service and tree service, we think that the sustainable pine needle, or pine straw mulch, is underutilized. On its face, pine straw is more expensive than other mulches, but when you consider its benefits, it is likely the better value in the long run.

Why Pine Straw Makes a Great Mulch

In Nashville, we have an abundance of pine trees. Pine needle mulch is “created” simply by raking up the needles that fall from the trees. Not a single tree is harmed in the gathering of pine straw mulch. It’s light, it spreads easily, and pine needle mulch has a unique “interlocking” capability that holds it in place. These are the qualities that make this mulch desirable from a maintenance standpoint; let’s see what else it can do:

Soil protection. Like all mulches, pine needles provide important insulation for the soil, protecting it from extreme temperatures. Pine needles also soften the impact of rain, minimizing soil compaction and erosion. Because they “interlock,” pine needles stay in place and do not float away like wood-based mulch. This means you are unlikely to find mulch on your walkways and you won’t have to “top off” as frequently as wood mulch.

Improving soil. If you have acid-loving plants like azaleas or roses, pine straw creates a chemically balanced soil to ensure that these plants thrive. While the needles themselves have little nutritional value, they encourage helpful microbes as the mulch degrades.

Visual appeal. Pine needles are finely textured and have a uniform neutral color, unlike chunky, brightly colored wood-based mulch that says “look at me.” The pine needles tend to set off the bright colors of your flowers and shrubs. Pine needles also prevent rain from splashing mud on your plants.

Value. As mentioned, pine needles look to be about three times as expensive as wood mulches when they are placed side by side. But in reality, they’re cheaper. A study by Texas A&M determined that a single round bale of pine straw mulch covers a 10-foot-by-10-foot bed to a depth of 2 inches. To achieve the same coverage with pine bark, pine nuggets, or red mulch would require over eight bags. So a single bale of needles is more expensive than a bag of mulch, but you need 8 times as much bagged mulch to equal the bale.

In short, pine needle mulch is an effective, efficient, and overall better value for your mulching needs. This spring, you should give it serious consideration when planning the protection of your garden and flower beds.

Not surprisingly, the Parke Company does more than tree trimming, tree removal, and other affordable tree services – we also provide mulch. Give us a call today and we will be happy to explain why pine straw may be the perfect pick for your landscape.

After the Storm – Correcting Tree Damage

March 7, 2024January 19, 2018 by The Parke Company

Strong winter winds and trees are not compatible. Toss in the weight of ice and snow and trees have to struggle to remain intact and in place. Too often the overwhelming forces of nature will damage your trees, possibly seriously, and when that happens, the crew from Nashville’s leading tree service fires up the equipment and responds.

Emergency tree service focuses first on correcting dangerous conditions. The Parke Company will remove trees leaning on structures, clear and remove trees and limbs from driveways, and prune or remove trees that might represent a risk of personal injury.

Our objective is to address the emergency conditions quickly. Storms usually mean that everybody needs help all at the same time. Our first priority is our clients, but we have the tree specialists, wood chippers, and other equipment to assist others as well.

How to Clean Up Tree Damage from a Storm

Inspecting for Hidden Problems

Once the immediate problems are resolved, we recommend a survey of the rest of the trees by one of our arborists. Each tree should be inspected for root health, cracks, crown damage, and signs of disease.

Treatment recommendations on storm damaged trees will depend on the type of damage, tree health, species of tree, and potential for a recurrence of failure. Where tree trimming is required to restructure the crown, the tree will frequently require a series of pruning sessions over a number of years to bring it back to a desirable shape and strong structure.

Trees less than 20 feet high that are “leaning” can often be corrected by using cables, guys, and bracing to straighten and strengthen the plant. Typically the braces and guys are removed after a single growing season. Larger trees in the leaning category have to be carefully evaluated because they represent a likely risk for future falling.

The one positive that winter provides is that it makes it easier to evaluate a tree’s structure. With no leaves to contend with, an inspection for cracked branches, splits in stems, and shifting of root plate are far easier to do. However, the inspections should not end just because the storm is over.

Storms cause stress to trees, often creating cracks and damaging bark that can be missed in an inspection. When the thaw comes and growing season begins, those cracks can be open doors for insect infestations. An inspection at the start of spring will determine if the tree needs to be treated.

Mulching, fertilizer, and adequate irrigation will also assist a tree in recovering from a strong storm. Trees are a treasure. They are worth the effort to keep them alive and well.

Taking Advantage of Storm Damage

One silver lining can be had from a winter storm that damages your trees.

After the inspection, a general cleanup is usually performed, removing fallen branches and debris that is littering the lawn. If you like, and if the trees are appropriate, we can provide you with wood chip mulch using the tree parts we have cleaned up. If tree removal was part of the process, we can provide split firewood as well.

5 Landscaping Tips for a Nashville Winter

March 7, 2024January 15, 2018 by The Parke Company

Taking care of your landscaping may be the last thing on your mind during our Nashville winters, but there are preventive and maintenance steps that you should be aware of. The Parke Company, Nashville’s premiere landscaping service and tree service, has five easy tips to get your spring lawn off to a great start.

This winter has been a doozy so far, with temperatures in January fluctuating from 21 degrees to 64 degrees. However, just because there may be frost or snow on the ground does not mean that your landscaping will take care of itself until the real spring thaw.

Landscaping Tips for The Winter

Winter is Not the Time to Ignore Your Landscaping

With that in mind, we would like to offer up five tips to help your lawn make it through the winter unscathed:

Discourage people from walking on the grass when there is frost or snow on the ground. Grass, particularly young grass blades, can break from the weight. While typically the grass will recover in spring, we still recommend traffic be kept to a minimum. Make sure your walkways are cleared of snow to discourage people from taking a shortcut across the lawn.

Protect plants from cold, dry winter winds. Frost and dry winds can damage trees, cracking bark and limbs. Needles on evergreen shrubs can be severely damaged and turn an ugly brown. Of special concern are plants with roots near or exposed to the surface. Cover the base of the plant with mulch to provide protection from the wind.

Winter is actually a great time to add to your landscape. The deciduous transplant season begins right after the first hard freeze and continues until the first leaves appear in spring. Transplanting after the plant has gone dormant for the winter provides more time for it to acclimate to its new bed because it’s not pushing new growth.

Do you have crepe myrtles, liriope (monkey grass), or boxwoods? Winter is a good time for pruning these. In fact, you can only prune them while they are dormant. Now is also a good time to put down pre-emergent herbicide to hold down the weeds. In Nashville, we unfortunately have a variety of weeds that thrive during the winter.

Spend some time doing what we do for our clients during the winter season planning. When the warmer weather of spring hits and you feel like anything is possible now that you have survived winter – in other words, you’re on an emotional high – it is the wrong time to order additions to your landscaping. You’ll be happier if you plan out your spring flower additions, tree services, hardscape additions, and any other landscape issues when you have the down time of winter to work with.With a little luck, Nashville will get a thaw in late March and our landscapes will turn green again. Make sure your lawn and plants wake up from the winter snooze in good condition by caring for them during the cold season.

Need help planning for spring? Feel free to give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss the latest landscaping trends with you.

Firepit Placement and Use to Avoid Damaging Trees

March 7, 2024January 11, 2018 by The Parke Company

Are you considering adding a firepit to your lawn? Firepits have become increasingly popular in Nashville. They are a great way for a family to share a “campfire” experience without actually having to sleep in a tent out in the woods. They also make great entertainment centers for more sophisticated gatherings.

One of the reasons firepits are enjoying such popularity is the wide range of choices offered by manufacturers. Firepits come in both portable and fixed installations. The price range runs from $200 for a simple steel bowl, wood fueled and portable, to thousands of dollars for a copper bowl, combination gas and wood fuel, permanent installation.

Regardless of the model or type of firepit you select, installation will be easier and safer if you use a professional landscaping service like the Parke Company. Known for our landscaping and tree trimming service, we also have extensive experience in “hardscaping,” or the installation of firepits, water features, gazebos, and more.

How to Properly Install a Firepit

There are obviously aesthetic considerations when choosing a firepit. You want one that is sized appropriately for your lawn. Too big and your firepit will look like a pagan sacrifice altar. Too small and it will look like a misplaced Weber grill. If you are installing a permanent pit, it’s best if it is constructed from the same materials as your house, if possible.

But there are other, more serious concerns to address, including safe operation of the firepit. In fact, if you live in Nashville there is a regulation that says:

Firepits must be constructed of steel, concrete, clay, or other noncombustible materials;
They must be kept at least 15’ from the dwelling;
They must burn wood or other solid fuels;
The firepit must be attended by a responsible person equipped with a means to immediately extinguish the fire.

If you live outside of Nashville, call your local fire department to see if there are any restrictions.

More Safety Tips for Firepits

Then there are the obvious issues. In Nashville the pit has to be 15’ away from your home, but if that 15’ puts you under a tree or a tree’s overhanging branch, you have to move the pit. Trees represent the biggest threat of fire. The pit will be built on concrete, gravel, brick, or slate, so it won’t overheat and catch fire. However, a spark from a wood log can travel (particularly on a breezy night) and catch a tree on fire.

People like to buy firewood as fuel because you get the crackling, smoke, and aroma of a fireplace fire. Wood fuel comes with its own set of problems, though. Avoid using softwoods like pine and cedar as they have a tendency to “pop” and send embers flying. A hardwood like oak makes the best firewood. Obviously, you’ll need to keep a supply of split wood nearby and feed the fire when needed. Lastly, you need a plan to safely remove and dispose of ashes when the gathering ends.

Seating should be three feet back from the pit, constructed of a non-flammable material, and definitely not include any cushions. A concrete or brick sitting wall is a nice alternative to chairs.

Contact Us!

If you would like advice on planning a firepit, don’t hesitate to call the Parke Company now. We are happy to help!

Mulching in Winter: The Benefits of Fresh Mulch in Colder Months

March 7, 2024December 13, 2017 by The Parke Company

It’s winter in Nashville, and tending to gardens and shrubs is probably the last thing on your mind. “That would be a mistake,” say the experts at the Parke Company, Nashville’s leading landscaping service and tree service company. Dry winter winds and the occasional winter warm spell can do real damage to your dormant and evergreen plants.

While Nashville winters are relatively mild, when the temperature drops below 25 degrees and the last of the hardy annuals turn brown and crumble, it’s time to do winter mulching. Why mulch in winter? Unlike spring mulching, which is done to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and warm the soil, the principal reason to mulch in winter is to insulate the soil and prevent damage from dry winter winds.

Insulating the soil to keep it frozen prevents dormant plants from sprouting during brief warm spells in winter. Changes in air temperature can also cause expansion and contraction of soil. Left unchecked, this soil movement can push a plant’s roots above the surface, where they can be damaged by cold winds. Keeping the ground frozen through mulch insulation minimizes the risk of this occurring.

Benefits of Mulching in the Winter

What to Use as Winter Mulch?

Remember last fall when you were raking leaves and doing a major leaf pick up? If you stored those leaves in a leaf bag, now is the time to break them out to be used as winter mulch. You can use any loose insulating material, keeping in mind that you will need to remove it in the spring.

Here are a few ideas for mulch material:

Pine needles
Straw
Shredded leaves
Shredded bark
If the first freeze comes after Christmas, you can use boughs from your Christmas tree – great material because they are easy to remove in the spring.
Snow is actually an excellent insulator, but you can’t count on that in Nashville.

What and How to Mulch in the Winter

We’ve already discussed insulating your flower garden, so let’s talk about other areas to protect.

If you have a fallow vegetable garden and you didn’t plant a cover crop, you can use a layer of leaves. If your vegetable garden is fenced, you can use it to “store” all of your extra leaves. In the spring you’ll have a ready supply of mulch material.

Evergreens and semi-evergreens, like rhododendrons, can become dried out by winter winds. You can protect them by covering the plants/shrubs in burlap. Make sure the burlap is not resting on the shrub or it will freeze to the bush. Stuffing leaves between the burlap and the bush will prevent that.

Another option is to spray the shrub with an anti-desiccant, like Wilt-Pruf. As an aside, an anti-desiccant will prolong the life of your Christmas tree and also makes a good covering for carved pumpkins.

When to Remove Winter Mulch

The short answer is after the thaw, but that can be tricky. Easter snowstorms are not totally unknown in Nashville. Basically, when the smell of mud is in the air, it’s safe to remove the mulch.

If you have questions or need assistance with winter mulching, please don’t hesitate to call us at the Parke Company!