[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by tuccillo

I used it for 20 years in GA. There are pluses and minuses. It is cheap (well, it was where I lived in GA), easy to put down, and looks good. The minuses are it breaks down fast so it doesn't look so good after 6 months. I never detected any diseases or bugs as a result of using pine straw. Pine nuggets are another choice and they last longer but cost more and are harder to put down (not an issue if you are paying someone).

The look of pine straw is in the eyes of the beholder. Personally, I think pine straw looks sloppy, but that is just my opinion. It does not do a good job for moisture retention which is why you mulch planted areas.

Mulch comes in a myriad of choices -- nuggets, shredded, chips, bark, etc. Just about of every type of mulch costs less that $5.00 for a 2 cu. ft. bag, and usually, you can find it on sale or even less at WalMart. Other than that, you can buy it through a landscaper by the cu. yard. There isn't too much difference in price between pine straw and mulch but mulch lasts a very long time. In the long run, mulch is less expensive. It is very easy to put down: slit the bag open, pour it out and spread it. Nothing hard about that!