Business Resources: Pine Straw

Pine straw is very beneficial when used as a mulch cover and can provide supplemental income to forest owners during years that no timber is harvested. These publications discuss the uses of pine straw, the gathering, bailing and selling of pine straw, and the environmental effects of removing straw from forests.

These resources have been compiled from various resources and agencies and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please if you find information that needs to be updated, broken links, or if you have an additional resource you feel is pertinent.

• Mississippi Pine Straw
  North Central Mississippi Resource Conservation and Development Council. This website gives information about pine straw, including the market for pine straw and the benefits of using it as mulch. It lists pine straw vendors and links to related websites.
• East Texas Pine Straw web site
  Texas Cooperative Extension Service. This website gives information about the benefits of pine straw, the different types, managing it, keeping it healthy and harvesting it, what pine straw is worth and the amount that can be harvested from typical plots of land.  It also has a link to a glossary of forestry terms.
• Pine Straw Management in Florida's Forests
  Mary Duryea, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. This publication discusses the raking, baling and sale of slash and longleaf pine straw in Florida. The best time to start raking is when the pine stand is eight years old, and winter is the best season to do the raking. Since pine straw is beneficial to the forest, it is best to only rake two to four times during the rotation. The straw can be sold to customers, a retailer, or to a pine straw company. This publication also covers how much straw will be produced per acre from trees of different ages. It provides management techniques that include creating a plan, controlling weeds, raking and baling, and fertilizing. It names programs that assist landowners in pine straw enterprises.
• Sample Pine Straw Contract
  University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service
• Producing Longleaf Pine Straw
  North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. This publication covers the growing of long leaf pines, how to rake and bale the straw, the size and weight of the bales, how much straw is produced typically per year, management techniques that help produce the ideal bale of straw, and the selling of pine straw.
• Pine Straw as a Ground Cover Mulch
  Texas Cooperative Extension Service. This publication describes the numerous benefits of using pine straw as mulch. Pine straw is light weight and attractive. It insulates the ground from extreme heat or cold, reduces evaporation from the soil, diminishes wind and rain erosion, controls weeds and more. This publication also provides information on the cost of pine straw bales.
• Producing Pine Straw in East Texas Forests
  Texas Cooperative Extension Service. This informs readers of the benefits of using pine straw as mulch, the different types of trees that produce pine straw and the size of the bales, how much the sale of pine straw can boost a landowner’s income, leasing land for pine straw harvest and yearly yields.  The cost and procedure of harvest are also covered, as well as the environmental concerns of straw harvesting. Establishing and managing tree stands is also discussed. It gives plans for building a hand baler as well.
• Pine Needles - A Hot New Commodity
  USDA Agricultural Research, May 1996. trees to reach the age at which they can be harvested. This article discusses when and how to harvest so that the forest is not harmed and economical aspects of pine straw harvesting.
  
• Pine Straw Market Fact Sheet
  George Rowland, Coordinator, North Central Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council. This publication provides facts about pine straw including a list of management tips for pine straw baling and a list of things to avoid. 
• Production and Marketing of Louisiana Pine Straw
  Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.
  The baling and sale of long leaf pine straw is a good way for Louisiana landowners to supplement their income. This publication provides information on the success of the pine straw industry in other states. It covers the types of trees that produce the best pine straw, the fall and harvest of the needles, the equipment needed, tips for baling, and information on timber management practices. An analysis of the market for pine straw is given as well as a diagram of hand baler plans.
  
• Raking Pine Straw
  Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.
• Pine Straw Baler
  Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.