Many folks have a hard time choosing between pine straw and mulch for their flower beds. Here in North Georgia it is easy to come by either. Both have good and bad points. Both do achieve the goal of keeping down weeds and making the property look better. Mulch lasts longer but does not last forever. Pine straw needs freshening up at least once per year. Mulch is more work to install and more time consuming as well. You spend more upfront with mulch but since it lasts longer you get better value. Pine straw is easier to move around since you don’t need a wheel barrel. If you do a good thick layer of either, then you have a good base so you can lighten up on the next install.
