New Year's holidays are over, Christmas tree decorations are going on a "well-deserved" rest, and most people are taking the crumbling forest beauty to the trash heap. But in vain, they say experienced gardeners, because it has long been known that needles contain a lot of useful substances: vitamin C, carotene, vitamin E, tannins and valuable essential oils... Therefore, it can be used not only to improve the health of the body (what do the adherents traditional medicine), but also effectively used in garden plots. Moreover, it is not recommended to use fresh needles - it acidifies the soil, and dry is just right. So do not be lazy - collect needles from your old tree.
EXCELLENT FERTILIZER
The Christmas tree makes an excellent fertilizer for garden plants.
Thin branches, needles I cut into pieces about 1 cm long and fall asleep in a saucepan, pour cold water and put it on medium heat. I boil for 7-10 minutes and leave on the stove so that the needles are steamed. I insist the broth under the lid for 2-3 days - the concentrate is ready! I filter it, pour it into bottles with lids and put it away for storage.
In spring and summer, before feeding the plants, I dilute 1 liter of broth in 9-10 liters of water, add it to the root, and then loosen the earth. You can spray the plants with this broth. As you know, needles give sourness, and this is not to all plants to taste. Therefore, in order to neutralize the solution, I add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of creamy lime per 10 liters.
Peppers, eggplants, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, turnips react well to coniferous feeding. Somewhat less - radishes, zucchini, tomatoes.
K. IVANOVA, Cheboksary district.
IDEAL MATERIAL FOR MULCHING
Christmas tree needles are like a dessert for plants. Collect the needles, dry and fold in a rag bag or paper bag. And in the spring, take them to the dacha. Dry needles are a great mulch. By scattering them, for example, in tomato or strawberry beds, you will also disinfect the soil. And this, you see, is a double benefit.
It is generally recommended to cover the beds with onion sets with a layer of needles. The coniferous cover will not only retain moisture in the soil, prevent weeds from growing, but also, by releasing phytoncides, will prevent onion disease with fungal diseases, and protect against insect pests. From about mid-May, cover the beds with onions, garlic, radishes, lettuce and other moisture-loving crops with needles, this will significantly reduce your costs for weeding and watering, as well as increase crop yields.
They love pine needles and sour berries. It is well suited for mulching the soil around cherry bushes, honeysuckle, plum trees. Helps the growth of sunflower, onion, garlic and even eggplant.Pavel J., Cheboksary.
IN BUSINESS - ALL PARTS
I am a supporter organic fertilizer, for several years now, as he gave up mineral fertilizers. Instead, I successfully use chopped weeds, sunflower and corn tops, leaves, needles. I bought a special shredder, with which I even crush branches and also scatter them around the garden as fertilizer.
After the New Year holidays, I never pass by the thrown out trees. I saw the trunks into thin planks - they make an excellent "lining". I put small branches in a bag - in the spring I lay them out under strawberry bushes. So the moisture stays longer, and the plants breathe, and pests do not spoil the fruits - after all, they are afraid of thorns. And I collect the crumbling needles and grind them into flour, in the summer I put it under the vine.
Vladimir V., Cheboksary.
AND SAVE FROM PESTS
Pine and spruce needles repel well the pests of potatoes - wireworm and bear, and also protect it from scab and fungal diseases.
How to use needles correctly?
In the spring, when planting in a hole, you need to throw a full handful of fresh or last year pine needles then half a glass wood ash(by the way, now, while everything is in the snow and there is no threat of fire, it's time to garden plot burn ash from wood waste) and only then seed potatoes. Cover everything with soil. Loose needles will also create a kind of air drainage for the potato root system, which requires a lot of oxygen to form tubers. The results of such processing will not be long in coming. The potato tubers will be well aligned, without visible damage from the bear and wireworm. And even heavy rainfall will not cause the manifestation of fungal diseases on them.
In addition to Christmas trees, fallen needles can be picked up in the forest in the spring. At 100 square meters a site planted with potatoes, you will need about 2-3 bags of needles.Konstantin S., Novocheboksarsk.
GOOD FOR SEEDLING
I am preparing a nutrient mixture from pine needles for growing tomato seedlings. I take half a bucket of finely chopped spruce needles, add the same fertile land and mix. It is desirable that this mixture stand for a month, then by the time the seeds are sown, a loose black soil is formed in the bucket. On such a soil, tomato seedlings do not get sick with a black leg, they grow strong, with dark green leaves and a well-developed root system.
E. Sergeeva,
Morgaush district.
HOW DO YOU DO WITH FIRES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES?
Abroad, the disposal of Christmas trees is organized, one might say, at the state level. There they found a lot of ways to use them so as not to pollute the environment.
- In Sweden, Christmas trees are burned in boiler houses, thanks to which more than 10% of the country's population is heated at home. In the Scandinavian countries, spruce is also transported to furniture factories and make furniture out of them.
- In Austria, New Year's trees are used to produce fuel briquettes, and in Germany - wooden knives for butter. In addition, in some countries, spruce is used for composting urban parks and is even used in the manufacture of medicines for the flu.
- In England, compost is made from "spent" trees. To collect them, special reception points for holiday trees are opened there, which are open until January 19.
- In many cities in the United States, spruce can be taken to a recycling center after the holidays. From conifers in America they make paper and cat litter.
No plant is capable of producing as much oxygen as evergreen trees. It is not for nothing that for the treatment of respiratory organs, people choose forests where spruces, pines, and firs grow. The sanatoriums, which are located in the pine forests, have amazing properties heal the body thanks to the phytoncides found in the resin of these plants.You can recreate a piece of forest on your own summer cottage by planting your favorite types of trees. Before that, you need to familiarize yourself with the growing method and feeding system of conifers.
It is necessary to carefully feed spruce, thuja and other tree species with needles. These breeds are unpretentious in nutrition and extra feeding can only harm them.When growing on a plot for beauty, you need to knowhow to feed the coniferswhen is the best time to do it. Professionals advise not to be too zealous with mineral supplements, it is better not to use anything at all than to use it incorrectly.
What is the difference between the nutrition of conifers and ordinary trees
Coniferous feeding plants different from what is usually used for fruit trees, berries and vegetables. They do not need nitrogen in concentrations like hardwood, therefore complex mixtures - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - will not work.
The essential elements are potassium and magnesium, as well as phosphorus in small amounts. This is due to the fact that the necessary chlorophyll, which is always present in the modified foliage, is obtained by plants by photosynthesis. The role of the roots in this process is secondary.
Video: What fertilizers for ephedra are better to use
Photosynthesis is dependent on magnesium. This trace element is part of chlorophyll, of which there is a lot in the needles, and its amount during all year round keeps at the same level. Basically, magnesium is needed in small amounts to grow new branches that are located in the tops of trees.
Why feed for coniferous treesnot needed in large quantities:
- evergreens do not shed their foliage, so they do not need construction material for spring recovery;
- do not give a crop, therefore do not consume a lot of nutrients;
- Plants can get the necessary nitrogen from the air.
Given the type of food, growth characteristics and the shape of the "foliage", you don't have to worry too muchhow to fertilize conifers.
Why nitrogen is dangerous for evergreens
Fertilizers for conifersmust not contain nitrogen. Plants need it, but in comparison with deciduous trees- in scanty quantities. Specialfertilizers for feeding conifersplants contain small amounts of phosphates, potassium and magnesium. Thesenutrientstrees are enough.
First, nitrogen is able to burn root system and destroy the plant. Secondly, a large amount of nitrogen causes a rapid increase, which does not have time to lignify before the onset of cold weather and the tops freeze. Moreover, evergreen trees are considered the most frost-resistant on the planet. In Siberian forests, the temperature often drops to -65 degrees, but this does not harm pines and spruces. All because in the natural environmentnobody applies.
For this reason, it cannot be used as fertilizers for conifersmanure. Not in any form, not even divorced. Manure is a good source of nitrogen for deciduous plants but he will ruin the evergreen tree
Mineral dressings for evergreens in autumn
Considering that soil fertilization is carried out in early May and in the middle of summer, it is worth considering whatautumn fertilizers for coniferswill not hurt. You can use mulching of the near-root zone - this will protect the roots from freezing. The bark of trees, hay, fallen needles, humus, crushed stone, stones are used as mulch.
Top dressing conifers in autumn includes superphosphates. Dry fertilizers are scattered around the perimeter of the plants and watered. Can be brought under digging and also watered. During the winter, phosphorus is transformed and in the spring it becomes available for the root system.Autumn feeding conifers superphosphate is not dangerous, since the effect of it will be noticeable only after 4 - 6 months.
Video: How to fertilize conifers correctly
Top dressing of conifers in August and Septembernot carried out, because the growth cycle is completed and new shoots are ripening for wintering. Growth stimulants are not needed during this period.
Organics for evergreen trees
Organic blends that are suitable for evergreens:
- biohumus;
- compost (necessarily rotted), which consists of green grass and kitchen waste.
The organic mixtures are laid around the trunk and lightly mixed with the topsoil. Organic additives are added in the spring.
The main value of such dressings is in the presence of potassium and trace elements.
Special additives for ephedra
To facilitate the calculations of fertilizers for ephedra, special mixtures were created:
- Fertika-Lux;
- "Health turbo for conifers";
- "Aquarin";
- "Khvoinka";
- Green Needle;
- "Fertile universal for conifers."
"Fertika-Lux" is recommended by some amateurs as a fertilizer for conifers, but it contains no magnesium and a lot of nitrogen (16%). This mixture can be used in diluted concentration. once every five years.
"Zdraven turbo for conifers" is a more acceptable option for spring fertilization. There are most of the essential trace elements, among which there is magnesium. But the nitrogen content is worried - 22%. It is not recommended to exceed the dosage of this mixture, and even more so to use it asautumn fertilizer for conifers.
"Aquarin" is a water-soluble mixture that can be usedfor liquid feeding of conifers in autumn,but not later than the beginning of September.
"Khvoinka" - good supplement for dwarf evergreens. The main application is in spring and summer, since the nitrogen content is quite high (13%) .
Green Needle is beautifulfertilizer for conifers in autumn.A large percentage of magnesium and sulfur provide a bright green color to the needles all year round.Fertilizer for spruce and pinewill prevent the needles from yellowing. A small percentage of nitrogen (3.4%) makes it safe for all types of conifers.
"Fertile universal" - spring feeding for the growth of new shoots. It is not recommended to use it starting from August.
Of the traditional nutritional mixtures for ephedra, the most suitable is Kalimagnesia.
conclusions
To maintain green view conifers, do not use a large number of nutrient mixtures, especially those with a high nitrogen content. The emphasis in caring for needles is made on the trace element magnesium and the macro element potassium.
Did you like the article? Share with your friends:
Hello dear readers! I am the creator of the Fertilizers.NET project. Glad to see each of you on its pages. I hope the information from the article was helpful. Always open for communication - comments, suggestions, what else you want to see on the site, and even criticism, you can write to me on VKontakte, Instagram or Facebook (round icons below). Peace and happiness to everyone! 🙂
You will also be interested to read:
Needles of pine and spruce known to most readers mainly by its medicinal properties, which are well studied and widely used in medical practice. According to well-known herbalists in the country, with the help of pine needles, up to 2/3 of all diseases, including oncological ones, can be cured today. However, as experience shows, needles are capable of more, including can serve a person in his fight against pests and diseases, in increasing soil fertility and plant nutrition to enhance their growth and development.
The most effective results of using pine and spruce needles are known in pest and disease control fruit and berry crops : apple moth, moth on currants and gooseberries, weevils on raspberries, etc. In all these cases, it is enough to take 1-1.5 kg of needles, insist it in 10 liters hot water, cool, strain and use a sprayer to process trees and bushes, and it is best to first the trunks, then the branches and then the green crown. Such processing of trees and shrubs is advisable at the beginning of their flowering and 2-3 more times with breaks for a week.
The experience of using needles against aphids and suckers is also very effective, and they take 2 kg of needles per 10 liters of water and insist for a week, keeping the infusion for about 7 days dark place and stirring daily. Before use, the infusion is diluted to a ratio of 1: 3 or 1: 5 in water. Both pine and spruce needles give nice results in the fight against cruciferous flea on salads, cauliflower and a number of root crops (radishes, turnips, radishes, rutabagas, etc.). Moreover, the plants are either sprayed with a solution of infusion in water in a ratio of 1: 5, or a mixture of needles with water in a ratio of 1: 1 is introduced into the aisles of the plants. There was also a positive experience of using pine needles in the fight against Colorado potato beetle on potatoes.
It should be noted that spraying with a solution of needles of fruit and berry and vegetable crops can be carried out both in the morning and in the evening, avoiding only periods of dew and rain. In order not to lose the solution, you can add 30 g to it laundry soap... According to my observations, some gardeners add ash extract to the solution of needles, which, in combination with soap, eliminates the likelihood of acidification of the soil that occurs when using needles. The addition of chopped coniferous branches and cones to the infused mixture of needles with water by individual gardeners, according to available information, only weakens the insecticidal properties of the solutions.
Certain experience of using pine and spruce needles in last years I also got it when growing tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes. In the first case, we added ash to a mixture of pine and spruce needles, boiled the mixture in water, filtered, and then treated 10 tomato bushes with a solution having a ratio of 1: 5. In doing so, we managed to induce them to grow more intensively and eliminate the developmental lag. What is important, the treated bushes bloomed earlier and more amicably than everyone else and did not hurt at all, and the harvest was greater for them than on untreated bushes.
But, perhaps, most of all we were pleased with strawberries and potatoes, when planting which, in the first case, a mixture of needles with sand, ash and compost was used in an equal ratio, and in the second - a mixture of needles, bark, ash and compost in the same ratio, and on In a strawberry bed, the mixture was embedded in the soil of the upper layer, and when planting potatoes, it was applied under the tubers and on them in a volume of about 1 liter per bush. As it turned out, the strawberry bushes, being in such soil and having enough nutrition and moisture, did not have pests and diseases, they bloomed faster than others and yielded almost 1.5 times more than before. At the same time, the berries differed not only in their large size, but also had some particularly pleasant taste.
However, the most surprising was the potatoes, the planting tubers of which were affected by scab. When digging up the very first bushes of it, we were surprised to note that not only was there a scab on any of the tubers, but even any of its very tenacious sclerotia. The harvest of the grown tubers was also quite good, although the weather that year was not very pleasing.
The well-known experienced gardener L. Rendyakov obtains excellent results when using pine needles. In his practice, he covers planting onions with coniferous spruce branches, and after removing spruce branches after 2-3 weeks upper layer the soil is well mulched with needles, due to which the entire period of onion growing the soil remains loose, nutritious and moisture, has no weeds and protects plantings from diseases and pests. As a result of all this, from 1 kg of seedlings, the yield of full-fledged onions is up to 40 kg, and for about 4 years and regardless of the weather.
Known from the press and the experience of a skilled gardener V. Shchelkov, who uses needles with an admixture of sawdust for fumigating the potatoes stored in the cellar with smoke. Such processing of the cellar is carried out for about 0.5 hours, and monthly, until the end of the storage period. At the same time, potatoes not only do not rot, but also retain their properties well.
From all of the above, it can be seen that the needles effectively serve not only as a healer of the garden and vegetable garden, but also as a fertilizer for soil and plants. This is explained by the fact that the needles contain, first of all, a very rich complex of physiologically active substances; it also has many chemical elements: calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, cobalt, zinc, etc.
Of course, there are also obvious opponents of the use of needles in the plots, indicating the harmfulness of removing green needles from trees and the possibility of terpenes, ethers, etc. getting into the water and soil from it. garden and vegetable garden are very small, and between the properties of green and fallen needles, scientists have not found a noticeable difference. So, it is quite possible to do with fallen needles.
Anatoly Veselov, gardener
photo by Olga Filippova
In most houses on new year holidays it is customary to put a herringbone or pine. And as soon as the holidays are over, the green beauty almost immediately goes to the trash heap. And it is completely in vain, because the needles later can be very useful at their summer cottage! For what purposes it can be used and how to be, if Christmas tree already thrown away and no needles at hand?
We save potatoes from pests with diseases
Not every summer resident knows that needles, or rather, the phytoncides secreted by it and some other biologically active compounds are endowed with the ability to scare away such dangerous enemies potatoes, like a voracious bear and an unfortunate wireworm. But their beneficial effect on this culture is not limited to this either - with the help of needles, you can save potatoes from scab and from a number of other equally unpleasant mushroom ailments!If potatoes often suffer from the above insects or diseases, then in the spring, during planting, it will not hurt to throw a full handful of larch or pine needles into each hole first, and then pour half a glass of wood ash there. And only then seed potatoes are laid out in the holes and covered with soil. By the way, rather loose needles also provide excellent air drainage of the potato root system, which oxygen is vital for the full formation of tubers.
In case if New Year long ago behind, the tree has been safely thrown away, and the new summer season practically on the nose, you can go to the forest and pick up the fallen needles there. In addition, in order to collect the needles in the forest, superhuman efforts will not be required - several strokes with a rake, and in seven to eight minutes you will have a full bag of valuable raw materials in front of you!
Mulching the soil
Needles are not only an excellent assistant in the difficult task of getting rid of pests and preventing all kinds of potato diseases, but also an excellent raw material for mulching! Experienced summer residents in general, it is recommended to cover the beds with onions with sevka exclusively with needles - such a cover not only perfectly retains moisture in the soil, but also actively prevents the growth of weeds. And the volatile phytoncides secreted by needles in every possible way contribute to the protection of onion plantings from pests and are an excellent prophylaxis against all kinds of bacterial and fungal ailments.If you cover the needles of the beds with garlic, onions, lettuce, radishes and some other moisture-loving crops around mid-May, the yield will increase significantly, and the effort spent on watering and weeding will be noticeably reduced!
We cover the beds for the winter
Another valuable property of pine needles is its ability to act as a covering material - it really reliably protects crops covered for wintering! Covering the beds with needles is very easy and simple, and the result is excellent! Grapes and strawberries react especially gratefully to such a shelter. It is not forbidden to sprinkle with needles and roots of fruit and berry crops - it is able to protect them no worse than ultra-modern covering materials. Perfectly protecting against heat loss and chilly wind, the needles at the same time perfectly pass oxygen vital for plants, not allowing the soil to "suffocate". And she is also a reliable protector from enterprising rodents, which is also important!
Fresh needles are endowed with the ability to increase the acidity of the soil, which is sometimes extremely undesirable. So the needles, which are planned to be used as mulch or to combat various pests and diseases, ideally should be given a good perepheat in compost heap... As for the needles from a used Christmas tree or collected from the ground in the forest, it is already quite ready for use and does not need such procedures.For the same reason, it is permissible to use needles for not all crops - for example, garden flowers often react negatively to changes in soil acidity. But sour berries and fruits just love pine needles! This raw material is ideal for mulching the soil around most garden trees, as well as around blueberry and cherry bushes, and it is also great for helping the growth of garlic, onions, sunflowers and even eggplant! So it's definitely worth making friends with pine needles!
Nowadays, natural farming is gaining more and more popularity. In addition to a significant reduction in volume earthworks, the pleasure of obtaining high yields of various garden crops, this method requires the mandatory use of mulch. Can be used as mulch different materials... Needle mulching is used when growing many plants that are not afraid of acidified soil. Not green pine needles are used for these purposes, but brown ones that have long fallen.
Purpose of mulch
Mulch refers to any type of loose air and moisture permeable biodegradable material that is applied to the surface of the soil. Mulch application provides:
- keeping the soil moist for a long time;
- growth retardation of many types of weeds;
- maintaining optimal temperature soil;
- creation of humus with gradual decay;
- life support beneficial organisms inhabiting the top layer of the earth.
Growing plants on soil covered with a layer of mulch gives incomparably top scores than without it. The thickness of the mulch should be from 5 to 20 cm. The needles are laid out at some distance from the base of the plant. They only need to cover the heated ground.
If you rush to lay the mulch in the spring, then the ground under it will remain cold for a long time. The effect of such an application will be the opposite - a delay in the development of plants.
If in spring and summer the purpose of mulch is to protect the soil from drying out and growth of weeds, to accumulate heat, then in autumn it is to protect the soil organisms living under it from freezing.
Many natural materials can be used as mulch:
- coniferous litter;
- hay, straw;
- husk from seeds, buckwheat;
- shells from pine nuts;
- dry last year's leaves;
- sawdust and shavings;
- chips from the bark of trees;
- crushed cones;
- humus, humus, peat;
- freshly cut grass.
Buy mulch from natural materials not easy, it is rarely on sale, even in specialized stores. Such materials are quite expensive, they require renewal after a year, as they decompose in the soil.
Currently, in addition to natural shelters, modern nonwovens are used:
- spunbond;
- agril;
- lutrasil;
- virotex.
They allow moisture to flow to the ground and retard evaporation. Their use is justified by the ease of acquisition and use. But to create real humus under such a shelter will not work. Such a cover will not provide nutrition for the plant.
When using completely free pine litter, which can be collected in pine forests in any quantity, gardeners receive not only mulch, but also a natural factory for the production of humus.
Raking the needles into bags, you can see white mycelium veins under the pine needles. These myceliums provide the soil with increased nutrition and protection. Fertility and in wildlife, and in the beds, is created by soil inhabitants who actively process a thick layer of needles.
Soil inhabitants - fungi, bacteria, small fauna that live under litter, help plants to digest and assimilate any organic matter. The productivity of plants under such conditions is optimal. After all, if there is no organic matter, no soil life, there is no nutrition for plants.
Pine mulch application
In the horticultural literature, you can read about the restrictions on the use of pine needles. It is acidic and over time, with continued use, acidifies the earth. Not all plants like this. Someone needs such land, someone suffers and gets sick in such conditions.
The way out of this situation is very simple. It is worth remembering which vegetables, bushes and trees love these conditions. Raspberries and blackberries tolerate acidic soil well. Slightly acidic soil is suitable:
- for an apple tree;
- pears;
- cherries;
- plums;
- quince;
- gooseberry;
- currants.
Medium acid soil is suitable for:
- for strawberries;
- potatoes;
- pepper;
- pumpkins;
- parsnip;
- sorrel.
Pine mulch helps sunflower, eggplant, onion and garlic grow.
From ornamental plants loves coniferous mulch hydrangea, rhododendron, all heather, roses.
In addition, acidic soil can be neutralized by sprinkling slaked lime on the beds in the fall - 50 grams per 1 sq. m. It is even better to deoxidize the soil with ash, which is a natural supplier of nitrogen.
Pine needles contain natural phytoncides that fight fungal and bacterial diseases. Also, needles include a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, which gradually pass into the soil.
Raspberries
Needle mulch allows you to grow luxurious crops using biotechnology, which was studied and described by the outstanding Russian land surveyor Alexander Kuznetsov. Its principle is that root microbes and fungal mycorrhiza provide nutrition to plants. Microbes and fungi do not live in the arable layer, only in overheated plant residues.
That is, covering the beds with raspberries with coniferous litter or any organic mulch, create conditions for a favorable symbiosis between the plant, fungi and microbes. This symbiosis is a living biological product that enhances the breakdown of organic matter and improves plant nutrition.
Raspberry roots secrete substances necessary for the life of mycorrhiza, and fungi enrich the soil with nutrients. Pine mulch is a natural habitat of mycorrhiza.
Its presence allows you to increase the planting density from 5 shoots per 1 sq. m. up to 30-40 pieces.
At the same time, the weight of the berry increased from 4-6 grams to 10-12 grams. Fruiting remontant raspberry instead of August, starts in mid-July.
In the beds, which are mulched every year, the plants either do not get sick at all or the disease manifests itself weakly. With such agricultural technology, fertilizers are not needed, frequent watering, chemicals for baiting pests.
Strawberry (strawberry)
When using Kuznetsov's biotechnology, strawberries, instead of ordinary berries weighing 40 grams, produced berries weighing 65 grams each. The harvest has increased 1.5 times. Mulch, among other things, plays the role of an antiseptic, strawberries do not suffer from any diseases.
Unlike straw mulch, pine needles will prevent slugs from getting close to berries. Mice will not settle in it either. The mulch layer should be at least 5-7 cm high.
Lingonberry, blueberry, cranberry
The cultivation of these crops is gradually becoming fashionable. Small plantations are established in fenced beds covered with peat. For the good development of plants, they are watered with acidic solutions. Sheltering such plantings with coniferous mulch is a mandatory procedure.
Onion and garlic
It is recommended to cover the beds with these plants with pine litter. The needles will not only retain moisture, interfere with the emergence of weeds, their phytoncidal properties will save plants from fungal and bacterial diseases. From mid-May, the beds are covered with a dense layer of pine mulch. At the same time, work on watering, loosening the beds is reduced.
It is very good to cover the roots with pine mulch for the winter. berry bushes, fruit trees, grapes and strawberries. Protecting from freezing wind and low temperatures, it prevents the roots from suffocating from lack of oxygen. Many other protective structures become winter quarters for rodents. The needles will prevent them from settling in the shelters built for grapes and roses.