If your tree services include pine needle cleanup, you already know that so-called evergreens actually shed almost as much as their leaf-bearing kin.

Pine trees look great year-round, and are especially beloved around Christmas, but they can be a nightmare for property owners. Needles truly needle into just about everything from your gutters to the seams in your sidewalk. Cleaning them up can be a maddening effort.

If the needles are far enough from the home to not cause damage, it’s a good idea to just let them be.

Dropped pine needles are acidic and naturally kill any grass, flowers or other living plants they land on. Trying to prevent this will drive you batty, but the good news is a blanket of needles is a natural and beautiful landscape on its own. Plus, you don’t have to worry about weeds sprouting up.

But what if you want or need to clean up the needles?

A Messy Job

All pine trees will shed, but a dehydrated tree will shed more. You can’t stop needles from dropping, but you can minimize this phenomenon by keeping your tree well watered.

Have an arborist regularly prune the tree, especially the lower branches, to minimize needle drop while ensuring your trees look beautiful. Some Utahns can even achieve grass growth below pine trees if the limbs are trimmed to give 15-plus feet of clearance.

Some homeowners are diligent about needle cleanup, and the best way to tackle it is with old-fashioned raking. A leaf blower might let you move around some of the needles, but you’ll still need to pick them up.

However, keep in mind that committing yourself to constantly raking up needles can be more of a pain than it’s worth. It’s highly unlikely that your pine tree will ever need human help. Think of the pine trees in the forest: They manage very well without regular raking or leaf blowers (although they wouldn’t say no to some routine pruning if they could!).

Indoor Care

If you track pine needles indoors, it can feel like Christmas year-round, but not in a good way.

Pine needles can cause damage to some wooden floors, including light surface scratches. Vacuum or sweep them up, or use an oversized lint roller if the needles make their way to carpet and furniture. Cleaning your floors with an oil-rich product can help minimize pine needle damage.

Sap from the needles also can lead to a sticky situation, but it’s nothing a little rubbing alcohol can’t take care of. When pine trees are especially close to the home, they might need a little more pruning than normal.

Talk with your arborist to come up with a plan of action to minimize needle droppings or needles getting dragged indoors. Give Reliable Tree Care a call today to schedule tree services, including an inspection and complimentary bid on pine tree care.