Cathy Isom reviews some of the different ways for pine needle uses around the farm, home and in the garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
If you have an abundance of pine needles, you might be surprised to know there are a number of uses for them around the home and garden.
One way to put them to good use is by making Pine Needle Tea. For years, pine tea was used as a curve for scurvy because its full of vitamin C.
You could also use pine needles to make Pine Infused oil. This oil can be used in several ways. You can use it to polish your furniture, but the most popular choice is to use pine oil to make an herbal salve. Add a little coconut oil and beeswax to the oil until you have a creamy consistency. This salve helps to heal cuts, scrapes, insect stings, and splinters. It also moisturizes dry and chapped hands.
Why not add some of the pine needles to your livestock bedding? It adds a lovely pine scent to the litter. It’s best not to replace all of the bedding with pine needles because pine needles aren’t absorbent on their own. But when mixed with pine or aspen shavings, they add a pleasant scent to the barn or coop as well as discouraging the bugs that might try to visit livestock as they sleep.
Some gardeners use pine needles in their winter garden as a way to try to deter voles and moles from paying a visit.
Pine needles are also great fire starters and are great as mulch in garden beds.
I’m Cathy Isom…