What is pine straw?
Pine straw is the dry needles that fall from pine trees, raked up and pressed into bales. It is light, easy to spread by hand and knits into a mat that stays put on slopes better than bark or chip.
Planning the rest of the job? Use the Mulch calculator and the Wood chip calculator too.
How far does a bale go?
A standard bale covers about 4.6 m² at 7.5 cm, or around 7 m² at 5 cm. Bale sizes vary between suppliers, so treat the result as a guide and check the label.
Light cover on established beds
5 cm
Standard cover
7.5 cm
Slopes and erosion control
7.5 to 10 cm
How does the calculation work?
Bales = area (m²) × depth (m) ÷ 0.354
0.354 m³ is the loose volume of a standard bale. A bed of 30 m² at 7.5 cm: 30 × 0.075 ÷ 0.354 = 6.4, so buy 7 bales, or 8 with 10% extra.