The short answer
On a slope, choose pine straw or a shredded mulch: UGA says they are less likely to wash away in rain. On flat beds where you'd rather refresh less often, pine bark lasts longer than straw.
Whichever you choose, UGA recommends a layer 3 to 5 inches deep, topped up at least once a year.
Pine straw
Pine straw is the usual bed covering in Georgia.
- It stays put. UGA says pine straw is less likely to wash away in rain than most mulches. That matters on the sloping lots around Lake Lanier.
- It is quick to cover ground. UGA puts one bale at about 50 square feet, 5 inches deep.
- It breaks down faster than bark, so it needs topping up more often. Fresh straw also settles: UGA found 4 to 5 inches of new straw settles to about 2.
Pine bark and other mulches
- Pine bark lasts longer than pine straw, and longer than wood chips, according to UGA.
- Nuggets can float. UGA Extension warns that pine bark can float or wash away, so it is a poor choice on slopes or where water runs across a bed.
- Shredded mulches hold on slopes better than nuggets, much like straw.
- Coverage: one cubic yard of bark covers about 100 square feet, 3 inches deep.
How much you need
Measure each bed's length and width and multiply to get square feet. Then, from UGA's figures:
- Pine straw: divide by 50 for the number of bales at 5 inches deep.
- Bark: divide by 100 for cubic yards at 3 inches deep.
A bed 10 feet by 20 feet is 200 square feet: about 4 bales of pine straw, or about 2 cubic yards of bark.
When to refresh
UGA says pine straw and pine bark both break down and should be topped up at least once a year. Many people around the lake refresh pine straw twice, in spring and again in fall, when the beds are tidied for the season.
