Pine straw by the bale, off the pallet
Straw goes down faster than mulch, it does not wash out of a sloped bed the way shredded bark does, and it is the traditional bed cover on this side of the state.
How far a bale goes
A bale of long needle straw covers somewhere between 30 and 40 square feet at the depth people actually spread it, which is two to three inches fluffed. A bed 10 feet by 20 feet takes five to seven bales. Straw settles a lot in the first month, so plan on it looking thinner by Thanksgiving than it did the day you put it down.
Long needle straw locks together and stays put on a bank. That is the reason it is worth the extra handling on a sloped front bed where hardwood mulch keeps ending up on the sidewalk.
- One bale covers roughly 30 to 40 square feet
- Two to three inches fluffed is the working depth
- It holds on slopes where shredded mulch runs
Straw, hay and what each one is for
Pine straw is fallen pine needles, baled. Hay is cut grass with seed heads in it, so it belongs in a barn and not in a flower bed unless you want to grow whatever was in the field. Wheat straw is the one for covering new grass seed, because the seed heads are mostly threshed out.
Customers have written on the Google profile for years about the yard handing out hay free in the cold months so people can bed animals down. Several of those reviews are from strangers who came in for something else and watched it happen.
Not sure how many bales?
Measure the bed, or send a photo of it, and we will count them for you.
What Gaston County says
Every quote below is a real review, word for word, from our Google profile.
I called this morning looking for prices on some mulch and expected to have to wait a few days for delivery. I spoke with Melissa and she helped me figure out how much I needed and quoted a very reasonable price and told me I could get it delivered in half an hour! Mac was soon in my driveway with a truckload of mulch. He drove that truck right up to my flower bed and dumped it right where I needed it.
I'm born and raised here, so I've known about AJ's for probably the last 30 years or more, but have never worked with them until now. They are awesome to work with. When you call them, you don't get a recording. They answer the phones and provide great insight and advice for the project.
This long established business continues to provide quality products for a reasonable price. The second generation is also involved and he delivers quickly, efficiently and never fails to treat customers respectfully.
Always great, the lady on the phone is always pleasant and soooo friendly, she is patient answering questions and helpful, the delivery guy is always friendly, he even dump my gravel in diff spots to make it easier to spread.
AJ will forever be my place and will always be the first place i recommend. I have begged my husband for years to fill an area in my garden with river rock. He was able to do that yesterday with the help of AJ's!
Great family owned and operated business. Honest, insightful and helpful in every aspect.
Think you have a problem up there? We will look at it, free.
Twice a year is the usual rhythm around here, once in spring after the beds are cleaned up and once in fall. Fall straw is the one that matters most, because it holds soil temperature through a Piedmont winter.
Not enough to matter. Fresh needles test acidic, but by the time they break down at the soil line the effect is small. Azaleas, camellias and hollies do fine under it, and so does most of what people plant here.
Yes. Bales stack on a pallet and go out on the same trucks as everything else. Tell us the bed measurements and we will work out the count.
Bring the measurements of the area, or a photo of it, and we will tell you. If pine straw and hay is not what the job wants, we say so and point you at what does.
Monday to Friday 8 AM to 4 PM; Saturday 8 AM to 2 PM; Sunday Closed. Outside those hours use the form and we answer the next working day.
Since 1982.
Tell us the area, we will work out the yards
Call the yard, or send the measurements and the material you had in mind.
- Monday to Friday8 AM to 4 PM
- Saturday8 AM to 2 PM
- SundayClosed