| Abrasion and Crumble Resistance | Highly resistant to foot traffic and handling | Becomes increasingly brittle with age |
| Availability | Dependable year-round production | Seasonal; spotty |
| Bed Preparation / Weeds | Rake out old straw once; pre-emerge once; less weeds | Rake out old straw annually; pre-emerge annually; more weeds |
| Breathability | Maintains breathability; helps oxygenate soil and deter mold and fungus growth | Mats, thatches and becomes spongy; decomposes and acts like second soil layer, causing roots to grow “up” |
| Chemical Resistance | Not affected by herbicides or pesticides | Absorbs chemicals |
| Color | Consistent longleaf pine reddish-brown “spring” needles, the most prized | Inconsistent; depends on season, species, freshness, weather |
| Color Retention | UV-stabilized; tested; warranted to retain color for 10 years | Decomposes immediately; turns brown; bleached gray in 6-12 months |
| Contaminants | None, always clean, pure , sterile bales | Even when hand-combed, contains weeds, grass seed, mold spores, pine pollen, insects, fungus, mildew, sticks, twigs, leaves and pine cones |
| Coverage/Unit | 50 sq ft @ 3.5″ depth | Depends on bale size |
| Environment / Harvesting | Post-industrial recycled product; clean product can be recycled at end of useful life | Unregulated; mechanized raking increases tree mortality; over-harvesting negatively affects forest growth and soil productivity, causes erosion and loss of wildlife habitat |
| Flammability | Requires sustained exposure to flame to burn; will melt | Highly flammable when dry |
| Insects | Does not attract insects | Damp environment attracts insects, especially ants, roaches and termites |
| Installation | Clean, easy, quick | Gloves recommended |
| Maintenance | Turns, fluffs easily; extends life | Crumbles when turned or fluffed; top-dress every 4-6 months |
| Moisture Retention | Passes moisture to soil and helps prevent evaporation; patented concave needle profile funnels all moisture to soil | Needles absorb and trap moisture |
| Needle Quality | Consistent mixture of 9-10″ strand lengths to simulate highly-desired old, original longleaf pine needles | Highly variable by species on pine; mostly loblolly and slash, with 6-10″ needles |
| Rain / Water Resistance | Will not absorb water; lighter than water and will float; not recommended for low-lying areas subject to flooding or run-off | Will wash-away if used in areas subject to flooding or run-off |
| Soil Nutrition | Over years, breaks down into harmless carbon, hydrogen, calcium carbonate and iron oxide | Increases acidity |
| Volume Loss | None; does not decompose | 100% loss; most in first six months |
| Warranty | Yes | No |
