The truth is pine needles do not make the soil more acidic. ... They are a good mulching material that will keep the moisture in, suppress weeds and eventually add nutrients back to the soil. You can also add them to a compost pile; they will slowly break down over time.

Do pine shavings make soil acidic?

A: Contrary to popular belief, pine chips, pine straw and pine shavings have little effect on the pH (acidity and alkalinity) of soil. Garden soil has a great capacity to resist immediate pH change so a mulch of pine shavings would have little effect.

Are pine chippings acidic?

The woody chippings or bark could be giving off substances that acidify the soil solution as they decompose. However, neither pine bark nor pine chippings have been found to have any effect on soil pH. ... Bare soil is more likely to have a low pH (be acidic) than organic mulches.