I have been approached by someone who would like to rake and bale the pine straw on my property. I need to know more.
There is an ongoing discussion about the benefits and disadvantages related to selling straw. I will not address that here. Some say it causes a loss of nutrients available to the tree and that is correct. However I can not quantify the effects.
As a landowner, we are always looking for ways to generate income and pine straw harvesting is a viable method. Pine straw revenue varies from place to place. However Long Leaf and Slash Pine seem to generate more money per bale. Prices seem to vary from $.25 to $.50 per bale and some prices fall outside this range. I had 40 acres raked in Johnson County, GA. The trees were 13 years old. It generated 176 bales per acre or $44.05 per acre. Pretty good on top of the hunting revenue!
Here are some facts you should know:
1. Needles stay on for about 2 years
2. Avg yield between 100-200 bales per acre
3. Yield affected by age, stand density and season
4. Yield increases with increase in age up to about 15
years
5. Stand Density – 75 sq ft = 125 bales 125 sq ft = 175 bales
6. Season – most shedding occurs Sept and Oct. Plan the harvest around Dec- Mar
For Information on
Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF
at (706) 457-0090
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