Pinecones
Here in Lake Worth, you may have the fortune of having one of Florida’s own unique Slash Pines.
Pine trees produce pine CONES. They can be a nuisance or a free decorative medium!
Here are some useful tips for using nature’s free gifts to creative people.
If you one of the lucky homeowners that have a native Slash Pine tree in your area, fret not and be creative with it.
As fall arrives here in South Florida, we tend to become a little craftier. Cooler temps and lower humidity trigger thoughts of the upcoming holidays and holiday decorating.
One of the most used mediums in holiday crafts is the use of pine cones. Living in Florida we have the privilege of having some "nice ones" in our own back yard.
Many people over-look them as a nuisance, “hard to cut-with-the-mower spiny demons” that seem to clutter our lawns every day.
Let’s first understand the Florida Slash pine first.
According to sfrc.ufl.edu;
“Historically, slash pines were a major resource for the naval stores industry. Pines produced turpentine and crude rosins that were used for a variety of purposes. Although the naval stores industry has all but disappeared from Florida, you can still find old slash pine stands with "cat-face" scars. The gum tappers formed the scars by injuring the tree with a triangular cut in the bark surface. While insects and disease can damage healthy slash pine stands, trees with "cat-face" scars are more susceptible to pine bark beetles and are vulnerable to mortality due to fire.
Flatwoods slash pines have been planted, grown, and harvested over millions of acres. It takes 30 years to become sawtimber size (greater than 9" in diameter). Slash pine is an excellent forestry investment. A good site can produce a well-stocked stand of about two cords of wood per acre per year.
Slash pine is a common associate of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). The length and number of needles per fascicle, cones, and bark can be used to differentiate them. Slash pine has "brooms" of needles at the ends of rough twigs. Needles may be 5" to 11" long and are borne2 to 3 to a fascicle. Cones range from 5" to 8" in length. Loblolly has 3 needles per fascicle that are 6" to 10" long. Loblolly cones are 3" to 6" long, but they are light reddish-brown and persist for three years of growth. Also, loblolly cones are far pricklier than slash pine cones. Bark of slash pine has large, flat, orange-brown plates. Loblolly bark is thick and divides into irregular, dark brown scaly blocks.
There are two varieties. Slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) is found in the Coastal Plain
through north and central Florida. Southern slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) is found in south Florida, West Indies, Guatemala, and Honduras in Central America.”
Pine cones can be made to;
• Help start a charcoal fire
• Used as mulch in a garden (see photo)
• Can be packed with peanut butter and bird seed and hung as a natural bird feeder
• Fill a basket and use as a centerpiece (cornucopia)
• Soaked in a essential oil and used as a air freshener
• Place pine cones around your bird feeder so squirrels can eat the seeds
• Holiday decorations
A great web site that shows many uses for pine cones is;
www.ehow.com/how_4590367_recycle-pine-cones
You can even package and SELL the pine cones too!
www.ehow.com/how_4589864_sell-pine-cones-ebay-cash
So rather than mow those pesky conifers, be creative.
To help collect the pine cones, purchase a garden cart and a Gopher™ pick up tool.
(They can be found at any major home improvement store.)
If you have kids, have a contest to see who can collect the following;
• The most
• The biggest
• The weirdest
• The smallest
• The best looking
Pine cones will last years and years so making decorations with them will allow years of enjoyment.
If you don’t have any pine trees on your property, ask a neighbor if you can collect Thiers.
They may even thank you for it!
Credit:
www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/slash_pine/slaspine
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