Pine cones are the fallen fruit of the pine tree.
Cones have several remarkable properties: they are impregnated with resins and rot slowly, and are used as mulch.
1. If you don’t have any drainage at hand – stones, expanded clay, but you do have pine cones, then they will make an excellent long-lasting drainage, which can be made under any tree in a layer of 10-15 cm.
2. Cones can be used as mulching material. They rot slowly, such mulch will work for many years.
3. Many people don't know about another interesting property of pine cones. If there are a lot of slugs and ants in the garden, all the plants can suffer. They can be protected with pine cones, placing them in a layer of about 5 cm.
Slugs will not be able to get to plants that are covered with pine cones: both the smell and the sharp ends of the cones will scare them away.
Not only cones are useful, but also pine needles, which are a good insulating material. Many plants that are covered for the winter can be safely covered with pine needles.
