My cottage is located at Amberley on Lake Huron – between Kincardine and Goderich. We sweep cedar “needles” together with sand from our decks. Would adding this sandy mixture to our vegetable garden in Listowel Ontario be a good idea?
Thanks for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners. It depends on the type of soil you have in your vegetable garden. Sand and cedar needles can be effective amendments for heavy clay soils. In most situations however cedar needles are more beneficial to gardens after they are composted. You can compost cedar needles with other organic matter such as garden trimmings and fruit and vegetable scraps. Fresh, green needles provide more nitrogen for compost, while dry, brown needles provide more carbon.
For more information about using cedar needles in the garden please see the following sites:
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/recycle-evergreen-tree-needles-41359.html
https://gardenmaking.com/conifer-needles-good-soil/