Mulching serves multiple purposes: it improves the soil as it breaks down, suppresses weeds to some extent and helps retain moisture. By mulching I mean a covering of organic matter. One such I rarely see utilised is pine needles.

 I happen to have a ready supply of them and generally use them for mulching around the raspberry canes on the allotment. Raspberries like a slightly acidic soil and pine needles are somewhat acidic which I've always assumed is a good pairing. Unfortunately research on the subject suggests they have no appreciable effect on soil PH so scratch that theory.

 Never mind, they still make a good mulch. In the States it's known as 'pine straw mulch'; no doubt the vast pine forests make it a resource too good to overlook.