Yes, pine straw is the fallen needles of Loblolly and Longleaf pines, not the stalks left from harvesting grain. Completely different.
But I know that some other areas have locally abundant materials. One thing I've heard of is rice hulls. I don't know what else there might be.
It's just steep enough that water doesn't puddle when it rains. It's right next to our pole barn which, we are waiting still to put gutters on. I had considered wood chips but wasn't certain because of it being uncovered. I dont want to add to the issue if its going to create mold or too much moisture. We had considered doing the cinder blocks on the edges with the wood chips.
