Mulch or Rocks?
18 years ago
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Interested in replacing mulch bed w/ Rock bed?
Comments (7)It's a good thing you realized before you implemented it, that a gravel mulch will not prevent weeds. If weeds have been allowed to establish, even if just for a while, momentum has it that they will continue because they are self perpetuating. It's possible to overcome them, but it requires dedicated diligence for the first year and moderate diligence for the second. (Meaning that they must be eradicated as soon as they appear, and never allowed to produce seed or propagate by root expansion. If it happens, it means the extermination cycle can last an additional two years.) If you install sod before getting rid of roots of perennial weeds, they will likely infest the new lawn. Weed seeds existing and arriving in the soil will probably try to infest it as well. The easiest and most effective ways to deal with weeds is with weed-killing and preventing chemicals, and heavy mulch. If you plan for turf, it depends on what kind of weeds are present to determine what will be effective to get rid of them first. If you plan for groundcover, it's probably easiest to kill weeds, mulch and leave the area unplanted for a couple of months so that worst of the recurring and sprouting weeds can be easily dispensed with. If you're diligent about preventing weeds during the first two years, it becomes easy to keep out the future occasional strays....See Morestupid question, but mulch over lava rock
Comments (2)Ask around the neighborhood if there's a problem with burrowing critters (voles and moles are my problem up here). Yesterday at a rose event, we were talking about the damage done by voles eating rose roots and some people admitted burying gravel to slow the voles down. A product called Permatill does the same thing (it's broken up cinderblock). If you cover lavarock with mulch, over time you'll get the mulch breaking down into organic rich material and if there's no weed cloth under the lavarock, you'll have built (over time) and organic rich soil impervious to moles and voles....See MorePreventing Weeds in Rock and Mulch
Comments (2)If the rocks were put down more than two years ago you have dust, dirt, and organic matter from the air that has accumulated in the spaces between them and your "weeds" are rooting there, most likely. Many "weed" seeds collect on the vegetative mulches and root easily there too. You can continue spraying poisons around to try and control the weeds or you can dig and properly take care of this by pulling the rocks up and cleaning the accumulated soil from those spaces which will help, a lot....See Moremulch? rocks? plants?
Comments (3)What Sammie said and I'd put an outdoor love seat or two small sitting chairs too. how much grassed area is yours? You could border the grassed area with boxwood or something like bourganvilla if your climate allows. Then choose if you want a small patch of lawn or more patio out of gravels, stones mulches etc. which can be very decorative and nicely low maintenance. Didn't see the above also before hitting post..same ideas would just utilize the space to the left where the larger planter is placed for a second chair, I would put two chairs and a table closer to that area, just because it looks like it may fir.....See More- 18 years ago
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