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.

Well the issue for me is that I have one system working really well...no problems, and another system that isn't working. For my AVs, I put them in domes when they are leaves and only have to water them every two weeks or so. They are VERY happy and I have no problems with this system. I changed a few of the pots to experiment with 5-1-1, I used Repti-bark. They molded really quickly, so I had to go back and re-pot all of them in 75% perlite, 25% miracle grow soil. They have no mold and look very happy. I've have never had mold issues before under domes. As for doming, I have had huge success with completely closed domes and know lots of growers that do really well with domes, even repairing unhappy plants by putting them in domes. I'm not sure WHY it's so successful, but I've had more problems with the plants grown and raised outside of the domed trays than in. My guess is that I'm using less water. My water is horrible because I had the same conditions in my previous city and had NONE of these problems. The reason I know that I have to change my system for my AVs out of domes is because they are staying very wet being wicked and also have fertilizer salts (although I haven't seen any more with the ones planted in bark and/or watered with distilled water, + allowed to dry out) Even though I've solved the fertilizer salt problem, I now have to figure out if the yellowing leaves and slow growth has to do with the lack of drainage as Al explains it, or PH, or nutrient deficiencies, or both! lol I'm already passed my budget on supplies, so I have to wait before I can get anything else, which means I'll be trying this mix that doesn't quite fit the standards of the "gritty mix". I'm still excited though because not having an organic medium means that I only have to worry about the nutrients and PH of the water...and I suppose the Perched Water Table possibly! but I have lots of tricks to get by that issue. I'll be doing A LOT of experimenting and recording my results, maybe it will be of help to y'all! and maybe one day when I have an extra room to fit huge amounts of gritty mix supplies I'll be trying the real thing! :) This post was edited by plantcrazed101 on Mon, Dec 9, 13 at 22:00

Have you checked sand and gravel places? Also nurseries carry lava rock too. You might find some at Home Depot or similar stores.

Most azaleas - not all - prefer shade and oak or pine mulch . They do have very shallow surface roots that are sun sensitive and dry out quickly . If necessary - Screen native soil of rocks by putting it through half-inch by half-inch hardware cloth. Then, mix up to 1/3 organic matter such as compost, peat moss, or composted manure into the native soil when planting . Do not use bagged store bought soil exclusively . It will make it difficult for roots to penetrate the native soil as they grow. Do not plant under an overhang or near downspouts, as rain run-off will damage the plants. It is also a good idea to avoid planting next to concrete walkways or foundations, as concrete surfaces have a very high pH and this can cause problems with growth and flowering. Do not use pea rock as mulch. Apply 3 inches of organic mulch, keeping it away from the trunk. This is very important to keep all mulch a good distance away from the trunk or stems of plants . Would any of these work for you ? coffee - Coffea arabica gardenia - Gardenia species Mexican fire bush - Hamelia patens firecracker vine - Manettia rubra false poinsettia - Mussaenda species wild coffee - Psychotria species panama rose - Rondeletia splendens bush pentas - Rondeletia leucophylla