l00 yr old tree...can you put pea gravel/mulch over the exposed roots?
bwwhite49
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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What do you use as mulch in your paths?
Comments (31)This is always an issue with me. I have an approx 7500sf garden and I don't use any machinery like tillers or mowers. It is 2/3 raised beds with no barrier around them. The other third is berries and fruit trees. I have a lot of paths to deal with. I treid landscape fabric w/ wod chips at first- the wood chips eventually broke down into something for weeds seeds to grow in and was impossible to deal with. Then I tried annual clover, which didn't germinate all that well and I had to walk thru the bees! Then I tried to scuffle hoe the bare paths for a couple of years- that was a nightmare!! For the past 5 yrs or so I have used newspaper or cardboard covered with oat straw. I don't use hay because I don't want the hay seeding all over my garden. The oat seeds die off or create mulch, the wheat and rye hay would be a nightmare. Oat straw is now very expensive. I use 10-12 bales a year @ 8.95/bale. Plus we have to have everything come over by ferry. Perhaps the wood chips or sawdust on paper/cardboard would be worth trying. Most chip here would be spruce. Wouldn't they be pitchy? I'd love to try a permanent material like brick, but we have european red ants and they LOVE nesting under rocks, boards and stone. A living mulch with no flowers that doesn't spread too fast or grow too high would be great, but has yet to be found! At least by me! Martha...See MoreBuilding a Pea Gravel Patio
Comments (40)I don't know how big your yard is, but I would start small, with the gravel, meaning, just big enough for the seating at first--the point being, you can always expand, but you will never remove the gravel once you've got it in (I'm making assumptions about what you will or won't do in the future based on human nature, the nature of gravel removal, and your post!). Also, will be an issue for the next (owner?)--if you will be responsible for future sale of the property, then that is one reason to avoid some forms of home improvement that may be seen as drawbacks. If you are the least bit inclined to "gardening" and to enjoy a bit of greenery, you might be able to plan and install some pockets of groundcover for the same price as covering everything with gravel--it is possible to build up soil areas without a lot of digging and leveling, particularly for planting one of the tough groundcovers (not for growing tea roses right away!). There would be some upkeep to establish the plantings but again, you could start small-- an area 3x3 or 4x4. You might approach your yard by mapping out quadrants or areas and tackle one or 2 , but leave the rest bare until you phase in the whole plan. The return would be that you would not be trying to establish a lawn from scratch under poor conditions but you would have some green space. You haven't said whether you have any trees in your yard or overhanging your yard--leaves, cones, acorns, maple seeds-- but that is an issue for pea gravel--you don't want a lot of gravel if there is going to be a lot of organic debris falling on it, requiring constant raking and upkeep....See MoreCan I put raised beds over a septic leach field
Comments (21)Well the general rule in container gardening is that the containers must have some form of drainage. Otherwise the water collects in the bottom, you get ponding of the water, bacterial growth, and root rot. I can't really picture containers made from "wire forms and concrete". That would be quite unusual IME but I would be worried about that weight on the field interfering with drainage in the field. Given all the drainage problems and shallow drain fields one reads about in many parts of Florida, especially with sandy soil, I'd be very reluctant to alter my septic drain field at all. And there are literally thousands of lightweight containers with drainage holes available for gardeners to use that can be easily moved and adjusted for sun exposure without creating problems for the filed. Unlike in-ground gardening Container Gardening has its own set of unique needs so I'd suggest some in-depth reading over on the Container Gardening forum here. Dave...See MoreMulching over part of my backyard -- thoughts?
Comments (13)I am a big fan of mulching. It is easier to maintain than grass, especially in shady areas or in your case where you would have several edges to mow/trim around. It is probably more expensive since you have to refresh the mulch (depends somewhat on your supply of mulch and lawn care practices). Looking at your mockup I have a few comments...The size of your raised beds seem very small. Is your drawing to scale? There looks to be a lot of wasted space in that area? What size do you plan to make the beds? Also, I am of the camp that thinks that in a situation where the lawn in the dominant feature of the landscape, that the lawn should be given a defined shape. The shape on the left (near the shed) looks natural but then the right side looks a bit odd to me. If you are going to keep the bushes then I would include them in the mulched area (and likely underplant with perennials). - Brent...See More
bwwhite49
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years agomradcliffe
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years agoedlincoln
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agojoeinmo 6b-7a
7 years ago
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
7 years agowisconsitom
7 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
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