Table of Contents
1. LANDSCAPE ROCK MAKES PLANTING HARDER AND STIFLES PLANT GROWTH
Have you ever tried to rake out rock to make space for digging holes for plants? It’s back-breaking work! Why put yourself through that? I suppose it could be justified if there was conclusive evidence that plants grow better in rock than mulch, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Because rocks absorb the heat of the sun, it raises the temperature of the soil which in turn dehydrates the plants, causing them to become more and more thirsty. Without rain or regular watering (who wants to do that all the time?), the plants will have a much lower survival rate in rocks vs. mulch.
On the flip side, having mulch in your garden beds helps to regulate the temperature of soil and retains ample moisture to create a damp environment for plants to grow. When it’s hot outside, the moisture in the soil begins to evaporate which dries out your garden bed. Whereas rock doesn’t solve this problem, mulch does! It keeps your plants insulated which protects them from harsh weather conditions. In terms of manual labor, it’s much easier to shovel mulch into your garden beds than having to break your back by shoveling heavy rocks. So when you consider the labor required for installation and the best environment for plant growth, the winner is mulch and the loser is rocks. Watch the video below to learn more about the process for installing plants.2. LANDSCAPE ROCK WON’T SOLVE YOUR WEED PROBLEM BUT LAYING MULCH WILL
I know I know, you may be thinking: what if I lay down a weed barrier before I install rock? Won’t that prevent weeds from growing between the rocks? While this is true, weeds are still prone to grow above the fabric barrier. Why? Because wind will eventually blow soil on top of the fabric. All that is needed is a little dirt for the weeds to grow in. Once you get a few weeds, then everyone knows that more weed growth is right around the corner. All the sudden, BAM, your beautiful rock gardens are infested with weeds on top of the protective barrier you installed.
Mulch creates a natural barrier for weeds. A good 2 inch layer of mulch will suppress the weed seedling upon germination which will make it much harder for weeds to infest your garden bed. Why? Because just like plants, weeds needs sunlight to germinate and grow. A thick layer of mulch will successfully block the sunlight and eradicate the invasive weeds before they even get a chance to start taking over your precious garden beds. If you want you can even use organic mulch, which help your plants absorb nutrients to grow happy and healthy. Feel free to watch the video below to learn more about the best way to install mulch.