Category Archives: Landscape Materials

Following you planting new trees, foliage and flowers, you want to add the coup de grace–mulch. Mulch is going to make your landscape appear immaculate and refined.

However, does it make a difference what kind of mulch you use? Or should you maybe replace mulch with rocks?

Keep reading to discover the pros and cons of mulching with an organic mulch or an inorganic mulch such as rocks.

Mulch Vs. Rocks – Which Is Better in Gardens & Around Trees?

Pros & Cons of Organic Mulch

Below are the pros and cons of using mulch in your landscaping:

Pros

Improved Growth: Mulch can just about double how fast trees and plants grow, as reported by research studies.

Reduced Water:  Mulch promotes rain-water infiltration and soil water storage and decreases water evaporation, so you can spend less time and resources watering!

Additional Nutrients: As mulch decomposes, it adds nourishment that plants require to flourish.

Less Weeds:  Mulch decreases weed seed sprouting, so you are going to see less weeds in your beds.

The Perfect Temperature:  Mulch keeps soil and roots safeguarded in the winter months and cooler in the summer ones.

Decrease Compaction and Erosion:  Mulch hinders soil erosion, which is going to be uncontrollable in places where the soil is left exposed. Mulch additionally makes the soil more enduring against compaction. Additionally, people are unlikely to walk and/or drive on mulch, so there’s reduced soil compaction from the beginning.

Cons

Yearly Replacement: Subject to your mulch type, you are going to have to replace it or top dress it every 1 to 4 years. Therefore, it’s a continual time and cost expense.

Lavishness: Placing a layer of mulch more than 2 to 3 inches can diminish water movement and deteriorate bases of foliage.

Too Soon = Late Blooms: Putting mulch down too soon might slow how fast the ground gets warmer, meaning you could see blooms a little later than average.

Later than Normal = Weeds: Mulch hinders weeds from going into germination. If you mulch too late, it additionally might not stop them.

Look for Seeds:  Many organic mulches, such as shredded green waste and hay, might have weed seeds in them.

Pros & Cons of Rocks

Below are the pros and cons of using rocks in your landscaping:

Pros

Minimum Maintenance: You probably never need to have them replaced.

Lower Expense: Since they’re longer lasting, it is usually less costly to mulch with rocks in the long term.

Fire-Resistant:  Should you live in an area that has wildfires, rocks offer defensible space because they’re non-flammable.

Weeds Be Gone:  Rocks could keep weeds away longer because seeds have trouble germinating through them.

Resistant to Wind: Heavier rocks are perfect at stopping soil erosion in windy places.

Excellent for Rock and Succulent Gardens: Rocks are ideal for these garden areas!

Cons

Really Hot: Rocks increase the soil temperature and emit heat long after sunset, resulting in stressed-out, thirsty foliage.

Cleaning-out: Clutter and debris must be cleaned out from your rocks to maintain their look. This is a laborious endeavor that also takes away nutrients from the soil which is required to be replaced with fertilizer.

Keep an Eye on the pH: A lot of trees favor acidic soil; however, carbonate rocks produce alkaline soil, which can harm most trees.

The Comeback of the Weeds: Wind is going to eventually blow soil between rocks, creating an area for weeds to germinate.

Removal by Hand: When you want to take out rocks, you must do it by hand, which can be monotonous!

The outcome? Organic mulch is generally better than rocks. However, rock is better than having no mulch at all!

Landscaping Materials Scottsdale, Arizona

A & A Materials, Inc., located in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers, all purpose sand, including washed concrete sand, aggregates, river rock, rip rap rock, mulch and wood chips for your landscaping or gardening needs. Contact us or call us at 480-990-0557 for more information.