Can’t decide between organic mulch and rock? The following discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you find the right fit for your yard.
What Is Rock Mulch?
Rock mulch is decorative gravel or rocks ranging in size from pea-size to golf ball size, often sourced from riverbeds. It’s available in a wide variety of sizes, colors, textures, and shapes, from porous, lightweight red or black lava rock to pretty, smooth quartz gravel mulch in purple or pink.
What Is Bark Mulch?
Bark mulch is made from tree bark. It’s often the waste material from sawmills and furniture manufacturers that cut and shape wood products. Instead of discarding the wood matter, many companies sell it to gardening stores and homeowners at a low cost.
The Cost
Rock is more expensive than bark mulch. The cost of rock mulch varies, depending on the type and size, but generally costs two to three times more than an application of mulch. But remember, it doesn’t break down and disappear into the soil as bark mulch does. You won’t need to replace it every year; therefore, you may actually save money over time.
The Soil
Mulch made from organic material like bark or wood chips decays over time, crumbling into nutritious bits that actually feed your soil. Rocks don’t add anything to the soil. So, plants that grow in beds mulched with rocks may need extra fertilizing.
When Is Rock Mulch A Good Choice?
If you have a drainage issue on your property, rock mulch is a great choice, as it allows water to drain quickly. Rock is a no-maintenance option if you have open bed areas without plants and is great for a high-traffic area in your yard. Rock mulch also makes a great backdrop for a fountain or statue display.
When Is Bark Mulch A Good Choice?
Dyed Brown Double Shredded Hardwood Mulch has a rich brown shade that will enhance your garden bed’s appeal. It also provides some advantages that help your plant’s growth and yields. These advantages include slowing plant decay, protecting plants from soil-borne diseases, controlling weeds, and assisting with moisture and heat retention. If you love the look of flower beds filled with colorful drifts of annuals and perennials, bark mulch is your top pick. Also, if your landscape has trees that drop a lot of leaves and debris, rock mulch might not be your best choice, as it accumulates and sticks in the rocks.
Both add an aesthetic appeal that make your property more attractive.
Contact us (859-292‐8556) today for a free consultation!
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About First Green Commercial Landscaping
First Green Commercial Landscaping is a locally owned leading provider of lawn care and landscaping services in the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky area. We provide superior customer service and strive to build long term business relationships with our clients.
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