Question
I live in a condominium group, ranch-style duplexes. 15 years ago, when our units were built, the landscaping around the units was mulched with stones. It is now starting to need some  updating and we were told by one of our members that stone mulch is terrible for the shrubs that have been planted. Can you help us decide whether it is a good idea to just re-do some of the areas and possibly add some stones to others or would it be better to switch to an entirely different kind of mulch? Our lawn mowing company likes to use powerful blowers to clean up after mowing and it seems stones would stay in place better?  Thank you.

Answer
Hello,

I would guess that the stone mulch was originally put in place to cut down on maintenance. Organic mulch requires more frequent replenishment than stone mulch.

To state some pro and cons between stone mulch and organic;organic mulch may hold a little more water in the soil than stone mulch and stone mulch does tend to absorb more heat. The spaces between the stones may collect soil(depending on how closely packed the stones are),thus allowing weeds to grow. Organic mulch also adds nutrients to the soil but decorative shrubs do not require a constant supply of outside nutrients, as from mulch. An occassional application of fertilizer should address that.

Also,blowing would be very helpful with stone mulch,to clear debri such as leaves from the spaces between the stones,which will become soil for weeds to grow. I do not believe replacing the stone mulch will benefit the shrubs to any real degree. Whether the mulch blows will depend on how heavy the individual stones are. You may get some blowing with pea gravel but with larger and more angular stones blowing will be reduced. Stones will stay in place better than most organic mulch.

From a maintenance standpoint and for your situation,I would stick with stone mulch but from a purely aesthetic standpoint,some people may like organic mulch.


Mark Harshman

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