When landscaping your garden borders, which is more economical to use: bark chippings, shale, stone/pebbles?

Question

Pros and cons of each please! Which is easiest to maintain? Which is less likely to be used as a giant cat litter tray!!! I have a LOT of borders to cover!

Thank you!!

Answer 1

I'd use bark chippings. I've found that shale and stone can cause problems with lawn edgings unless seperated by edging materials - log edging for instance, whereas bark is easy to keep raked back from the lawn. It is also slightly easier to plant through bark if you require extra shrubs, etc.

It does eventually break down into a mulch and needs to be replaced but that is beneficial in the long run. Shale or stone in a small contained area is probably preferable so long as it is not merely a stone area - which I find quite bland.

For what you are suggesting I would use bark chippings.

Answer 2

If it's free, it's the most economical. The city will give away ground-up wood chips & bark when the have the tree services take down trees or branches that get in the way of power lines, etc.
If it contains a lot of pine, you have to let it sit & decay a little so it won't rob your soil of nutrients & to get rid of toxins. You don't want to put it on fresh right next to your plants, but if you have other areas with lot of weeds & want to make pathways to walk on, you can use it right away. It'll break down after a few yrs & can be added to the soil next to your plants.

You have to be careful & check to make sure you're getting your chips from the pile that doesn't have bugs like termites in it or from diseased trees.

Stones, shale, & pebbles are expensive & are less likely to be used by animals but wouldn't eventually add to improving the texture of the soil like chips & bark.

If you're lucky enough to have some cedar chips, it would be useful as an insect repellent against mosquitoes.

This is what I use. I also add composted leaves to the soil around my plants so they always have plenty of nutrients & I never have to worry about the mulch in the pathways. If you don't have compost, make sure you fertilize your plants.
Here are articles that describes the types & benefits of mulches like pinebark & how much to apply:
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/InYourGarden/MulchAndCompost/Mulch.cfm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/drought/mulches.html
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Have you considered pooh? I know you have to apply it once a year in the Spring, but it keeps the weeds down if laid 4 inches or more thick, nourishes the soil (bark robs it of nitrogen) and it improves the soil... and it keeps in moisture very well.

I cover most of my customers beds in well rotted manure every year and their beds look fab' most of the year round and need hardly any weeding. You do have to get the perennials out first, but that's the same for any mulch.

Pooh gets my vote every time! Bark is good, but you get lots of woodlice and cat pooh, stones get mixed in with the soil and are pain when you want to plant or move a plant and there isn't much else that I would consider, except leaf mould, but that's very rare. Pooh is also, pound for pound, quite cheap.

Watch out for mushroom compost if you have acid soil as it has lots of lime added to it and can change your soil pH. Also if the pooh smells and isn't a dark soily colour then it may well be too fresh and can damage young plants.

Well there you go. You did ask...

Answer 4

Bark is great and easily to apply.and looks good. Yes cats love it but they've got to go somewhere, mine use the gravel paths as well. Bark cheaper and also incorporated into the soil by earthworms. eventually break down to provide nutrients for roots and soil organisms. Take care to add nitrogen fertilisers in spring as for complicated chemical reasons, bark can rob the soil of nitrogen. I find well rotted manure even better. I have nowhere to store fresh manure to allow it to rot down (do not add fresh manure to soil cos it will scorch plants) so I buy in bags from farms or nurseries. Really good stuff-excellent for roses.Bark can be applied at any time but best to use manure in Autumn. Don't apply fertiliser at same time (undesirable chemical reaction with manure) but apply fertiliser in spring - good alrounder is "growmore".
Mulch all of the bare soil, around all the plants to a depth of 5 -7cm taking care to keep mulch clear of all stems. Do this every autumn all over garden, and also mulch any new plantings to same depth any time of year.
This helps provide nutrients, reduces water loss and protects the surface of the soil from erosion and capping (hardened impervious layer of soil on top which stops water/air penetration)

Answer 5

Do you like gardening? Do you like to be imaginative? Do you are quick of cash to pay for it professionally? Then make your own landscaping with the aid of this internet site https://tr.im/ja2ft Ideas 4 Landscaping , the excellent manual for individuals like you.
Ideas 4 Landscaping is a style assortment designed to assist property owners come up with new tips to style their houses. The system is undoubtedly the most extensive land resource on the web , with a database of much more than 7000 shade photographs , movies tutorials , themes , as well as the newest trends in landscaping. With this large collection of photographs , themes , straightforward to stick to guides , there is no want to retain the services of designers or subscribe to annual landscaping magazines.
This guidebook , Ideas 4 Landscaping has every thing you require to efficiently landscape your dream garden.

Answer 6

When I did landscaping for a living I found bark is easier to maintain (weed) than rock, easier to spread, covers more area quicker. Rock will discolor (turn green) and is difficult to transport. Lift a bag and see for yourself.

Answer 7

don't use bark chippings/shale, they're like outdoor cat litter!!

Answer 8

try coconut shell cats don,t like it but your plants will love it.
you can get it from eny diy store.

Answer 9

MOST PEOPLE USE BARK CHIPPINGS.