Never Buy Mulch Again. Buy Rock. One Time = Done - Forever!
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2023
- Tired of buying mulch every year? Tired of having mulch wash away across your sidewalk? Tired of weeds in your flower beds? Tired of the Black Dots of Mulch Mold that get on your cars or house? Replace the mulch with Terra Rock / Stones or River Rock. This is a great landscaping idea / option as an alternative to mulch. I used landscape fabric under it. No more weeds. Rocks vs. mulch. Hate mulch? I also extended and buried my gutter downspouts and installed a pop-up emitter.
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Wood mulch improves the soil which is good for most gardeners. It does take a bit of work to keep looking good.
Mulch is magic and provides benefits to plants like moisture and temperature control and soil enrichment... I could care less what it looks like. Rocks don't do much for plants.
Your solution for that is to make sure the soil the plants are using under the rock is suitable and that the greenery you’ve got in the rocks is tolerant to heat if you have hot summers. Common sense can fix your issue very quickly.
@@Primusux nuttin like the passive-aggressive, social media disrespect...
Use fake plants😂
I used pea gravel everywhere. It looks great, cleans up easy with a leaf blower and continues to look good year after year. Yep, I got tired of weeding every year and actually mowing my big yard. I now have a beautiful landscaped yard with lots of gravel and decor. I decided I would rather take care of my flowers and plants instead of weeds.
Next time try the 3/4in Del Rio Rock, it stays in place better than the "pea gravel".
@@charlescharles9625 thanks I will look into that.
Not sure what del Rio rocks are. Different areas have different colloquial names that are not universally recognized.
From a universal perspective, pea gravel are round rocks, and round rocks roll. What del Rio rocks might be is angular rocks, or crushed rocks. Not only do these not roll as much, but the angular sides also tend to interlock more with other rocks.
The other factor that comes into play is how varied are the sizes. If there’s a wide variety of sizes, the smaller rocks will fill in around the larger rocks. This effects the ability of water to flow through it, but also how much space is available for other foreign materials to accumulate.
@@johnlee7085 Just to see what Del Rio rocks looks like, you can Google search rock suppliers in Southern California.
You may think this is funny but this is what you do to keep weeds from growing. Get you some cardboard boxes cut them up put them on the ground put them around your plants then on top of that put your mulch and you will not have any more weeds growing trust me it works
😊👍
An alternative to boxes are sheets of cardboard. At warehouse stores, they separate the layers of products on pallets of merchandise. Their workers collect hundreds each day and most are happy to have a customer take them home. They’re 3-4’ rectangular so cover big areas without gaps and are easy to overlap too. It also doesn’t become a waste product in the landscaping and is free.
How long does this last as a weed preventer? I assume the cardboard decomposes within the year?
I think it’s two separate things.
We have some cardboard that has lasted more than a year because it’s been covered with wood chips. There’s cardboard in other areas that didn’t get covered, so exposed to the sun and was gone much sooner.
What I’ve heard is that the effectiveness of the cardboard is not so much it’s permanence as it is preventing the stored energy in the roots from renewing the leaves that create more energy to be restored in the roots. Once the initial stored energy is gone, there isn’t enough to start growing the next plant.
We still have an occasional weed, or tree, but so so much easier to deal with.
Thank you for taking the time to explain everything. I’m going to do the same thing. Everyone says “don’t do it” but videos like yours help convince me it’s the way to go.
Hi Ken. You’re welcome. In my opinion, and experience, you need to get contractor grade fabric, and then perform all the little extra things I do that most other people don't do. I did this 20 years ago at our last house and when we moved 17 years later - those beds still looked great with no issues.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Where we live, the fire department suggest not to place mulch close to the house as it will be a hazard in case of a fire. It will be like adding fuel to a fire. They suggest to replace it with rocks which is what we will be doing.
Hi Mike. Let me know how it goes. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
My exterminator said getting rid of mulch will cut down on outside bugs
About 10 years ago we put river rock in front of our porch. We took out the mulch hoping to prevent termites. We had put landscaping paper down so the rocks wouldn't inbed into the soil. But every year I have to pull weeds out of the rocks. I guess birds and the lawn mower belt the rock with weed seeds. This year I pulled weeds, then pushed the rocks back and layed cardboard down. Then covered the cardboard back with the rocks. We'll see how this works.
Proof that weeds can germinate in almost anything!
Hi Paul. Yes. Weeds will germinate in these rocks if birds drop them or the wind blows them in the bed. I've experienced that. However, they pull right out because there's no soil for their roots to attach to. They come right out - roots and all.
AGREED! And don’t even get me started on artillery mold from the mulch. Ever wonder where those black dots on your house and vehicles come from? Look it up.
Hi Mark, You're right!!!!! I completely forgot about all those mold dots we used to get on our cars at our last house! It took me years to figure out where they came from. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
THANK YOU 🙏🏾, my garage door I almost call a terminator to help figure out what was that. Thank you so much for sharing. I search it up and I have the same issue. I am not buying that stuff anymore. ❤❤
You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
You did a meticulous job putting down landscape fabric and then terra rock. I like red hardwood mulch which is a favorite of mine because of the color but eventually mulch has to be replaced so maybe will try terra rock one day. Another consideration in my garden adventures. Thanks for the information.
Thank you! I see no plastic edging! Excellent
You made some very good points, although I use both rock and mulch in my garden depending on the plant bed.
Thank you Kimmi. I like your idea also. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please check out my other tips here: czcams.com/play/PLxCiVwyz3zBUJ7OHxmeutT8XQy_fndmJV.html Rick
Great, great video. You did an excellent job explaining in detail everything that you did. Yard and landscaping look beautiful. Thank you.
Hi Harold. Thank you for the kind words. You're welcome. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick Thank you for the kind words.
It works well with large concrete stones with spacing of couple inches filled with pea gravel in between for a walk or around AC unit.
Thorough explanation on this. Great job!
Thank you Amy.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Landscape fabric does not prevent 100% of weeds from growing!
Hi Cliff. Thank you for commenting. But I want to keep any information on here accurate for others that read it. I did this same thing at our last house 20 years ago. I did all the little details that I mention in this video. We left that house 3 years ago. During the entire 17 years we lived there, with these rocks in place, not a single weed came from the soil underneath the fabric, and through the fabric. Not one. Did a very few weed seeds blow into that area from somewhere else and try to grow? Yes. But because they started to grow in rocks, that had no soil, so the roots never had soil to bury into, they were very easy to simply hand pull out and toss away. Rick
@@rickstid-bits Oh ok! I appreciate the response Rick.
Lol..I put 4 inches of rock on top of landscape fabric and have so many weeds I give up!
I wish I had the same experience. I have a large swath of ground that was cleared of grass 3 years ago, landscape cloth laid down - no cuts made to accommodate plants, and 3.5 inches of trap rock laid over it. It is nearly 100% weeds! Mostly prostrate spurge, but a large variety of various other weeds as well. I’m at a loss as to what to do. Initially the weeds came out easily but I still spent entire days weeding. Now it seems the landscape cloth actually holds the root and I only manage to pull the tops of the weeds. I’m going to try burning them with a torch. I’ve tried everything else. Any thoughts?
I had terrible result before with mulch and cheap fabric. Weeds everywhere. I then switched to stones and bought the most heavy duty landscape fabric i could find, rarely have weeds at all now and looks soo much better.
I'm switching parts of my yard to rock this year. Mulch is a pita to maintain and buy every season
Excellent details in your explanation. Thank you
You’re welcome. Thank you for the kind words.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Great work
Hello. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I hate rocks weeds do come up so don’t think rock is going to stop or fabric does not work. I had a whole Lotta weeds with my rocks. It will not stop it in any way.
Hi Jaimi, I'm sorry but that's not the experience I have with these. I did this at our last house 20 years ago and for the 17 years after that (when we moved) I had zero weeds poke through the fabric. Yes. An occasional weed seed will blow-in from somewhere else and try to start, but it's easily picked out and thrown away because the roots have no soil to grow into. Doing it the way I did it in this video = it works amazingly well.
I think it also depends on the quality of the fabric.
Use boiling hot water to eliminate weeds.
I had my landscaper lay a fabric liner and he dug 3 inches down. I've had this for a year now and have only pulled up. 3 small weeds and their root immediately when I saw them pop up. I'll take this any day.
Cardboard and tarp will stop the weeds.
God bless! We're going to try this !
Thank you Michele. Let me know how it goes. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
We finally went with red lava rocks !!
Thank you for sharing! 🌅💕❤️🙏🏽
Hi Tanisha. You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Fantastic n we do red lava rock !! It repels bugs !!
Beautiful!!! I thought this was mulch at first from a distance. I have decorative stones put in a very large front flower bed 11 years ago and the stones still looks beautiful. I just monitor the area during the Summer months/zone 6B for grass clippings by my yard guy. I will be putting more stones in other areas of the front yard beds to eliminate more grass. It's so much easier and cheaper to maintain decorative stone beds than mulch beds. Thank you!
You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Beautiful ❤
Thank you. Rick
Beautiful!
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Wife just said the rocks would look tacky infront the house 😄😄🤷🏽♂️we’ll stick to the mulch but good idea though 👍🏽
Hello. I understand. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I think rocks looks beautiful
Thanks Rick! I am about to do this in my front garden in the UK and you give a lot more information than most do, thanks and God bless.
You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Our local bank has this in their landscaping,,looks nice and neat.
Hi Dawn. Thank you for leaving me a comment. I really enjoy it. And the best part of it is there is no maintenance ever. And you never have to touch it, or spread mulch again, Rick.
Great video 😊😊😊
Thank you Jazmine.
thanks for sharing these useful tips! we just removed our front lawn, and plan to get rocks, and plant some golden barrels. i hope our plan works out//finger crossing
Retaining wall for mulch .....but I must say the rocks look great 🙌🏾
Thanks. Rick
Thank you!❤
Hi Dlynn. You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
You did a phenomenal job, the only issue I see here for people that are looking into doing this is to make sure they know exactly everything they pkan to plant to plant it there otherwise it will beocme a big chore to dig up that area of rocks again to plant again.😮
Hello. Thank you for the kind words. You are correct. It can be done, but it's better to have the plants in the ground first. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
We have thought about that! Looks great.
Thanks Sam. It's a lot of work, and a lot of expense. But if you do it once - you will never have to do that landscape bed again! You'll never have to to add any rock, never weed again, never watch the nice looking new mulch not look so good - just two months later, etc. It is one less chore I have to do every Spring. By-the-way . . . I love your Channel! Rick
if a person lives where the dirt blows in on top, insidious weeds can set in anyway - We've had rock for about 20 years in one section of our lot and usually have to buy a bottle of round up to kill the weeds that creep in between the rocks during summer months - we use preen early in the season and yes we bought more than the recommended amount of rock and used a double layer of landscape fabric - rocks are difficult to shift later (at least for a 5'2' tall person like me ) and also very hot in summer - finally prevented the weeds by using a double layer of corrugated cardboard under the landscape fabric then the rock or mulch - I live in a northern area w/ a short growing season so people are lucky to do mulch once a year and often alternate years
Amazing I am currently using cardboard too under the fabric and then rocks on top. Prev owners have garden beds around every side of the house 😢..I got rid of about one hundred day tiger lilies last summer. Now doing the closing part. But that's only 35 ' x 3 '. 6 inches deep I never want to see another lilly. Hours of digging. The rest is mostly mulch removal
I used mulch made with recycled tires. I love it!!! A little expensive but better than wood mulch and you cannot tell its made out of rubber
Same here. I purchased the rubber mulch from Amazon. I love the black rubber mulch because it makes the color of my flowers pop.
I heard it leaches lots of chemicals into the soil. Rubber has chemicals
Crum rubber leaching chemicals into the soil is a concern that has been speculated about for years. This is particularly true for municipalities that are required by federal law to clean stormwater runoff before it reaches creeks and rivers. Generally this is accomplished by using landscaping.
In California, a study was conducted by one of the state universities (Humbolt?) for the one of the regional water boards or city (Ukiah?), and found that crum rubber mulch did not adversely impact the water or soil quality. I don’t have a link handy but it should be googlable. The Russian River Watershed Association (RRWA) also might have links to the info.
LOVE IT
I also ditched mulch for stone. So much better, no maintenance, and i used heavy duty fabric and barely have a weed pop up. If it does, its like you said little exposed parts
Hello, Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
You can get mulch for free in nearly every city. Just call up an arborist and tell them you'll take a load of woodchips. These guys usually fill up a truck every day and are more than happy to dump their woodchips off on somebody because they typically have to pay the city or somebody else to dump them. You can easily dye it yourself if you don't like the natural look.
Rock is better
just don’t put it on your plants until it’s fermented for a year or so-
@ramrat69 mmmm a nice bottle of fermented mulch. Sounds like a brewery in Colorado should invest in some wood chips lol.
Be careful- those wood chips can also carry disease from the trees
Great info/ I need to replace mulch w rock
Thank you Bev. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Very nice job of your pebble yard. Your plants don't seem to be suffering from too much heat radiation from the little stones.
Thank you. No. The plants are all thriving. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Looks great! I was considering using mulch on the project that I'm working on in my yard, but you reconfirmed all the reasons I wanted to use rock in the first place!
Has anyone counted how many times you said "landscape fabric" in this video??? :)
Hi Vernon. Thank you. Welllll . . . I do catch myself repeating things in my videos. I don't make my videos a big production. I don't prepare a script. I simply gather what I want to say in my head and shoot it. I am more concerned with getting the information out there - so I can help other people - than making "perfect" videos. That's just me. I'm glad this one helped you.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I like the end result. However I think it blocks the natural soil formation and can be too warm, so maybe it’s not the best solution for the plants.
Hi Gyula. Thank you for commenting. As I said in the video: I did this 20 years ago at our last house - and we just left that house 3 years ago. All the plants that were in that bed did fine. We had no issues at all. Rick
Absolutely true about temperatures. While the rocks most likely will not cook the plants, they absolutely do have more thermal mass than mulch, and will increase temperatures. Not as much as solid concrete or asphalt slabs, but definitely will increase temperatures and the urban heat island phenomenon. Just one of the factors leading to our weather extremes.
Mulch might take additional effort but the world is so much better for it.
Decomposing mulch is a food for your soil. If you used pine bark mulch that is why it washed into your lawn. Hard bark mulch makes a nice mat that stays in place.
In the grand scheme of things does it really matter about the fertility of the soil 5 to 15 feet next to your house?
@@chasingthefish9042Yes, it matters. It’s good for the bugs that live there and any plants one might have planted next to their home.
@MrsPumpkinCat people don't want bugs and shit that close to their homes. Be realistic. There's a multi-billion dollar market of people spraying chemicals all over their house to stop the infestation of bugs. What's better? Giveing up 5-15 feet of vegetation or contribute to the multi-billion dollar chemical companies?
@@chasingthefish9042 Everybody’s different. There are plenty of people who want spiders and snakes to take care of the pests we don’t want. And we want bugs for the birds to eat and a spot for the pollinators to live in the winter. No chemicals go on my yard.
@@MrsPumpkinCat that's you. Bring some topsoil in your house take your doors and windows out I could care less. You are very much the minority. Here in the south gnats carry you away, cockroaches eat you out of home, termites eat your home, rattle snakes are dangerous, armadillos destroy slab foundations. Most of the south absolutely want to be able to prevent bugs and pests from their investments. If not the house ends up abandoned like the house on a half acre lot I bought for 3500 bucks. So the more of you people means the more land I can buy.
Awesome
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I did this to my house one of the best things I did to my property good video I agree with everything he said
Hi David. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I use to think someone was stealing my Mulch 😂
😂😂
😂😂😂😂
your comments made my evening, haha
I think it looks great.
Thanks. I am very happy with how it looks, and the fact that it's completely maintenance free from here on out - year after year after year after year. Rick
Not a fan of mulch myself. Saw a perfect home that has a lot of mulch beds around the property. That's the only major project I'd have buying it, replacing the mulch with rock.
Hi Erica. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Problem is when one wants to replant things, it’s a pain to move the rocks, then dig. Unless one has a garden where no plants ever need to be switched out, then rocks is a great solution. In some states, where winter cold snaps, freezes, and snow can kill plants, all need to be replaced come early spring. Moving rocks around “all the time” is a pain. Still, rocks can be very pretty. It’s all a personal preference.
I placed these rocks around 3 trees. Works better than mulch & still looks good after 5 yrs.
Great yard!
Thank you Tess. Rick
Rock just looks so much better.
Hi Bob. I agree. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
You can make a higher edging to hold the mulch Mulch is better for plants
He doesn't like mulch. Didn't you listen to the first sentence of the video?
I hate mulch many brands have mold and attracts insects 🤮
Yes...thank you. I HATE mulch.
You don’t have to replace mulch every year if you apply a thick layer. I install new mulch every 2-3 years. Also, they have mulch coloring that can be applied whenever it fades.
Im curious if there is a lava rock product.
We are going to use pea gravel and attempt something similar using quite a few of your techniques. Can you please explain how you dealt with the cream colored paver stones. I believe they were at the end near your garage?
Hi Connie. I laid the landscape fabric over the top of them as I added the rock to that area. Then, I pulled rocks towards each block. As I did that, I cut the fabric with a knife or scissors into "V's" so I had fabric covering the soil, and leaning up against the side walls of the blocks. Just like I did along the walls of the house. It took extra time, but I believe it will work out okay. Rick
I did the same thing with my garden and used rocks instead.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Gravel gets hot . Tera rock doesn't get hot
It’s also a pest repellent
I'm looking to do the exact same thing for the exact same reason. My one worry was that eventually weeds would make their way up through the landscape fabric but I think if the rock layer is thick enough then the weeds should remain a thing of the past
Hello. I did this at our previous house at least 20 years ago. No weeds ever popped up through the landscape fabric. The key point is: buy very good landscape fabric. And make sure you overlap any seams really well so there is no exposed dirt.
Rocks get hot Can burn certain plants.
And even if the rocks don’t burn the plants, the extra thermal mass of the rocks does lead to increased temperatures around the home as well as urban heat islands that contribute to the adverse weather conditions.
Natural might take a little more effort but everyone is so much better for it.
Rick this looks good thanks. What planting zone are you in? Does it snow where you live? Will this work in zone 5? Thanks in advance.
Thank you. That's a good question. I am near Richmond, VA. Zone 7. We get some snow, some years. Our temps do get down to the lower teens a few times each year. But, we don't get any soil heaving over the winter. We've lived in N.E. PA and upstate NY. I know you have to consider the soil freeze / thaw issue. I never had mulch when we lived there, so I never needed to think about these rocks. It would probably be best if you talk to a few landscape pros there about doing this. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
How did you cut the holes ever so perfectly on the fabric to cover your plants. I butchered mine when covering my hedges 🤔
One question comes to mind, how do you spread compost or worm castings etc.? I assume one would have to remove the stones around the plant and then put the compost, and then the stones back on top. Or maybe you use only liquid fertilizer. 🤔
The dye in the mulch is staining my driveway/walkway
You are so very right...the only way to keep weeds out is landscaping material and rock!
Sorry, but no.
Lay your landscaping material done and I used lava rock over it....never had another weed in a very large planter.
can i put this around trees?
Wow Rick... you really need to work on that lawn! It looks like the grass on the farm one day after the Woodstock festival.
Well . . . I've been. There's 2 issues with this lawn. 1. It's Bermuda grass. It goes completely dormant (and brown/tan) late Fall - early Spring. 2. When we moved to this house 4 years ago the entire lawn was 20% Bermuda - 80% weeds. All the bare dirt areas are where I killed weeds. The Bermuda has quickly spread and filled-in those bare areas. It has been a lot of work but I've done well with getting this lawn turned around. I wish I could attach a photo here.
You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Is this rock good to walk on barefoot? I want to re-do my pavers which was originally mulch but that has been overtaken by weeds. So what do you think about landscape fabric + pavers + this terra rock?
Hi Zoe. I wouldn't walk on the rock barefoot. There are rough edges on them. Pavers to walk on with the rocks in-between the pavers, and anywhere you don't plan to walk on, would be great.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Hello. Can you please provide a link to the landscape fabric you used? Thank you.
Hi Laura. This is what I used. I did not research or purposely get this brand. This is what our local landscape supply company had.
www.dewittcompany.com/product/dewitt-contractors-select-plus-landscape-fabric-grey/
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
We use Rock too mulch also bring in bugs also it fades very messy!!
Hi Vickie. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Just what I'm looking for as I'm starting to carve out gardens, etc. New house.
Hi Beverley. I'm glad you found this helpful. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
Great job landscaping with the rocks! Now your time is freed up to start working on the lawn.
Hi Douglas. Well . . . I've been. There's 2 issues with this lawn.
1. It's Bermuda grass. It goes completely dormant (and brown/tan) late Fall - early Spring.
2. When we moved to this house 4 years ago the entire lawn was 20% Bermuda - 80% weeds. All the bare dirt areas are where I killed weeds. I've tested and added all the soil amendments necessary every year - and I've slowly gotten the soil parameters where they need to be. The Bermuda has quickly spread and filled-in those bare areas. It has been a lot of work but I've done well with getting this lawn turned around. I wish I could attach a photo here.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
It looks more like a rock garden with a few islands of plants rather than a garden. I think I'd get rid of the plants entirely and do Zen raking every day.
Looks great! What type of rock have you installed?
Hi Shipra, Thank you for the kind words. Around here it is known as Terra Rock.
Beautiful branches. What type of plant is those red ones?
Hi Sabrina. These are Encore Azaleas. The tag reads: Rhododendrum’s, “Autumn Bravo.” The tag also says: Azalea, X, Conlen. You should see them when they are in full bloom. The entire bush is completely covered in those flowers. The encore azaleas will bloom a second time if the conditions are right. That is why they are named encore.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
I hate is too 😂
We are building a labyrinth in our yard, for barefoot walking. The terra rock, stone you used. If you walk across it barefoot, is there any poking to your feet? I'm looking for a stone, that feels softer on your feet. But more substantial, then a sand gravel. We thought about a pea gravel but just think it's to light and may get blown or washed away.
Hello. I would say no. Some of these can have rough edges and a few that have broken in half can have sharp edges. I know that pea gravel are very small stones. I've used pea gravel in other projects. I suggest you look into River Rock. I used that at the rear of our last house. They typically are larger, very round, very smooth, tan rocks. They look very nice and stay in place. But even in those - I don't know if there are ever any broken ones with sharp edges. It will be helpful when you go to your local hardscape business and see what they have. They might even have something in your area that I've never seen.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
You want pebbles. Anything other than pebbles will be jagged to some degree
Pea gravel or pebbles will be softer on your feet, but does have a downside in not staying in place as well because the stones roll easier.
helpful video
You’re welcome. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
HOA: allow us to introduce ourselves
Hi Kevin. I've lived in 2 neighborhoods that have HOA's, and it's never been an issue. It hasn't even been a consideration. Most HOA's are happy home owners are doing things to take care of their property and keep it looking good. But I do understand some neighborhoods might have very, very explicit rules on landscaping. Rick
@@rickstid-bits makes sense, some HOA are picky as fuck like mine 😂
What if you want to add new shrubs and/or flowers in that bed covered by rock?
If you will be adding only a few plants: You can push back the rocks, cut an x in the fabric, plant the plant, push the fabric back around the plant, and push the rocks back in place.
If you will want to plant annuals every year: This might not be the best option for you.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
The only problem is you lose the beauty of spring flowering bulbs like dafs, hyacinths and tulips bec. - to do it right - you've got to put landscape fabric under the rocks to prevent weeds!
Hey Rick, what type of landscape fabric did you use?
Hi Matthew. I will look later on today and get the name and specs. Rick
Hi Matthew. This is what I used. I did not research or purposely get this brand. This is what our landscape supply company had. Rick
www.dewittcompany.com/product/dewitt-contractors-select-plus-landscape-fabric-grey/
You can spray your mulch with a special paint made for mulch.
Who’s going to lift all the heavy bags of rock.
Doing a similar project. Yours looks great but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to tuck and pin the landscape fabric under the walkway. I am using 20"x20" paver squares so that may work better for me, not sure.. What do you think?
Hello. Are you doing a bed like mine with a walkway through it? Are you also using rocks? Or are you only using the pavers? How long will your walkway be? I'm trying to get a picture of what you're doing. I'm not sure what you mean by tuck? Rick
@@rickstid-bits
Yes, similar to yours but I can easily pick up the pavers and "tuck" it under the edge a few inches or so. Tuck - think like tucking in a shirt. Basically to overlap the edge. Rocks will fill the planter up to the 20x20 pavers. Thx. Walkway will be about 30'.
Are the pavers already in place? Or are you doing this entire project new? Is this area completely flat or does it have some roll to it like mine does?
@@rickstid-bits
New project, and yeah it's pretty flat.
Hello. Then I'm still not sure why you would want to "tuck" it under the pavers. All you need is a good overlap everywhere you have landscape fabric edges meet.
Please know . . . I am not a landscape/hardscape professional. I am just a DIYer. But this is what I would do:
1. Since you are using (big) 20x20 pavers: You need the soil under each paver to be flat. You want the entire paver to be sitting solidly on soil, on every square inch. If you don't: The pavers will "rock" and move every time you walk on them. That could allow your stones to start to get underneath them, or could eventually tear the fabric. Take a lot of time on this. Get them so they don't rock when you walk on them.
2. I only needed fabric spikes to hold the fabric in place while I was laying out the fabric, or adding the rocks. As I added rocks, the rocks now hold the fabric in place.
3. Have a good amount of fabric overlap where 2 pieces meet. Every place 2 pieces meet.
4. Set all your pavers in place, then add the rocks. The rocks will interlock with each other and "lock" themselves in place. They will also lock the pavers in place.
5. Don't skimp on rocks. Use a lot of rocks.
What are the red shrubs called and how tall do they grow?
Hello. These are Encore Azaleas. The tag reads: Rhododendrum’s, “Autumn Bravo.” The tag also says: Azalea, X, Conlen. You should see them when they are in full bloom. The entire bush is completely covered in those flowers. The encore azaleas will bloom a second time if the conditions are right. That is why they are named encore. I don't know how tall they would get. I keep them at that height.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
@@rickstid-bits Thanks for a quick response, I already subscribed 😊
ever since I got "shotgun fungus" from mulch i'll never use it again. That fungus is impossible to get off of surfaces i've never seen anything like it.
Do you have a list of products used for this project
Hi Michael. I don't. All the materials will depend on what your local landscape supply company uses or has, and the size of your project. Thanks for leaving a comment. Please check out my other tips here: czcams.com/play/PLxCiVwyz3zBUJ7OHxmeutT8XQy_fndmJV.html Rick
We just moved into a house that has exactly this method. The perennials - hosta, astilbe, daylillies never got any bigger than when planted years ago. I don’t think they can get through the landscape fabric
Hi Kathy. I believe all you would have to do is cut some slits in the landscape fabric around the plants, and that should give enough area for new plants to pop through. Thank you for commenting. Rick.
Excellent explanation! Stone are beautiful!❤️🙏🏽❤️
Thank you Angie. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Rick
What type of landscape tools did u use to place the rock?? 5 tine pitchfork? Metal shovel? What’s the best tools to make the installation easier?
Also, doesn’t the landscape fabric decompose through time and then does the rocks go down into the soil through time?
Thank you so much
You're welcome. Rick
It looks very nice..does the weeds grow back?
Hi Ny'La. Thank you. If you do all the steps I did - no. Weeds won't come up from the soil below. However, if a bird drops a weed seed into the rocks, or the wind blows some in - then yes. Weeds will attempt to grow. However, because there's no soil for their roots to grow into, I simply pull them right out and throw them away. Thank you for leaving a comment. Please click on the words “Rick’s Tid-Bits” underneath the video to go to my CZcams channel. I think you’ll find some helpful and unique tips in my How to Make Life Easier or Better section. czcams.com/channels/c-IuUFzC2Tyv06KzJyBESg.html Rick
What is Tara Rock? Local quarry not familiar with it.
Hi Mark. It is a colored stone that we have available here. Here is a link to it. yardworksva.com/product-category/gravel-stones/ If your area doesn't have it - they may have something else that would work for you, and you would like. Rick
What's that flower shrub called?
Encore Azalea
Rick, what are those red bushes in your front yard? They are gorgeous...!
Azeleas
@@missdeeva2266 Thanks, but there are a million kinds of red azaleas. I was hoping to get the exact name.
Hi Scott. They are encore azaleas. I am just getting back from vacation. I do have the exact species written down at home. I will make sure I dig it out and get it to you. I agree. They are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for commenting. Rick.
@@rickstid-bits Thank you so much...! I look forward to your reply.
Hi Scott. I found my photograph of the tag while I am sitting here at the airport. I wish I could include a photo of the tag. These are Rhododendrum’s, “Autumn Bravo.” The tag also says: Azalea, X, Conlen. You should see them when they are in full bloom. The entire bush is completely covered in those flowers. The encore azaleas will bloom a second time if the conditions are right. That is why they are named encore. Please come back and let me know if you find them.
What about the stones heating up the soil and therefore "cooking" the roots?
Hi Sharon. I did this exact same process, with the exact same rocks, at our last house 20 years ago. 17 years later, when we moved, those beds looked exactly like they did when I first did the job. No weeds. I had no issues with the bushes or Liriope in those beds. They all did great! I wish I could add a photo of those beds here. Rick
I wish they sold rock like this, and the color, around me. But I've looked and can't find it yet.
Hi Carlos. I hope you find it. Maybe your area has something else that would work for you.
Plus no termites
Do they have darker color rocks?
Hello, The only thing that is darker in my area - that I'm aware of are pieces of slate. They are a gray and bluish color. Rick