We are considering a load of red lava rock as a mulch for
existing front lawn plantings and as a fill for areas to be targeted
for planting in stage 2 of our GET-RID-OF-THE-DISFUNCTIONAL-LAWN
campaign. Any pros and cons would be appreciated.

Naomi Glass
Kirkland, WA, where it's pretty dry out there...

How much will you be selling gas for, Naomi? P

Kidding, but in all seriousness in our area red lava rock= gas station
landscaping.

Dave

"Naomi Glass" wrote in message
...
We are considering a load of red lava rock as a mulch for
existing front lawn plantings and as a fill for areas to be targeted
for planting in stage 2 of our GET-RID-OF-THE-DISFUNCTIONAL-LAWN
campaign. Any pros and cons would be appreciated.

Naomi Glass
Kirkland, WA, where it's pretty dry out there...

Some things to consider:

1. Heat trapping (lava rocks gets hotter than bark mulch or other
organic) -- might make roots too hot
2. No soil amending abilities

As for #2, we have been using shredded mulch on our beds, and now have
really nice black soil there. It has improved over the native clay
wonderfully over about 5 years. When you go with rocks, this composting
process doesn't happen.

On the plus side, I do think the rocks look nice, and you don't have to put
on new mulch every year, as we do. But, we opted to apply the shredded
mulch yearly for the benefits to the soil.

Hope this helps!

-- pelirojaroja
-----------------------------------------------
"There is a garden in every childhood,
an enchanted place where colors are brighter,
the air softer, and the morning more fragrant
than ever again."

-- Elizabeth Lawrence
"Naomi Glass" wrote in message
...
We are considering a load of red lava rock as a mulch for
existing front lawn plantings and as a fill for areas to be targeted
for planting in stage 2 of our GET-RID-OF-THE-DISFUNCTIONAL-LAWN
campaign. Any pros and cons would be appreciated.

Naomi Glass
Kirkland, WA, where it's pretty dry out there...

In article , "pelirojaroja"
wrote:

Some things to consider:

1. Heat trapping (lava rocks gets hotter than bark mulch or other
organic) -- might make roots too hot
2. No soil amending abilities

As for #2, we have been using shredded mulch on our beds, and now have
really nice black soil there. It has improved over the native clay
wonderfully over about 5 years. When you go with rocks, this composting
process doesn't happen.

On the plus side, I do think the rocks look nice, and you don't have to put
on new mulch every year, as we do. But, we opted to apply the shredded
mulch yearly for the benefits to the soil.

Hope this helps!

-- pelirojaroja

Some while ago I read the results of a study on soil ammendment from the
top-down without churning or plowing. Top coatings of composted manures or
mulching materials that break down in a single year, it turns out, don't
just enrich the surface, but the nutrients do seep down, & in concert with
root & worm action, soils are sustained at the highest quality to a good
depth, even though never churned or plowed. Even in areas where trees
naturally mulch the ground with autumn leaves, continuous improvement of
soils occurs. Nature is just so fabulous, it so very often takes care of
itself if we humans don't add some interfering ingredient. If gardeners
despose of fallen leaves or lawn clippings, or cover the ground with
barriers or undecaying mulches, we slowly destroy the soils in ways that
cannot be fixed up by tossing peletted fertilizer around the place.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Naomi Glass wrote:

We are considering a load of red lava rock as a mulch for
existing front lawn plantings and as a fill for areas to be targeted
for planting in stage 2 of our GET-RID-OF-THE-DISFUNCTIONAL-LAWN
campaign. Any pros and cons would be appreciated.

Naomi Glass
Kirkland, WA, where it's pretty dry out there...

As others have mentioned, lava rock adds nothing to the soil or to the
plants it surrounds, does little in the way to discourage weeds (pore
space between rocks is too large and seeds will germinate) and is very
messy to work with should you decide to change or add to your plantings
down the road. And if conserving our limited summer moisture is a
consideration, then a good, fluffy, organic mulch will offer far
superior results.

I commend your intent to reduce your lawn area - it's a huge drain on
resources and a water hog - we could all do with considerably less lawn.
But before you spread red (RED??) lava rock all over the place, you
might want to consider hiring a designer a or a design consultant to
help you come up with a more natural looking approach to a no-lawn
planting. There are a number of ways of going about this to achieve a
very natural and attractive low maintenance and low water use garden
more in keeping with our natural PNW sensibilities than a cover of
glaring red rock.

pam - gardengal

I hate that stuff, getting rid of it will rip your hands up. whatever you put down,
unless you go with newspaper and mulch, put down a layer of landscape fabric so you
can get the stuff back up.
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/l...el/gravel.html
Ingrid

Naomi Glass wrote:

We are considering a load of red lava rock as a mulch for
existing front lawn plantings and as a fill for areas to be targeted
for planting in stage 2 of our GET-RID-OF-THE-DISFUNCTIONAL-LAWN
campaign. Any pros and cons would be appreciated.

Naomi Glass
Kirkland, WA, where it's pretty dry out there...



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