 |
| Rose growing in rock mulch. |
Q. I have moved into a house that is about 3 years old
with a wide variety of plants. I have
read your articles against rock mulch but I don’t know which of my plants can
tolerate the rock mulch that is already there and which ones I should pull the
rock away and use wood mulch.
with a wide variety of plants. I have
read your articles against rock mulch but I don’t know which of my plants can
tolerate the rock mulch that is already there and which ones I should pull the
rock away and use wood mulch.
I come
from Northern Utah and do not have a clue how to handle these types of plants
and all this rock.
from Northern Utah and do not have a clue how to handle these types of plants
and all this rock.
A. I am not against rock mulch but it should not be used
for everything and not all plants should be planted into rock mulch. My personal philosophy on desert landscapes
focuses on using appropriate mulches for plants which can tolerate those mulches.
for everything and not all plants should be planted into rock mulch. My personal philosophy on desert landscapes
focuses on using appropriate mulches for plants which can tolerate those mulches.
Generally
speaking, those plants which originate from arid or desert environments can
generally handle rock mulches. Those
plants which do not originate from arid or desert climates probably should not
be planted in rock mulch. There are always
exceptions which never help when you are trying to make rules.
speaking, those plants which originate from arid or desert environments can
generally handle rock mulches. Those
plants which do not originate from arid or desert climates probably should not
be planted in rock mulch. There are always
exceptions which never help when you are trying to make rules.
 |
| Photinia growing in rock mulch. |
The
problem is that we intermingle desert plants with non-desert plants and then we
use rock mulch around everything. Those
plants which can tolerate the rock mulch end up, over time, to do all
right.
Those
plants which are not true desert plants tend to decline and fail over
time. Plants such as bottle brush,
photinia, Carolina cherry laurel, Japanese blueberry, butterfly iris, mock
orange, and others usually begin to decline in 4 to 5 years after they are
planted as soil amendments used at planting are depleted.
plants which are not true desert plants tend to decline and fail over
time. Plants such as bottle brush,
photinia, Carolina cherry laurel, Japanese blueberry, butterfly iris, mock
orange, and others usually begin to decline in 4 to 5 years after they are
planted as soil amendments used at planting are depleted.
If you
want to learn how to handle nondesert plants in rock mulches please visit my
blog and search this topic.
want to learn how to handle nondesert plants in rock mulches please visit my
blog and search this topic.
 |
| Bottlebrush growing in rock mulch. |
The
other reason for decline would be improper watering. Make sure you get your irrigation intervals
and the amount that you apply each time to be adequate for the plants. Improper watering will cause plants to look
terrible as well.
Agreed on all you state. People don't consider where a plant is from, let alone when choosing mulch type…or plant type for their preferred mulch. All the photinias and magnolias here that look like charred foliage are just like what you show.
Somehow, though, raphs seem to not look so bad in gravel. But to me, they are still the poor man's manzanita!