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luke_oh

Gravel for mulch ???

luke_oh
11 years ago

Is there any reason that I can't use river run gravel for mulch around my fruit trees and blueberries ? Anyone using gravel for mulch? Thanks, luke

Comments (10)

  • ltilton
    11 years ago

    The people who had this place originally put down tons of gravel, and I've been cursing them ever since.

  • franktank232
    11 years ago

    From personal experience, weeds can grow right up through gravel quite easily (unless you put down some weed barrier). I still would stick with a wood mulch.

  • howelbama
    11 years ago

    Even if you put down weed barrier, the seeds blow in on top of it, and they wind up growing anyway lol... Gravel is a PITA to remove!

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    Gravel can work well with a heavy landscape fabric. Just make sure the fabric lets plenty of air and water through. I manage some apple trees in a courtyard that is all gravel with apple trees growing in boxes that were supposed to be dwarfs when planted 75 years ago. They were actually on M7, I believe. The roots have long since established primarily under the gravel and the trees are thriving.

    They get a lot of reflected light from the light colored gravel, which can be an asset of a problem depending on the season. Because the trees are elevated in boxes, Roundup can easily be applied to anything tough enough to go through the gravel.

    The problem with woodchips is that over the years you may make your soil just too rich for optimum fruit growing IMO. You don't want to grow fruit in a soil fit for corn.

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    I have mulched my trees with wood chips and stable waste (mostly wood chips) every spring for over 20 years in my current location and I have found my trees beginning to get excessively vegetative in the black loam I've created.

    Woodchips only temporarily tie up N near the surface but the humus they create releases plenty. They also attract bacteria that take N out of the air and put it in the soil.

    I have read research of apple trees mulched for ten years becoming increasingly vigorous. I believe at some point you might as well let the trees coexist with sod. Fruit trees need moderate vigor as a general rule.

    It all depends on your native soil and weather. If you don't get much rain during the growing season you can regulate vigor by holding back water.

    Gravel does not increase soil temps as I understand it and light colored gravel reflects light so it should have the opposite affect.

  • john222-gg
    11 years ago

    harvestman I have a hard time with wood chips where I live in the south we have real bad problems with ants.wood chips is like A magnet for ants at the present I have no mulch around my trees.I tried the rubber rings but did not like the results.I am still looking for a good mulch of some kind. I did not like gravel it is bad when you cut grass

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    John, have you tried cedar? I don't know if that would repel ants but I'm guessing that the slower decomposition might not provide the food sources that regular wood does, especially cedar bark.

  • john222-gg
    11 years ago

    Harvestman
    I really appreciate the advice I will go get some and try. Don't know why I did not think of that's why I am glad we have the FORUM thanks

  • luke_oh
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for your input. I have some of my landscape where I use river run gravel around shrubs like lilac and viburnam. After a few years of spot spraying with Roundup I see hardley any weeds. The type of mulch that's available in this area is generally hardwood chips, bark or the bagged stuff from HD, Lowes or gas station. I think that this bagged mulch has introduced new types of weeds into this area. It's a huge business.