How to Use Rock as a Ground Cover to Control Your Weeds

Rock mulch provides a natural weed deterrent.

Spreading rocks in your garden helps to discourage weeds and enhance your landscape. Rock works as a ground cover or mulch to reduce water loss, keep soil and roots insulated and control weeds by blocking sunlight and organic nutrients such as decaying leaves and debris. Artfully spread rock ground cover serves a decorative purpose in Japanese gardens, and numerous kinds of rock work well to add texture to your yard in addition to helping to block weeds.

Things You'll Need

• Landscape fabric
• Scissors
• Rock mulch, such as crushed rock or gravel
• Rake

Instructions

1. Lay landscape fabric over the area where you want to spread the rock ground cover. Cut slits in the fabric to fit it over existing plants, if needed. Cut excess landscape fabric with a scissors.

2. Spread small rocks such as gravel or crushed rock over the landscape fabric in an even layer. Use a rake to level the ground cover.

3. Rake the rock ground cover regularly to maintain its appearance and to remove leaves and debris. Avoid watering the rock ground cover to help deter weeds from growing through the rocks.

Tips & Warnings

• Using landscape fabrics, also called geotextiles, helps to keep rocks from becoming embedded in the soil, maintaining a neater appearance in your yard. The fabric also helps to prevent weed seeds from moving up through the rock layer, the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest management Program advises.

• Black plastic can break down quickly, so it may not be your best option for long-term weed control.

• Tightly woven landscape fabrics offer more effective weed control than open mesh fabrics.

• Landscape fabric also helps control erosion.

References

• University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Weed Management in Landscapes
• Texas A&M University: Using River Rock for Ground Cover