Plants can cause physical weathering as their roots grow. Seeds of plants or trees can grow inside rock cracks where soil has collected. The roots then put pressure on the cracks, making them wider and eventually splitting the rock. Even small plants can cause this kind of weathering over time.

is dissolved, worn away or broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. Erosion happens when rocks and sediments are picked up and moved to another place by ice, water, wind or gravity. Mechanical weathering physically breaks up rock.

For water conservation we recommend wood or other organic mulches over rock. In high erosion areas and waterways, we recommend installing a non-woven geotextile filter fabric installed with a layer of large river rock to slow down the water, hold the soil and prevent erosion.

When to Use Landscape Fabric Landscape fabric is laid over soil and then mulch is layered on top of the fabric. Landscape fabric also works well beneath gravel, rock, or hardscaping. It also can be used beneath flower beds or ground cover to reduce weeds and the need for weed control.

Although more expensive than plastic, landscape fabric breathes, allowing oxygen and moisture to circulate. This makes it a better choice than plastic for use near trees and shrubs.

Place a layer of river rocks around your garden beds as edging. Edging accentuates your flower beds and gardens by creating a definitive border, and it helps to prevent erosion. The result: Edging with river rocks can keep mulch from spilling out of garden beds after heavy rain or wind.

While a skid-steer loader is the most efficient option, it entails driving the small vehicle over your lawn, possibly damaging plants and grass. Use rope to secure a rock to a hand truck. Note that pushing large rocks with a hand truck is simpler and less dangerous than pulling them with rope or chain.

Gravel Beds Help To Prevent Overgrown Weeds Having gravel beds around the foundations of your house is one of the most cost-effective methods of preventing overgrown weeds and shrubs, and possibly soil mounds, from infiltrating the building.

If you have drainage issues on your property, rock is a great mulch choice, allowing water to drain quickly. If you have open bed areas without plants, rock is an easy, no maintenance option. Rocks are great for high-traffic areas, where pedestrians tend to take short cuts.