Landscaping Rocks/Gravel? (Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Corrales: purchase, live in, prices)

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by olaverty

I'll second JPR Gravel.


just let them deliver - hint: a ton does not go as far as you think.

Yes. I do not have a truck anymore, but most pickups will not handle a ton, and yes, a ton does not go a long way.

[Stanrice]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

I have been told by "experts" and have some experience with the solid plastic and the landscape fabric.

The solid plastic, usually black, does not let the ground breath. Ant colonies become difficult to control (they travel long distances under the plastic).

The landscape fabric does seem to help, but there are various types/manufactors... Small weeds will attach to the fabric. If you yank the weed too fast, it may pull the fabric up...

They all seem to last about 10 years.

Yes, the dust settles on the covering, and then weeds grow on the thin layer of accumulated dust/dirt. But they are easier to pull, they do not get deep rooted, so you can wait to pull them...

I was talking to a local landscaper last week who was doing a local yard. I asked what type of weed killer he used, we was reluctant to discuss it. He finally explained the weed killer was expensive and it reduced his work... He said some people seem to like the gardener pulling the weeds...

I have found the spray on weed/plant killers take about 10 days to work, then you end up with a brown dead weed to pull up....


Rich

I would rather have a well-planned yard with mulch rather than rocks and plastic/fabric. The mulch will keep most weeds down, yet will let water soak in which is better for the ground and the overall ecosystem. Rocks simply absorb heat and release it into the night worsening the heat island effect which causes all of us to use more drinking water on our yards.

[mortimer]

Originally Posted by Stanrice

... well-planned yard with mulch ... will keep
most weeds down, yet will let water soak in ...

The porous plastic sheet also lets water soak in.

I've been cutting out portions of that sheet to do more plantings.

Originally Posted by Stanrice

Rocks simply absorb heat and release it into the night worsening the heat island effect ...

I'm wondering how mulch doesn't absorb as much heat and therefore doesn't release as much back into the night.

That is, the mulch and the rocks are both not converting energy from the sun into
sugars so how are they different? I guess you can say that mulch doesn't have
as good of heat conductivity as rocks and therefore can't store as much energy.

[Riverdog]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm definitely going to JPR this weekend to price things out and see what I like, hopefully this goes well.

Stanrice, I thought about mulch, but then with the wind blowing, I thought it might not stay where I put it. Have you found that not to be true? If so, I might mulch more areas.

[Stanrice]

Originally Posted by Riverdog

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm definitely going to JPR this weekend to price things out and see what I like, hopefully this goes well.

Stanrice, I thought about mulch, but then with the wind blowing, I thought it might not stay where I put it. Have you found that not to be true? If so, I might mulch more areas.

Some will blow away and some will break down and compost, but most will stay right where it is. You will probably just need to buy a couple of bags once in a while.

[Stanrice]

Originally Posted by mortimer

The porous plastic sheet also lets water soak in.

I've been cutting out portions of that sheet to do more plantings.

I'm wondering how mulch doesn't absorb as much heat and therefore doesn't release as much back into the night.

That is, the mulch and the rocks are both not converting energy from the sun into
sugars so how are they different? I guess you can say that mulch doesn't have
as good of heat conductivity as rocks and therefore can't store as much energy.

I hadn't really thought too much about how porous the sheeting can be, but I doubt it will let as much water through as opposed to mulch. As far the heat island effect, I am thinking generally along the lines of your last sentence. Stand in a field covered in mulch and then stand in a field covered in rocks; I bet you will feel the difference. Think of it as the difference between a yard of just brown dirt versus a yard covered by a slab of concrete, it's the same thing.

[mortimer]

Originally Posted by Stanrice

... field covered in mulch and then stand in a field covered in rocks;

The difference in feel is still due to heat conductivity.

For instance, in that field, on a 100 degree sunny day, you have a piece
of wood, a rock, and a piece of metal. If you pick them up, although
they are the same temperature, the wood feels coolest, the rock feels
hotter and the metal will be painful to hold.

The reason is that the heat transfers from the metal to your skin faster
than the rock which does it faster than the wood.

After the sun goes down, those crushed granite yards give up their energy
faster than the mulch so the evenings are hotter than they would be with
mulch. It's possible that the mulch yard would then be warmer than the
gravel yard in the hours before sunrise because the rocks would be done
giving up their energy, but the much takes longer.

The yard with native trees and shrubs would be cooler than either one.
( Nicer-looking too. )

[Stanrice]

Originally Posted by mortimer

The difference in feel is still due to heat conductivity.

For instance, in that field, on a 100 degree sunny day, you have a piece
of wood, a rock, and a piece of metal. If you pick them up, although
they are the same temperature, the wood feels coolest, the rock feels
hotter and the metal will be painful to hold.

The reason is that the heat transfers from the metal to your skin faster
than the rock which does it faster than the wood.

After the sun goes down, those crushed granite yards give up their energy
faster than the mulch so the evenings are hotter than they would be with
mulch. It's possible that the mulch yard would then be warmer than the
gravel yard in the hours before sunrise because the rocks would be done
giving up their energy, but the much takes longer.

The yard with native trees and shrubs would be cooler than either one.
( Nicer-looking too. )

I would say that those 3 materials (or 2 since metal has nothing to do with this subject) will NOT be the same temperature. Mulch will reflect more of the sun's energy back towards space than rock will; the rock will absorb more of that energy which it releases at night in the form of heat. However, heat conductivity does play a role, the rock will transfer more of its heat down towards the ground which will contribute to the heat release during the night while the mulch will slow that same transfer of heat leading to the ground being cooler (and wetter).

[mortimer]

Originally Posted by Stanrice

... metal has nothing to do with this subject ...

I mentioned it because it is helpful to visualize the effect of conductivity.
For the purposes of comparing mulch and rock, it is part of the subject.
If we are comparing much and rock, comparing a yard covered in metal is relevant.
So would comparing a yard covered in polystyrene packing "peanuts" and comparing
light-colored rocks with dark-colored rocks.

Originally Posted by Stanrice

... Mulch will reflect more of the sun's energy back towards space than rock will

If the mulch is darker in color, then it will absorb more energy than lighter colored rock.
The mulch will be warmer - absent water.

I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm trying to understand the interactions here and how they work.

If the mulch absorbs more water, then when the water changes state, that's going to have a cooling effect.

OTOH, if I water the plants in my yard that stick out of the rocks, vs the
ones that stick out of the mulch ( I have both ), then more water makes it
to the roots of the plants in the rocks. The ones in the mulch, would get
less water because the mulch would just absorb it and then release it to
the air. I'm sure there are more interactions that I have not thought of.

We're going to need more scientific input than just Stanrice and mortimer, I'm afraid.

[nmguy]

[quote=mortimer;18911050]The difference in feel is still due to heat conductivity.

For instance, in that field, on a 100 degree sunny day, you have a piece
of wood, a rock, and a piece of metal. If you pick them up, although
they are the same temperature, the wood feels coolest, the rock feels
hotter and the metal will be painful to hold.

The reason is that the heat transfers from the metal to your skin faster
than the rock which does it faster than the wood.



I guess this is what they call a 'heated' conversation. ;-)
Paul