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Old 12-10-2012, 11:27 AM
 
20,187 posts, read 23,747,485 times
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I have a garden bed around the home that has only large bushes. The problem I am having is that there is a small slope away from the house and when it rains, it erodes away the dirt. I am thinking of putting a layer of gravel to slow/stop the erosion but I also use straw to stop the weeds. I haven't seen anyone with a setup with gravel and straw and wanted to know if it is a good idea. Thanks!
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Old 12-10-2012, 11:49 AM
 
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I'd use river rock or some other larger stone other than gravel in my planting beds.

Can you do it? Sure. IMO not a good idea.
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Old 12-10-2012, 02:53 PM
 
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
36,499 posts, read 53,788,709 times
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No don't do it. If you are having wash off problems plant an attractive ground cover which you can maintain. Gravel will wash into your lawn and you will have heck to pay when mowing if gravel flies from your lawn mower. Maybe a barrier of some kind is better than what you have. here in the South we use pine straw which is just pine needles or hardwood mulch. I think there is nothing tackier than white gravel in the landscape although I know it is preferred in some parts of the country. Mulch can keep soil moist, cool and can decompose to add a bit of nutrition to the soil. Fighting rocks is a pain and IMO looks bad.
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Old 12-10-2012, 07:46 PM
 
Location: In the Pearl of the Purchase, Ky
11,014 posts, read 17,389,713 times
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Find some class II channel lining. That's just another name for rip rap in a little bit smaller stone. Line the edge of your garden with some #2 rock. It's a smaller stone than rip rap but build up some of the #2 on the garden side of the rip rap. Both of these together should hold most of the dirt in your garden.
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Old 12-11-2012, 10:57 PM
 
Location: Aiken, South Carolina, US of A
1,794 posts, read 4,879,585 times
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eviel,
Go to your local stone yeard.
Drive around, you wil find them.
Rip Rap is a bigger stone, nice size stone you can still move easily
with your hands, but you won't run over it with mower.
Look for the nice ones, look for color.
I only paid about 1.00 for the bigger stones, I could easily move them.
They look nice. I had the same problem as you.
It works wonderfully.
THey also have smaller stones, but put them where they won't get into your lawn.
Use the rip rap to seperate it.
I use mulch in my beds, some pine straw, and on my hill, I don't rake the leavs
that much, I need the nutrients for my soil.
I love rocks.
THey look great when wet too.
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Old 12-11-2012, 11:54 PM
 
Location: earth?
7,284 posts, read 12,877,433 times
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I use nothing but gravel and have no weeds.
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Old 12-12-2012, 09:30 AM
 
20,187 posts, read 23,747,485 times
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Well, I thought about it for a while and considering I don't know how long I will live in my house (I might move in a couple of years), I decided to just put straw to minimize expenses... Thanks everyone!
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