Table of Contents
The advantages of mineral mulch
Mineral mulch, like most mulches, protects the soil from bad weather and more particularly from the effect of rainfall, keeps the plants cool during the summer and helps limit the development of weeds.
But it has two other useful advantages:
On the one hand, it allows you to obtain a very nice decorative effect. Indeed, depending on the materials used (red brick, yellow sand, white pebbles…), it is possible to compose a multitude of colored scenes. It is a decorative element, just like the plants it surrounds; no need to overload a bed with plants when you use a mineral mulch.
On the other hand, if you compare it to organic mulches that must be renewed every year, such as wood chips or pine bark, it is indestructible. Once installed, you have it for life!
Installing mineral mulch
Under the mineral mulch, a woven PVC fabric is installed to prevent the soil from mixing with the mulch, but also to limit the amount of material brought in; in general, a 4 cm thickness of mulch is sufficient to keep the soil fresh, if a fabric is installed.
Shaping a mineral mulch
When mulching with mineral materials, if you want to use different materials to create patterns, it is important to take into account their respective grain size and density: two gravels of the same size or density will mix over time. On the other hand, if you use minerals with very distinct characteristics, such as slate and sand, each element will remain in its place.
Example: to separate two light elements such as sand from brick, pebbles can be used.