Crushed brick as mulch substitute?

[James]

I have a fairly large gazebo, built on the side of a mountain, on a sloped site. I have planted many plants all around the structure, and I need a mulch substitute. The site is too steep for regular mulch. or straw, as the rains will just wash it down. Same problem with installing weed screens, any mulch on top of that will just wash away.

I have seen what looks like crushed red brick in commercial restaurants such as McDonald's etc. It may be a lava type product, but the last time I noticed, it looks like crush brick pieces. It is a reddish color, and it looks really good where I have seen it.

The problem (and my question) is whether or not weeds are a big problem if you use that product as a mulch subtitute. I would think that if you got it 3 or 4 inches deep, weeds would not grow through it, like it will with mulch. My thinking is that mulch retains moisture, and promotes weed growth, and that the brick product would not hold moisture. By the way, this is in a shady area, and the "mulch" would be more for looks that for preserving moisture for the plants. That is not a concern or problem in my situation.

Have any of you ever used this crushed brick product, or can any of you offer comments or advice ??

Thank you very much !!

James

[Buderschnookie]

It's lava rock.

[Jo Ann]

I can't speak for crushed brick or lava rock, but I have several places in my yard that are mulched 3-4 inches thick with river rock, and it's nothing but a royal PITA. It's almost impossible to shovel it out of the way when I want to plant something new, and weeds have absolutely no problem sprouting through it at all. Since the rocks make it impossible to use any kind of hoe, every single weed has to be plucked by hand (and I would think this would be a real knuckle- scraper with brick or lava rock). In fact, the weeds seem to really like the rock mulch, growing big and hearty virtually overnight....

Jo Ann

[Walter R.]

Lava rock is lava rock and crushed brick is crushed brick. Two different materials.

[symplastless]

It does not add or provide a food source for soil micros. It also can alter the pH in a negative way.

Mulching -

Look up "Mulch"

Sincerely, John A. Keslick, Jr. Arborist

Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss.