Stones/Beach Pebbles/Crushed Rock

I have a sizable area, that I have been trying to grow things for about 2 years. However, due to pine needles and acidity, nothing is growing.

So I have given up, and decided to plan succulents surrounded by stones/pebbles/crushed rock.

Anybody have any experience with it?

I have tilled the soil. Done the weed killer. Now I need to add the black mesh/netting that you put on top. (Landscape Fabric is what its called I believe)

Then I want to put crushed rock/pebbles.

Anybody have experience or advice?

Appreciate the help

I want to buy things like these:
http://cmtopsoils.com/mexican-beach-pebble/

http://arroyobuildingmaterials.net/mexican-pebble-river-rock/

Crushed white and red rocks here
http://www.absupply.com/boulders-decorative-rock.php?section=crushed_rock#crushed_rock


I haven't decided on design yet, as its a large area, but eventually something like this maybe?

 

My experience, from growing up on landscape job sites with my dad and uncles, is that the landscape fabric is utter crap. No matter what it claims, it will allow weeds to grow through it. I've seen it dozens of times. How many times have you seen plants/trees growing straight out of concrete driveways or solid rocks? Basically, if water can get through, weeds will grow. Either use full plastic sheeting and make the gravel depth at least 3", or just put the gravel straight on the ground and be hyper-vigilant of weeds until you destroy the seed bank.

 

Thank you kindly !

 

I did this earlier last year. For two years I waged all out war on the weeds, then put the gravel straight on the ground. I have a sprayer with glyphosate premixed always ready to go and the second something green appears where it's not supposed to, it gets eliminated. I figure another two years worth of staying on top of it and then minor maintenance after that.

 

Looks great
That’s the look I am going for

What’s the recommended sprayer you have ?

Any recommended place to buy the stones ?

How much did it cost for that area of stones ?

 

Buy the RoundUp brand sprayer at Lowe's or Home Depot, but buy the glyphosate from Tractor Supply. I say glyphosate because that is the generic, just as effective, and WAAAAY less expensive version of RoundUp. I also have an 8 gallon powered sprayer that I use for the rest of my 2 acres.

Cheapest place to buy stones would be your local bulk materials yard. Home improvement stores generally don't carry bulk quantities of the 3/4" river rock (Arizona Cobble). I can't remember the exact price but it was somewhere between $300 and $600 for three scoops delivered.

 

Thank you

Yeah my hand hurt doing it manually it’s a big space to spray

I will go to building bulk material store tomorrow. I need a powered sprayer

Need to do calculation for 3 inch as you suggested

I also have to see what size I want. Lots of leaves fall on the area, so I didn’t not want rocks blowing away with leaf blower

 

Here is my space that I am prepping...

 

You're going to want to dig that down 4 - 5 inches so that your gravel is not overflowing the planter.

 

yes that was the before picture.

I have since dug down exactly 4.5 inches and got rid of that much dirt

 

Looks like I will need 5 scoops of stones/rocks

About $80 a scoop so far I found

 

Ordered boulders and rocks

Total cost $1600

White rocks were $500
Colored rocks $140

 

There are different grades of filter or "landscape" cloth , the useless thin shit you get at the garden centre and the cloth like the type we use under rosds / driveways , that stuff is pretty bombproof in my experience with weeds and roots

 

Yeah bought the heavy duty cloth like one at a builders supply store

 

Making progress

 

happy with commercial fabric

 

Coming along

 

That's going to be a big change! Any need for extra water for the trees with the lawn out now?

 

I have a full sprinkler system there

Just going to change it to drip

9,000 lbs of stone and boulder coming next week

Tough will be getting some of the rocks/boulders to back of house

Sides are too narrow for bobcat to go through

 

Started doing some work on other areas to prep as well