The Gasper Experts Answer All Your Questions About Installing Decorative Stone in Your Landscape Beds
Many people choose decorative landscape stone for their garden beds instead of wood or bark mulches. There are several reasons for this preference, including lower maintenance, reduced long-term costs, and a preference for the aesthetic appeal of stone compared to mulch. Although the initial cost of using stone is higher than that of wood mulch, you won’t need to replace the stone every year, as you would with wood mulch.
What is the best stone for landscape beds?
Red Tipple or River Jack stone is the most common stone Gasper Landscape Design & Construction uses to replace mulch in planting beds. The stone should be at least ¾ inch or larger in size. Smaller stones, such as 3/8-inch Red Tipple or pea gravel, are too lightweight and can be easily blown out of the bed when using a blower. This not only exposes the fabric underneath but also creates a mess in the surrounding lawn or paved areas.
Are stone beds no maintenance?
Unfortunately, no. Stone beds require much less maintenance than wood or bark mulched beds, but they still need some care. It’s important to ensure that organic materials, such as fallen leaves in the fall or grass clippings from mowing, do not accumulate on top of the stones. If this organic matter is allowed to build up, it can decay and create a suitable environment for weeds to take root. The best way to do this is to blow any lawn clippings out of your stone beds immediately after mowing and to keep your beds free from leaves in the fall.
How deep should the stone be in my planting beds?
We recommend using a depth of 2-3 inches of stone in planting beds. If you choose to use larger-sized stones, you may need to increase the depth to accommodate their size. Here is some information to help you determine how much stone you will need.
- ¾”, & 1″ Stone Coverage: One (1) scoop of 3/4″ & 1″ stone is approximately 1 ton and covers 100 square feet at a depth of 2 inches.
- 1″–3″ Stone Coverage: One (1) scoop of 1″–3″ stone is approximately 1 ton and covers 65 square feet.
- 3″–5″ Stone Coverage: One (1) scoop of 3″–5″ stone is approximately 1 ton and covers 45 square feet.
At Gasper Home & Garden Center, we offer convenient ordering and delivery of many different bulk stone that can be used in landscape beds as a mulch alternative.
Do I need to use anything underneath the stone?
When using stone as ground coverage in a landscape bed, we recommend placing a landscape fabric underneath the stones, such as SRW SB3 General Landscape Fabric. This fabric serves two primary purposes: it prevents the stones from sinking into the soil and helps stop weed seeds in the underlying soil from germinating and emerging in your new stone bed.
To enhance weed suppression, consider applying a pre-emergent product like Preen Garden Weed Preventer Extended Control or Snapshot Pre-Emergent on top of the soil before you lay down the fabric. If you prefer an organic option, you can use a corn gluten product such as Jonathan Green Organic Corn Gluten Weed Preventer, which acts as a natural pre-emergent. Keep in mind that pre-emergents prevent all seeds from germinating, so avoid using them in areas where you plan to plant seeds or have very young seedlings.
Do I need a garden edging when adding stone to my beds?
While it is not technically necessary to use edging for your stone beds, we have found that doing so can help keep the stones contained and reduce the likelihood of them migrating into other areas.
There are several options for containing stones. You can use garden blocks or other stone materials, such as Belgian blocks, bricks, or concrete edge stones from companies like Cambridge Paving, to create a curb that holds the stones in place. A more economical option would be to use metal edging, such as Curv-Rite aluminum edging, to keep the stones contained.
We recommend Curv-Rite for several reasons: it is available in three different colors, is easy to bend into curved and circular bed shapes, and features a tapered end connector that covers any sharp edges, making it safe to use. Additionally, it includes special corner piece connectors that ensure perfect 90-degree bed shapes. For more information on how to install Curv-Rite edging, you can find additional resources here.
How Will Stone Mulch Affect My Plants?
Stone mulch is not necessarily bad for your plants, but there are several factors to consider. First, stones used in landscape beds can absorb radiant heat from the sun. This can raise the temperature around your plants, which may cause them to dry out more quickly during hot summer months. Additionally, unlike wood mulch, stone does not break down and provide plant nutrients. Therefore, it is recommended that a good fertilizing program be implemented to support their health.
What are the Steps to Install Stone in Your Beds?
1. Prep Your Beds
Prep your landscape beds for planting with fertilizer and composted material. Before installing plants, prepare the holes to make the process easier.
2. Define the Edge
Use a straight spade or an edging tool (like a Craftsmen’s D-Handle Garden Spade) to create a well-defined landscape edge.
3. Install Edging (If Using)
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for installing your preferred edging
4. Apply Pre-Emergent
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weed growth
5. Lay Landscape Fabric
Secure the landscape fabric in place using fabric pins. We often lay out our plants first and then pre-dig the holes for the plants before we lay down the fabric. This reduces the chance of a lot of soil on top of the fabric.
6. Plant Installation
If you are planting new material, cut X-shaped slits into the fabric where the plants will go and then install your plants.
For areas with existing plants, cut slits in the fabric and place the fabric around the plants. Pin the fabric around the base of each plant to reduce exposed soil.
Be careful not to get soil on top of the fabric, and clean up any spills before laying down the stone. We recommend blowing any excess soil off the fabric after planting is complete.
7. Drip Irrigation
If you’re installing drip irrigation, lay it on top of the fabric and secure it with pins. Drip irrigation is a great way to irrigate plants as it conserves more water than spray irrigation. It also helps to combat the extra heat stress plants can experience in stone beds.
8. Add Landscape Stone
Install the desired landscape stone 2-3” deep. If the stone is excessively dirty, wash it before placing it on the fabric to reduce the potential amount of soil and other organic material on top of the fabric.
9. Enjoy Your Low-Maintenance Landscape Beds
Sit back and enjoy your newly created low-maintenance stone landscape beds!
Have Questions? Need Help? The experts at Gasper are happy to review the process with you and recommend the best tools and products to help you stone your landscape beds the right way. Call us at 215-364-2400.
Are you interested in stone in your landscape beds but not up to a do-it-yourself project right now? Contact us to get an estimate for Gasper Landscape Design and Construction to do it for you!
