Landscaping fabric under rocks

[jemhunter]

Hello all,
I live in northern california and with the drought, keeping grass isn't an option anymore. I removed grass in my front yard and will be putting shrubs and flowers. And I will cover the ground with 3/4" ginger rocks to a depth of 3". I intented to put a landscaping fabric under the rocks to control weeds. It also helps the rocks from sinking into the soil.

But my question is if it is still effective at all given I have to cut lots of holes in it for the plants. Is it worth to put down one?

Thanks much

 

[Marck]

Greetings, and welcome to the Forums.

Shrubs poking through weed cloth buried under ornamental rock and/or bark and watered by a network of drip tubes is a modern landscaping cliché. Landscapers have an easy product kit to sell and purchasers feel like they are getting the yard 'done'. (Spoiler: It's never 'done'.)

...but all that plastic does breakdown and weeds pop up through and around. Drip systems come with their own maintenance routines and the quality of the soil slowly declines.

Here is what I do instead. No weed cloth, though initial layers of cardboard to kill of the lawn can be a wise move, and then I mulch yearly, seasonally, or whenever with wood chips, fallen leaves, coffee grounds etc. The idea is to create a living soil that will circulate nutrients, while aerating and loosening the soil. Yes I do have clay, though now it is more like clay loam. Also I avoid the shrub in a sea of rock look by incorporating drought tolerant succulents and California natives into my design. If drought tolerance your primary goal. Focus on California natives and the Mediterranean-climate plants. Many of these will not little or no irrigation once established.
As for volunteer plants (A.K.A. weeds) there will always be some, but mulching, groundcovers, and use of annual wildflowers (A.K.A. choosing your weeds) will keep weeding tasks low and aesthetic and ecological values high.Also plan your access routes with wood chip paths and stepping stones so you don't have to unnecessarily compact your soil.

 

[jemhunter]

Thanks for your suggestion. The reason I wanted ginger rocks is they look more eye-pleasing than bark/mulch. Also when our gardener comes and blows the leaves, they blow away too much mulch as well and I had to constantly refill.

 

[Marck]

Another wonderful thing about organic mulches is that leaves and other plant parets can be incorporated in to the mulch without need for raking, blowing or other grooming. Think of your bed mulch and garden paths as low, flat, cold-compost beds that are constantly break down and enrich the soil beneath. I do sweep leaves (I never use a blower) from paved areas such as the sidewalk, driveway, patio, and gutter, but all the areas that have wood chips or other mulch never need to be swept or raked. Instead, I can just add another layer to them with what I swept up. Once fallen leaves and other plant trimming are though of as mulch instead of waste, any aesthetic pejorative against their presence, soon disappears.