How to Maintain a Rock Garden
Do you have a rock garden? Here are some tips on how to maintain it:
flickr photo by jspatchwork
- A rock garden thrives best when there is no shady tree near it, as it needs plenty of good light and air.
- Keep rock garden well groomed by removing weeds regularly, particularly during the rainy season when weeds proliferate. In the dry season, do not neglect watering the greens.
- After a heavy rain, inspect the pockets of greenery. Because of the loosening of the soil, the plant roots may have been exposed. In such a case, pack new soil around the plants’ rocks.
- So that rain and other moisture do not unnecessarily get wasted, place each stone inwards so that the water will soak back into the soil.
- Most plants need fertile, well-drained soil. Others grow best in sandy soil with little moisture but get lots of sun, such as cacti. Whatever the type of soil, pack them well in pockets, letting soil settle several days before planting.
- When plants show signs of insect infestation such as black spots on leaves, or curled leaves, etc., spray the insecticide recommended by your local garden supply shop. Do this right after each rain, applying to undersides and tops of the leaves.
- Don’t have too many small pockets of plants in a rock. A good proportion would be at least three-quarters covering a rock.
image source
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Published in: Gardening
JIMMY SHILAHO | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Rock gardens are very beautiful. Nice entry.
pattiann | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
I have a garden, but not a rock garden. You persudaded me to consider one. Good, informative article.
deep blue | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Great tips kabayan. I like root over rock bonsai in a garden.
maeraquel | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Nice landscape. I like an indoor rock garden so I can accentuate it with lights.
A. Hodge | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
This is a beautiful way to display a garden. I do like this.
Starpisces | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
I don’t have a garden and I am jealous, haha!
Niti sharma | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Very beautiful pictures with good info!
irenen1 | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Alpine rock gardens are my favorite.
Starpisces:
A cacti rock garden can be easily made in a shallow container for indoors or out. Try it.
mishee | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
thanks for sharing
Anastasia Zoldak | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for the tips! I have a spot in my yard that I’ve been trying to landscape for years. Nothing seems to grow but weeds, I think I’ll design a rock garden for the spot now.
coffeeadict | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Great contribution! Thanks for all the information. I like rock gardens a lot, especially the cacti section.
giftarist | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Thank you for the info. I sure like to have one rock garden.
Love Doc | Apr 28, 2010 | Reply
Awesome tips and great piece. I like rock gardens too.
Vikram Chhabra | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply
I have a rock garden in my backyard, and I needed this advice…Thanks!
Mr. Wilson | Apr 30, 2010 | Reply
A very very very nice post. Keep up the good work and don’t get tired of posting quality posts. Thank you so much.
farmerdw02 | Apr 30, 2010 | Reply
Very nice
Darrell
Gateway to Wizard | Apr 30, 2010 | Reply
I will now start making my own.. this inspires me… thanks
GT from tillysgarden.blogspot.com | Jun 22, 2010 | Reply
Another good tip when having a small rock garden like the one in the flickr photo is to add a layer of weed cloth underneath the pebbles to prevent weeds growing through.
You can then cut holes in the cloth where you will place the plants. This will prevent the stones from getting lost in the dirt, prevent weeds from growing amongst the stones and will allow you to easily rake stones without raking the dirt.
Grandma Tilly