Cleaning Landscape Rock in Flower Beds

[Spike56]

I have had rock to replace mulch for over 30 years, in Virginia.
The first attempt was using 3/4" decorative stone.
At that time, decorative rock, and decorative mulch were priced identically, per "scoop".
I could not understand why anyone would buy mulch, year, after year,,,, after year,,,,
The 3/4" rock size was a disaster, the leaf blower could move the rocks,, AND the chickens could also move the rocks.
The next rock that I purchased was 1.5" sized rocks,, no more moving.

A couple years ago, I installed a lot of this stone, much larger, and very colorful, it is from Ohio.

Amazingly, the leaves do not seem to collect on these larger sized rocks,, maybe the rocks hold up the leaves, so the wind can blow them away?

For edging, I use "rip rap" sized stone, that for the most part, I have enough on my property to do my home.

Here is a pic of the area next to the house, landscape fabric down, shrubs in, and large rock edging in place.

I simply added the rock from the trailer above to complete the area.

My BR600 Stihl easily keeps the area leaf-free, and looking like the day it was installed.

Oh, and the first reason that I ever looked at "hardscape"?
We had our home inspected for a loan appraisal.
The inspector said we had termites,, I asked,, "WHERE??"
He said in the mulch, every home in Virginia that has mulch, has termites in the mulch.

After that,, the decision was made to remove the mulch.

YEP ! Same here, termites are horrible. In addition, the air is FULL / CHOKED with grass / weed seeds. There was just NO WAY to keep the area around the house. Now I have it all the way around several feet looking like your photo except it is all filled in with smaller rock. Leaves are a problem. The larger leaves, not so much, but have plants / trees with small leaves that get stuck between the rocks. Over time, they turn to dirt.
I think I need a stronger leaf blower to keep clean.

 

[pokey1416]

I was in your spot last year. Built a homemade screen that fit on dump trailer. What a mess and took too long. Removed the river rock, installed retaining wall block edging, put down cardboard and new 2-3” limestone. The edging has stood up fine through our MI winter.

Here’s a link on it

Still have to spray for weeds but it just is to time consuming for me to wash tons of rock.

Before & after

 

[npalen]

I wonder if a cement mixer with a removable grate over the tub opening would work well for cleaning rock. Load the rock and add water then tumble for a few minutes. Tilt the tub to let the water and dirt out while rotating. Rinse and repeat?

I think that the key requirement for landscape edging is that it be flush with the grass level so that no trimming is required when mowing. Run the mower wheel on the edging.

 

[Spike56]

I wonder if a cement mixer with a removable grate over the tub opening would work well for cleaning rock. Load the rock and add water then tumble for a few minutes. Tilt the tub to let the water and dirt out while rotating. Rinse and repeat?

I think that the key requirement for landscape edging is that it be flush with the grass level so that no trimming is required when mowing. Run the mower wheel on the edging.

Yes, have been considering a mixer. Run mower on the edging, no. I have steel edging, so that's a no go. But I really do not have to trim, I just spray it.

 

[Spike56]

I was in your spot last year. Built a homemade screen that fit on dump trailer. What a mess and took too long. Removed the river rock, installed retaining wall block edging, put down cardboard and new 2-3” limestone. The edging has stood up fine through our MI winter.

Here’s a link on it

Still have to spray for weeds but it just is to time consuming for me to wash tons of rock.

Before & after
View attachment 744947View attachment 744948

No source of that type of rock. How long has that been installed ? Curious because I assume the cardboard will break down, and HERE, it would be full of weeds / grass. Looks nice though.

 

[Handloader109]

Cardboard would be a disaster most anywhere it rains. Arizona and S Cali might work for a while. Here it would be gone in a year. I've got 4 20x25 beds at my main entrance, either side of the gate and inside and out river rock. Been there about 10 or so years. Weed seed doesn't need much to sprout and I have been spraying every year. Broke down and pulled off one section last month, put down new cloth and tried washing in my fel. Worked to a degree, but looks so much better than the other three, so I'll do the rest as I can. Got two much larger near house, under dang trees which I can't keep leaves out of worth a darn. And a blower won't remove dirt...

 

[Spike56]

Cardboard would be a disaster most anywhere it rains. Arizona and S Cali might work for a while. Here it would be gone in a year. I've got 4 20x25 beds at my main entrance, either side of the gate and inside and out river rock. Been there about 10 or so years. Weed seed doesn't need much to sprout and I have been spraying every year. Broke down and pulled off one section last month, put down new cloth and tried washing in my fel. Worked to a degree, but looks so much better than the other three, so I'll do the rest as I can. Got two much larger near house, under dang trees which I can't keep leaves out of worth a darn. And a blower won't remove dirt...

I agree that Cardboard would be worse than having nothing at all. That would make a horrific mess once it begins to break down. Also, I agree that a blower just cannot clean very well. My rock is what they call 1.5" and leaves get hung up in it pretty easy.
In my gravel driveway, I have a slope into the yard/ grass area. I took a bag of concrete and with lots of water spread it out over the rock mixed in by hand. The water was running down this slope and if a hard rain would wash some gravel into the yard. The concrete worked, has worked without problems for several years. Can drive heavy mower over it... no issues.
So, I may try colored concrete in an area of the flower bed just to see how this would hold up ?

 

[Spike56]

I wonder if a cement mixer with a removable grate over the tub opening would work well for cleaning rock. Load the rock and add water then tumble for a few minutes. Tilt the tub to let the water and dirt out while rotating. Rinse and repeat?

I think that the key requirement for landscape edging is that it be flush with the grass level so that no trimming is required when mowing. Run the mower wheel on the edging.

Back on the mixer idea. At this point, it remains my only idea to clean rock. I was thinking to sacrifice the mixer by drilling holes in the tub. I would definitely need the right model so I could have a water / dirt catch basin underneath... wheel barrow. That is, if I move the mixer close to the house... can not just spill out the gunk there. Otherwise, I have to move all the gravel about 10' to the mixer and leave it in the year. I do not think a removable grate would work ? It would have to be a serious grate to withstand the weight of the rock when tilted to drain water and dirt ?

 

[npalen]

Back on the mixer idea. At this point, it remains my only idea to clean rock. I was thinking to sacrifice the mixer by drilling holes in the tub. I would definitely need the right model so I could have a water / dirt catch basin underneath... wheel barrow. That is, if I move the mixer close to the house... can not just spill out the gunk there. Otherwise, I have to move all the gravel about 10' to the mixer and leave it in the year. I do not think a removable grate would work ? It would have to be a serious grate to withstand the weight of the rock when tilted to drain water and dirt ?

I suppose it would depend on how much rock one puts in a "batch" and how far one tilts the barrel when "draining".

Edit: I have a round grill grate that I had thought about using.

 

[Spike56]

I suppose it would depend on how much rock one puts in a "batch" and how far one tilts the barrel when "draining".

Edit: I have a round grill grate that I had thought about using.

Very true. The rock I have is 1.5", so fairly small. I think I would have to tilt almost all the way to drain. You are right about the batch size of course. If I cannot do 4-5 heaping shovel's full at a time... then this idea wouldn't suite my needs. Of course, my idea of drain holes in the barrel pretty much messes up the mixer for anything else - like using for concrete. But, I dont need to pour concrete anyway.