Re: rock

Exactly Kitty, that is exactly what it is.....the rock enables the soil to be 
well drained, yet at the same time, retain some moisture daily from the dew.  


The soil does stay much cooler under mulch of any kind than it does without.
Malcom Beck and Howard Garrett did a study on this some years ago.  Forgot 
the exact statistics, but the difference in temp from the mulched soil to the 
non-mulched was amazing.  The moisture retention was much greater as well.

Noreen
zone 9
Texas Gulf Coast

In a message dated 6/26/2003 11:02:27 PM Central Standard Time, 
gardenchat-owner@hort.net writes:

> Again, I'm just guessing here, but it seems the matter of rocks/stones of
> any kind holding moisture or preventing moisture retention is relative to
> the plant and conditions under discussion.   Stones do create more air
> spaces and better flow for quicker drainage for plants that are grown in
> wetter conditions than those to which they would be better suited.  But even
> these plants that like it well on the dry side require some moisture to
> survive.   I would think that some moisture - just enough to make this type
> of plant happy - adheres to the stone's surfaces.  And since they keep the
> ground beneath cool, this little bit doesn't evaporate out, therefore is
> available to the plants.  The gravel mulch keeps the plants from
> asphyxiating in too much available water, but does help to keep the minimum
> at the ready.
> 
> But then, you also say it gets warm.  Is it warm 2 or 3 inches down?

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