Mulch and stone are often used to finish off landscape, adding a contrasting color or polished look around your home, trees and plant beds.  They both offer striking aesthetics and practical benefits, but which one do you choose?

Mulch vs Landscaping Stone for Around Your Home

While we can’t decide for you, we can help you weigh out the pros and cons of each. And when the time comes, we can help with heavy lifting, hauling and careful stone spreading or mulch refreshing to make sure whichever material you choose is placed neatly and efficiently.

Cost

Upfront, mulch is almost always going to be cheaper, especially for small DIY landscaping projects. But it needs to be replaced and refreshed quite often, increasing its cost over time. Gravel has a higher upfront cost but often wins out in the long run since it requires less maintenance and lasts much longer. 

Ease

Rocks are heavy. That makes them harder to work with and around. From getting them to your house and hauling them from your driveway to your landscaping when you first install, to pushing them to the side every time you want to replant, they are going to require more effort and work than mulch.

Maintenance

Overtime mulch breaks down. And while this does wonders for the soil, it means you’ll probably be refreshing it every single spring to keep it looking good. Stone holds its shape and color well year after year and almost never needs to be replaced. However, leaf litter, weeds and other debris need to be removed from rock beds which can be a tedious task.

Weeds

Weeding is time consuming and backbreaking. Both mulch and landscaping rock can help keep weeds from popping up where you don’t want them. Mulch covers the ground blocking out sunlight to prevent weeds from growing and gravel, often installed with landscaping fabric beneath, creates a physical barrier that makes it harder for them to break through. 

Climate Considerations

In hot or dry climates, mulch can be the better option for landscaping around plants. It helps soil retain moisture and regulate temperature, keeping soil conditions cooler in extreme heat and even helping to protect roots in the winter. Rock retains less moisture and it can actually raise soil temperatures and continue to radiate heat even after the sun’s gone down, which can lead to thirsty, stressed plants. Rock, however, is great at preventing soil erosion in windy areas, slopes or climates with heavy rainfall.

Aesthetics

Sometimes, it all comes down to looks. Both offer a lot of design options with various sizes, colors and textures available to match almost any style home. But in general, mulch creates a warm, organic look that often softens the appearance of your landscaping, where gravel has a harder appearance that’s clean and modern. 

Leave the Heavy Lifting to a Couple More Guys®

Whether you go with mulch or stone, a Couple More Guys® can get the job done easier, faster and safer. Our two-person insured crews are experienced when it comes to landscaping, yard work and manual labor in the great outdoors. We can do your heavy lifting along with basic landscaping and yardwork related tasks to beautify your space and lighten your workload. Schedule a crew today.