An Organic Gardening Enthusiast? Use Red Lava Rock For Landscaping
When you are investing in landscaping, mulching is a critical part of it. So using lava rocks for mulching can bind together the various elements in your garden so your yard can have that natural flow that prevents excessive evaporation, improves soil drainage, prevents the aggressive growth of weeds, and much more. The red lava rock for landscaping is mostly used as an importance for organic gardening. Hence, you need to bring quality lava rocks that positively impact the plant growth and how much the gardener needs to work on the landscape.
Why use Red lava rocks for an organic garden?
When it comes to volcanic rocks, they are usually categorized as felsic rocks, which are rich in silicon, and aluminum composition, and mafic rocks consist of magnesium and iron. But the red lava rock is categorized as basalts due to their chemical composition comprising of several minerals, pyroxene, magnetite, hornblende, plagioclase feldspar, biotite mica, pyroxene, olivine, amphibole, quartz, etc.
Unlike costly landscaping elements, using these naturally occurring red lava rocks for landscaping can be really beneficial. They can offer the benefits of organic mulch as well as eliminate the side effects of using artificial mulch. If you are looking for low maintenance with your organic garden, it’s best to use red lava rocks as an alternative to garden mulch.
The volcanic eruption forms lava rocks from the igneous rock called scoria. When molten lava is ejected from a volcano, it solidifies while still containing air in its bubbles; this is how scoria is created. Because of this, scoria or lava rock for landscaping becomes lighter and develops bubble-shaped holes. Due to their natural origin, they are beneficial for organic gardening over artificial mulches without any environmental impact. Here are some additional advantages of using lava rocks for landscaping:
- The presence of air pockets in volcanic rocks makes them lightweight in nature. Hence, the red lava rock landscaping can be used as mulch as they don’t sink into the soil and get compressed. It stays on the surface and protects the structural integrity of the landscape.
- The lava rocks protect the soil from erosion, allowing all the nutrients to seep through. Their porosity allows better drainage and prevents fungal growth. Using a fabric weed barrier beneath lava rock mulch can suppress weed growth.
This mulch does not disintegrate or decompose when you use red lava rock for landscaping. Since they last a long time, the gardener would not require much maintenance, and their red tone can give your yard a unique look.
