Has anyone here used synthetic mulch?

[keerymom]

Hello all,

We have a deck on the back of our house that is rather tall. The problem is that the ground beneath the deck is a real eyesore. My DH and I are trying to decide if stone or synthetic mulch would be the bettter fix. Has anyone here ever used synthetic mulch around their house? I wouldn't use it on any of our garden areas, but it would almost seem a good fix for this location.

I'd love to hear any of the pros/cons.

Thanks!!

 

[Phlip]

My vote is for stone, or you could put slate/bluestone pavers down and have another patio. Synthetic mulch tends to track and blow into other areas.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I've used synthetic mulch a couple of times. It worked fine under our swingset. Keep in mind that you will have to add more mulch from time to time. If that is a hassle, then maybe stone would be better.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Here is my take on it.

Use the mulch and if you do not like it then put in the stone. Once you put in the stone you are pretty much done.

We have the same issue and dh and I are going back and forth on the solution. He wants stone and I don't know.

 

[Kathi OD]

Just know that weeds will eventually grow in the stones, even if you put down a barrier between the soil and the stones. Just through the normal course of weathering, dirt will be blown between the stones and vegetation will find their way onto that dirt, causing weeds to grow.

Stones look nice, but they will need maintenance several years down the road, even if they're under the deck.

 

[HM]

Is this an area that you could use? I like the idea of pavers, so that you have a patio. If you don't want to use it, how about planting some kind of groundcover that does well in teh conditions under the deck instead?

 

[LuvOrlando]

IS synthetic mulch the stuff made from old tires? If so I wouldn't do it because water collects in it and causes the same breeding ground for mosquitoes as is any other rubber. I want no part of mosquitoes. I wouldn't do any mulch actually. This year we pulled out our stones in the front and replaced it with beautiful black wood mulch. It looks pretty but will grow as many weeds as dirt and even more mushrooms.

What we did have that worked really well for 13 weedless years was a layer of that contractor grade HEAVY fabric weed barrier over the ground covered by a layer of those tiny red landscaping rocks. I got the barier it at Lowes or Home Depot and it was secured in place by hammering in some metal staple shaped landscaping pegs. The most maintainence it needed was a sweep every now and again to keep the rocks in place, but a perimeter of brick could have prevented that if I had thought of it. Don't cheap out on the landscaping fabric, some of my friends got the cheaper stuff and the weeds busted through while nothing ever got through mine.

As another thought, I never put anything under my own deck. It's just dirt. I deal with the weeds by spraying a good dose of "Round Up" weed killer every other month or so, & that's the end of it. We have a lattice that is attached to the base of the deck that has lasted 13 years.

 

[keerymom]

Thanks for the replies. Our home is actually somewhat built into the side of a hill, so while the deck is very tall on one end, it's only about shoulder level on the other. So, unfortunately, we're unable to utilize the space below. This is a bit tough!