What do I do with small rocks in my soil?

[kldickinson1]

I have lots of golf ball-sized rocks in my garden (as most of us do). What do I do with them? Can I make a border around my garden without making an unintentional home for critters? Are there any other pretty or practical suggestions as to what I can do with my rocks?

[tomato204]

For above-ground plants rocks that size don't bother me. For a raised bed of something like carrots, I might screen out the larger rocks and use them to fill in low spots around the place, then throw a little dirt over them.

[NCLee]

Another "depends" answer. :) Don't ya just hate those. LOL

Depends on how large your garden is and how many rocks you're talking about. A few wheel barrow loads or far, far more.

If just a few wheel barrow loads....

If you'd like a water feature in your yard, use them to make a pondless one. (Pondless means no open water.) Dig the hole, line it, place the pump according to the directions, then fill the hole with those rocks. You'll have a pretty water feature without the problems and risks associated with an open pool of water.

If you're doing container gardening, use the stones to both anchor the containers and reduce the amount of soil needed for large ones. The stones will supply good drainage.

Use them for mulch around perennials, much the way it's done in the southwest. Lay weed barrier cloth, then instead of using bark, straw, etc. for mulch, use the rocks.

Along these lines, if you have a good spot, start a rock garden. A few well placed large rocks can be your anchor points. Plant succulents and other plants traditionally found in rock gardens. Then, fill in (as described above) with those small rocks from your garden.

Can you use them for a dry well? This will depend on your location and local regs. A dry well can be used for grey water, instead of sending it to a septic tank. Basically, a dry well is a hole in the ground that's filled with rocks and gravel.

This suggestion depends on the type rock that you have. If you're planning to pour concrete for walkways or a patio, consider incorporating the rock into the surface. Pour concrete. Cover with stone that's embedded into the surface. Before the concrete cures, wash away the concrete that covers the surface of the stone. (A contractor can give you more specifics on the how-to and if your rocks will work for that purpose.)

If you have larger numbers than what these projects could handle, how about either bartering them or simply giving them away to someone who needs them. Pile along side your garden. Then, post on craigslist or other such sites. "Free (or barter) if you haul from the edge of my garden." type posting.

Just some thoughts that may be useful.

Lee

[Junie]

I toss mine in the creek. They make the trickle of water sound nice and bubbly and give crawdads a place to hide when marauding raccoons come looking for a meal.

[velojym]

A pet-rock mine!