Lava mulch has revolutionized the garden. Clever hobby gardeners know how to use what Mother Earth brings to light as bubbling magma as a problem solver for bed and plant care. This guide highlights the special properties and competent use of lava mulch. Here you can find out what advantages and disadvantages are associated with the volcanic natural product.

Lava mulch looks pretty and has several benefits

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What is lava mulch?
  3. Lava mulch application
  4. Application in the garden
  5. Calculate lava mulch quantity
  6. advantages and disadvantages
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • When lava cools and is crushed, it creates lava mulch (€13.99) for the garden.
    • Lava mulch is light, air-permeable, hardwearing, odorless and does not rot.
    • Hobby gardeners use lava mulch as a soil conditioner and path reinforcement, for weed suppression and plant care.

    What is lava mulch?

    Lava mulch is cooled, solidified lava. The pure natural material is created when liquid magma bubbles up from the earth's mantle. This sometimes happens spectacularly as a volcanic eruption. At the surface, the volcanic product cools rapidly and turns into a cover layer that is mined and crushed into lava mulch. The result is a valuable natural product with these beneficial properties for the garden:

    • light and breathable
    • does not rot
    • odorless
    • hardwearing
    • suppresses weeds
    • prevents soil compaction
    • prevents waterlogging
    • protects against cooling down in winter and drought stress in summer

    With a weight of about one tonne per cubic meter, lava mulch is a real lightweight among the auxiliary materials in the garden. Breathable and inorganic are exactly the properties that natural gardeners want from an environmentally friendly problem solver in the bed. You can find out where lava mulch is useful in the garden in the following section.

    Versatile application

    Lava mulch is available in different grain sizes

    Grain sizes from 8 to 32 mm open up a wide range of possible applications for lava mulch in his green realm for the hobby gardener. The following table summarizes the best ideas for informed and beneficial use:

    garden plant care pond
    pavement substrate loosening substrate
    weed suppression drainage bank reinforcement
    erosion blocker heat accumulator Planter Basket Bottom Layer
    design element evaporation protection
    snail defense plant base

    Grain sizes from 2 to 8 mm are called lava granules. With this grain size, lava is an excellent alternative to road salt in winter. When unpaved work paths in the garden become slippery when it rains, lava granules (€13.99) are there as anti-slip grit. Aquarists swear by granulated lava as a filter medium and substrate.

    digression

    Lava mulch vs bark mulch

    In a direct comparison with classic bark mulch, lava mulch is clearly ahead. Lava mulch does not rot, does not smell and does not deprive the garden soil of valuable nutrients. The reason for the positive properties are inorganic, mineral components. In contrast, bark mulch is obtained from tree bark and is therefore one of the organic auxiliary materials for the garden. This has a limited shelf life. At the beginning of the decomposition, bark mulch withdraws important nutrients from the bed, which can cause deficiency symptoms in young plants. The organic mulch material only fulfills its task as a natural fertilizer later. A musty smell is a negative. Furthermore, bark mulch offers voracious snails ideal conditions, whereas lava mulch is useful as a moving barrier.

    Application in the garden - tips & tricks

    Lava mulch has many uses in the garden

    Lava mulch does not break down in a few years like organic mulch materials. For this reason, crushed lava serves as an ideal covering layer in the bed and as a planting basis for ornamental and vegetable plants. The volcanic natural product keeps weeds under control, ensures permeable soil and prevents waterlogging. Properly applied as a mulch, lava keeps the soil moist and warm for longer. Grain sizes from 16 mm store the sun's rays during the day and give off the heat to your plants at night. Heavy thunderstorms do not wash away bed soil when lava mulch is on hand. In order for lava to fulfill its tasks perfectly as mulch, plant base and path stabilization, important details are important:

    Lava as a mulch

    The hobby gardener spends a large part of his time in the bed fighting weeds. With Lavamulch, the amount of work is reduced to a tolerable level. Dandelion, goutweed, couch grass and the like have a bad hand if you use lava as a mulch like this:

    1. Remove existing weeds
    2. Spread lava mulch on the ground
    3. Ideal layer height: 6-8 cm

    Grain sizes of 8 mm, 16 mm up to a maximum of 32 mm are well suited for permanent weed suppression. Only under deciduous trees is lava mulch not recommended against weeds, because autumn leaves cannot be removed from them or with considerable effort.

    Lava as a plant basis

    Lava secretes valuable nutrients

    With a grain size of 4 to 8 mm, maximum 16 mm, Lava lies at the feet of flowers, perennials and vegetables as an innovative plant base. Although the volcanic rock does not degrade, over time it releases small amounts of magnesium as a desirable contributor to lush green, healthy leaves. The following step-by-step procedure has proven to be excellent in practice so that the mineral natural product can make optimal use of its advantages:

    • The best time is in autumn
    • Weed the planting area, dig deep with a spade, remove old roots, stones and large clods of earth
    • Put perennials, grasses, succulents in the soil and water
    • Spread lava mulch about 4 cm high on the free bed area and the root discs
    • Important: Do not cover plants with lava mulch
    • In December, top up the mulch layer by another 2-3 cm

    It is advisable to proceed in this order. If you first spread lava mulch in the bed and then plant the plants, the lava grains will get in your way. It is time-consuming to push the top layer a bit away for each individual young plant in order to use the perennial properly.

    Lava mulch to pave the way

    In the natural garden and cottage garden, paved paths are not to everyone's taste. Traditionally, bark mulch acts as a natural path covering. However, the organic material decomposes quickly and must be replenished regularly. This is where lava mulch comes into play, as a durable, hard-wearing path reinforcement. How to do it right:

    1. Measure and mark the route
    2. Dig the soil 10-15 cm deep
    3. Distribute sand as a base layer at a height of 3-5 cm
    4. Tread down the layer of sand and muddy it with water from the watering can
    5. apply lava mulch

    An edging is advantageous so that lava mulch does not spread in all directions as a path reinforcement. A demarcation is essential when paths with a lava surface border a lawn. If pieces of lava get caught between the lawn mower's cutter bars, considerable damage is inevitable. Lawn edges, for example made of popular Corten steel, are well suited and almost invisible. Close to nature, limit the course of the path with wood as a mini palisade.

    Creative design element

    Lava mulch looks pretty with its rich shade of red

    Lava mulch trumps as a visual benefit for imaginative garden design. The volcanic natural material is very popular as a top layer in the prairie garden. Lava harmonises wonderfully as mulch with ornamental grasses and gives the representative front garden a permanently well-groomed appearance. Subtle colors make the natural material the ideal component for creative garden design. As a rule, lava is red-brown to gray when it emerges from the earth's surface. The composition and manufacturing process allow for other shades such as anthracite, black, red and brown.

    Rippling water worlds come into their own with lava mulch. If lava as a top layer frames the fountain or other water features in the garden, muddy, trampled earth is a thing of the past. A hard-wearing bank reinforcement made of lava grains makes maintenance work on the pond and stream much easier.

    Calculate the amount of lava mulch - this is how it works

    The use of lava mulch in the garden is also a cost factor. Compared to conventional bark mulch, lava rock is more expensive. Anyone who determines the exact quantity required with a sharp pencil avoids anger and frustration. The following quick guide explains how to correctly calculate the amount of lava mulch:

    • Measure the length and width of the area
    • Determine the height of the mulch layer (ideally 6-8 cm)
    • Note the values determined in meters
    • Calculation formula: height x width x height = amount of lava mulch in cubic meters

    Alternatively, you can call up a requirement calculator on the Internet, enter the measured values in the mask and you will automatically receive the result.

    tips

    Balcony gardeners appreciate lava mulch in many ways. Excess irrigation water can run off quickly as drainage in the flower box. The substrate stays moist longer and does not crust under a cover of lava. Strawberries in the flower box remain appetizingly clean with lava mulch.

    advantages and disadvantages

    Regardless of useful properties and diverse uses, lava mulch does not only come with advantages. The enthusiastic hymns of praise for the volcanic natural rock should not hide one or the other disadvantage. The following table compares the advantages and disadvantages of lava mulch:

    benefits disadvantage
    durable, immortal does not release any nutrients
    suppresses weeds not suitable for deciduous trees
    improves soil structure can damage lawn mowers
    prevents waterlogging/erosion more expensive than organic mulch
    well tolerated by plants
    odorless
    hardwearing
    decorative

    In a direct comparison, a higher price has been paid for lava mulch than for bark mulch. In this context, it should not be overlooked that lava mulch can only be bought once, whereas bark mulch has to be refilled at regular intervals. In addition, a gradual price increase for bark mulch can be observed on the market since the discovery of the material for combustion in wood chip heating systems.

    frequently asked Questions

    Where can you buy lava mulch?

    Increasing demand has carved Lavamulch out of its niche as a hard-to-find garden product. After lava mulch was primarily to be found at specialist builders' merchants for a few years, most hardware stores and garden centers have now integrated lava into their standard range. Locally and on the Internet, Obi, Hornbach and Hagebau offer inexpensive lava mulch in various grain sizes and colors. Lagerhaus in Austria also has the natural product in its range. You can also consult Internet portals such as Amazon and Ebay to have lava mulch delivered directly to your home.

    What is the difference between lava mulch and lava granules?

    The grain size makes the difference between buying lava as mulch or granules. Grain sizes from 2 to 8 mm are usually offered as lava granules. Specialist retailers refer to grain sizes from 8 to 32 mm as lava mulch. In the absence of clear DIN classifications, however, the boundaries are fluid. Above all, grain sizes from 8 to 16 mm are offered under both product names.

    How much lava mulch per m² should be distributed in the bed for effective weed control?

    Many years of experience in the garden have shown that a 6 to 8 centimeter thick layer of lava mulch reliably suppresses most weeds. When you calculate the amount you need, it depends on the grit you choose. With a grain size of 16-32 mm, 0.08 cubic meters (= 0.09 tons) of lava mulch can be bought per square meter. Competent providers provide practical calculators for determining the quantity of lava in finer or coarser grains, such as kiesdirekt.de for Germany or kieskaufen.at for Austria.

    I've had my fill of the red-brown lava mulch. How can I remove the top layer from the bed?

    Since lava mulch is a purely natural product, time-consuming disposal work is not required. To remove lava as a mulch, simply work the granules into the soil. This has the particular advantage that the soil is additionally loosened up and protected against waterlogging. Alternatively, rake up the volcanic mulch and sift out crumbs of soil. If you need drainage for your potted plants in the future, you already have the perfect inorganic material at hand.

    We would like to buy Lavamulch 16/32 for our garden. What is the expected price if we need a ton of lava rock?

    The specialist trade calculates an average of 250 to 280 euros for a ton of lava mulch in a big bag. Big bags are delivered with a special lifting platform truck. Therefore, there are additional costs for shipping, which are usually not included in the purchase price. We determined these prices in online trading. Many years of experience have shown that local builders' merchants and hardware stores have seasonal special offers that are not published on the Internet. Our tip for bargain hunters: Telephone regional suppliers of lava mulch before you order from national sellers and dig too deep into your pocket. With a little luck you can get discounts of up to 50 percent.

    Is lava rock suitable as a mulch for all plants?

    Lava mulch harmonises with almost all plants that thrive in ornamental and kitchen gardens. Use lava rock under perennials, flowers, conifers and evergreen deciduous trees as flooring for a neat appearance. Lava as a mulch in the vegetable patch also reduces tiresome weeding to a minimum from a layer height of 6 centimeters. Lava mulch is only not recommended under deciduous shrubs and trees because autumn leaves are difficult to remove.

    tips

    Lava mulch is the ideal bulwark against snails. Pointed stones and sharp-edged grains are anathema to the voracious pests. When ravenous slugs seek out your flowers, perennials and vegetables, cover the soil with lava mulch. Grain sizes of 8 mm to 16 mm, ideally combined with coffee grounds, have proven to be excellent in practice.

Category:

Garden design