How To Maintain Decorative Aggregates

Posted on 6th May 2022

Garden stones and decorative aggregates are both versatile and easy to use in any garden or outdoor space. They are perfect for creating beautiful, low maintenance features for patios, pathways, water features, and other landscaping projects.

The great thing about decorative aggregates is that they require very little maintenance. Whether you choose slate chippings, pebbles, or larger decorative paddlestones, the process of cleaning and maintaining is simple.

Generally speaking, occasional washing and basic care is enough to ensure your garden stone features look beautiful all year round.

Cleaning dirt and algae from garden chippings

The colour of your stone chippings and where they are located in your garden will determine how much cleaning is required to keep them looking brand new.

Footpaths and high traffic areas will likely attract more dirt to your stones, as well as areas with direct sunlight and water features, where algae tends to develop.

However, dirt and algae can be washed away from gravel with a high pressure garden hose. Simply use your garden hose on a low setting and rinse off the chippings.

Removing weeds

While all of our decorative chippings, pebbles, and paddlestones are fantastic for minimising weed growth; weeds will naturally make their way through your gravel from time to time. If this occurs, there are several ways to quickly and effectively remove them.

• Remove weeds by hand - This is by far the simplest solution. When removing garden weeds, be sure to approach them by the roots and always wear garden gloves.
• Use a weed killer - Weed killers that contain glyphosate are extremely effective at eradicating weeds and are safe to use on decorative stone surfaces.
• Scatter salt - A cheaper alternative to weed killer, scattering salt on weeds dehydrates them. However, make sure to spread this carefully because it could harm your other plants.

Weed prevention

While there are ways to remove weeds from your decorative stones, prevention is key. To avoid the laborious task of pulling and digging out weeds, we recommend first applying a layer of weed prevention membrane.

Weed prevention membrane provides long-term protection against weeds, which means you can enjoy beautiful stone surfaces without regular maintenance.

Removing leaves and debris

To avoid decorative aggregates discolouring, it is important to remove leaves and other debris regularly. The decomposition of leaves in particular can cause your gravel to discolour and lose its high-quality effect.

You may find more maintenance is required in areas that are close to trees, particularly in the autumn months. Be sure to pick up loose leaves wherever you can, however if there are a number of them, using a leaf blower on the lowest setting will make the job easier.

High traffic gravel surfaces, such as pathways and driveways may be more difficult to keep tidy because the stones will mix more often with debris. Therefore, the easiest way to maintain your aggregates is to shovel loose stones into a gravel sieve and remove any unwanted debris.

With over 25 years of experience distributing natural stone paving, porcelain paving, aggregates, and interior solutions worldwide; we are the people to help you achieve the perfect patio, garden, or home interior.

Talk to one of our experienced stone professionals about your specific needs today.