I agree with Lynn. However, I do not use pea gravel myself, except when I want to use the "color" to show off a particular plant. Locally I buy 5 gallon buckets of fine grade granite gravel. The size of the gravel is about 1/4" to 1/2" inch. I run that gravel through a sieve I have made of 1/4" hardware cloth so that I get a more uniform and smaller size. This is used as a top coat on most of my plants. The larger gravel that does not go through the sieve is used for other projects around the houses.

The top coat gravel gradually ends up in the soil, especially due to transplanting, etc. From time to time I will also mix some into the soil to help prevent soil collapse.

I also sieve pea gravel. The main difference between the two is that the crushed gravel is sharper and also cheaper.

I'm still on the track of a source of bulk gravel that would be finer in size. I do really like chicken grit or what had been sold as "aquatic soil" (I believe the brand was Peters, but no longer sure) but both of these are too expensive to use in any quantity at this point.

As a soil amendment for containers, I like to use NAPA oil dry that is made from fired Fuller's earth but that is also a bit too expensive to use in large amounts.

Lastly, I find that a layer of gravel on the top of the soil greatly helps keep plants from lifting in the soil due to watering.

And I use chicken grit. I get it from our local farm store in 40# bags.

Here is a note...its been very wet (luckily cold too!) when I visited my semp beds today the bed which I was so excited about (layer of pea gravel 8 inches below surface, then cactus soil and pea gravel mixed on top of that) was completely saturated, literally standing water on the bed
while the old bed which had the cheapest topsoil you can buy at HD or Lowes, was fine. Anyway I poked holes in and around the semps of the water logged bed and the water drained off and the cactus soil dried right off, I checked back on it later in the day and it looked pretty good, whereas the cheap stuff just stays moist. Don't know if this info helps anyone else, but it definitely helps me. Its worth using cactus soil, yet also make sure water has a way to exit the bed/container. I also like the idea of using aquarium gravel as a top dressing, although its expensive, I like the small size
Cheers

I would like an opinion, since the use of aquarium gravel came up.I paid $12. for a 25 pound bag not sure if i'm repeating that or not but anyway i was looking on Lowes web site and found a product that was marked pea gravel.I'm not sure exactly what size rock other consider to be pea gravel and giving me the size or dimensions in inches etc... isn't a big help to me.Rock is always different sizes in a bag.

As for the opinion i wanted here's a link to a product that to me LOOKS to be about the same size or close to the size of aquarium rock.I always worry about using this product with the fish products at walmart because they are polished & seem to have something on them to make them shiny & smooth.Would this make them get hotter than other products.
Here's the [url=linkhttp://www.lowes.com/pd_92130-76450-GP05RC_4294707953__?productId=3471471&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_avg_rating%7C1&facetInfo=]linkhttp://www.lowes.com/pd_92...[/url]

Here's the rock i have used is it what is considered pea gravel?

I'm not sure the first link will work so you can go to this one or just go to lowes web site and look at a picture blown up so you can see the size of the rock. It's Rock city Pea gravel it's in gold & black packaging.I was shocked at the price because it looks as small as what i paid $12. for.
http://www.lowes.com/Lawn-Care...
That link seems to have worked better, the other link is just where i clicked on the picture of the bag of pea gravel.

Jelinda, that pea gravel will work well for you. The chicken grit is even smaller, and I think cheaper. Check with you local farm and feed store for price.

Greg, I wonder why the water wouldn't drain? Is this a container?

Jelinda, that looks smaller than what I call Pea gravel, and personally I also don't like the coating but I do like the size rock in your photo
Lynn, its one of my raised beds but once I poked holes in the surface its framing fine

Right now my semps are okay with the rocks under them/touching them but when it gets hot i'm scared because of the coating the rocks will get hot enough to burn the semp's.I am wondering if i work them small aquarium rocks into the soil & use the small rocks Lowes has (probably is just rock with no coating),i can use them under & around my semps to protect them from wet soil.The pea gravel i have in the picture is to big to use under or to close to my semp's.I can still use my pea gravel as a top coat as i finish parts of the bed.

Right now there are a good many leaves in my bed,what's the best way to clean it out? Now that the leave are not falling or in the spring before new growth starts.With a blower before the new growth gets any size is what sounded good to me.

I'm not sure about the leaves Jelinda. Seems like they would start breaking down and might smother them during the winter?
I don't have any trees close to my beds, so get now leaves covering them up.

Has anyone else had experience with leaf cover over your semps during the winter.

Hi Jelinda, I had the same problem, I felt that it was keeping the plants wetter (but I'm in Seattle and its very wet right now) so I removed the leaves...and continue to do so because Seattle falling leaves seems to happen all winter Seems that if you're going to remove them, sooner would be better, especially since you're going to use a leaf blower...just my 2 cents
Cheers

Here in our cold zone the leaves provide some extra protection before the snow falls, but I do remove them ASAP in the spring to avoid them holding moisture on the plants.

valleylynn said:I'm not sure about the leaves Jelinda. Seems like they would start breaking down and might smother them of the winter?
I don't have any trees close to my beds, so get now leaves covering them up.

Has anyone else had experience with leaf cover over your semps during the winter.

This is the reason that I cover my semp beds with shadecloth for the winter - keeps the worst of the black locust leaves and flowerstalks out. I've never had a problem with other sorts of leaves - they tend to be large enough not to get into the plants and just lay on top. Easy enough to remove. But any tree or shrub with tiny leaves can be a nightmare close to semp beds.

It's large leaves & no problem to remove.We rarely get to cold or to wet,We did just have a storm front come through & it rained one day.I had been clearing off the leaves to take the pictures i've posted of how well mine are doing especially the one that looked so bad and has recovered so nicely.I may only have the other plants to worry about which the only that ones that have died back completely are upright sedums and it's been so warm that there are babies popping out of the ground now.Will have to ask over on the sedum thread what they think!!

Thank you all for your advice & have wonderful holidays,
Jelinda