Thanks for the link Woofie, I'll check it out.
Thanks a ton for the info Kent! I shall carry on with my plans then.
Elaine, thanks to Kent I shall do basically the experiment you mentioned. It won't be perfectly clinical since plants won't be exactly side by side, but 2 honeysuckle will be mulched with rock and 8 will be mulched with wood chips.
And yeah termites (which are totally rampant in this state) are just one of many reasons why I like rocks.
But again, I mainly grow succulents and the like.