How to Garden in Gravel and Rock

Not Always a Battle Ground

Rock-hard soil filled with gravel and stone poses challenges to the most ardent gardener. Not only is the soil void of any nutrients; it is darn near impossible to dig a hole, let alone plant a crop. It requires creative solutions to planting flowers and vegetables in the ground.

Evaluate the site to determine the extent of your rocky soil condition. Check near buildings, along the borders of the property, under trees, or any other area you could conceivably plant flowers or veggies. You may be surprised to find pockets of soil that are prime for planting a flower or two.

Dig up any areas that are loose enough to manage with a spade or shovel. You may find that the layer of gravel and rock is only a few inches deep. Keep digging until you find workable soil or you simply can't dig any further. If you have not struck pay dirt in the top 12 inches, you will need to find other alternatives to planting in the ground.

Fill in holes with rich friable soil that is amended with plenty of organic matter. If your entire property is gravel and rock, you may need to purchase topsoil or potting soil for this. I mixed regular potting soil with peat moss to create a loose soil to fill in areas where I wanted to tuck in a few plants. This will work fine for small annuals that have small root systems, but may not be adequate for large perennials that send out large roots.

Purchase large plant pots from your local department store to grow larger plants above the ground. You can also use a variety of buckets and pails that are large enough to hold the root ball of plants. Even discarded milk crates are a quick fix for an inexpensive planter. I lined mine with a black plastic garbage bag so that the bag overlapped the sides of the container and tucked the edges under the crate. I then punched holes in the plastic to allow for drainage, filled with a lightweight potting mixture and planted herbs and perennials in the crate.