1. Home page
  2. NEWS

Slate how to do

The mulching process is to place a material on the surface of your soil in order to both aesthetic and also to promote the growth of trees and plants.Bark and compost are generally used as mulch, but slate glitter can also be used for this purpose.The advantage of the garden slate compared to other natural materials available on the market is that it does not deteriorate, which means that you will not have to devote time and money to its frequent replacement.The only thing you will have to do is a bit of maintenance and a refreshment from time to time.It should be noted that the slate does not offer the same nutritional advantages to your soil as the bark mulch and the compost.You should therefore only consider using it as mulch if you already have good arable land for crop, or if you intend to take care of your plants. 

If you are looking to install blue slate gravel in your garden, do not look any further than Occitania FPI.With our high quality gray slate glitter, we have the solution for all your projects, whether you intend to use them for an aisle, a path or for your garden borders.The slate mulch can even be used in or close to water elements, because they do not affect the pH of your water point and will therefore not have a negative impact on aquatic animals and the vegetation thatare there.

To make a slate mulch, nothing could be simpler!It will be necessary to establish the development area, prepare it and then properly place your pieces of slate glitter.

In this article, we will see the following elements:

  • Where to put the slate mulch
  • The advantages of slate mulch
  • What depth should your slate pieces be placed
  • How to make a slate mulch for a garage entrance
  • Cleaning and maintaining your mulch

Let’s not waste any more time and spend interesting things!

Garden slate glitter

Due to its availability, low interview and relatively low cost, Slate is a very popular choice For many outdoor spaces, whether houses, parks or entry for businesses.Let’s see a few examples of uses you can make with your slate glitter together.

Paths and gardens

Slate is an elegant and modern aggregate that offers great decorative and practical utility, which explains why many people use it for their Alley and house.

If you choose to use self -locking pavers or concrete for your paths and alleys, you will have to spend time at one point or another.Indeed, debris, algae and weeds can be encrusted on the surface of your pavers.This can take a while to clean them and to remove these dirt using a brush and a little elbow oil.On the contrary, the use of slate means that you do not have to worry about this aspect of maintenance, because algae do not form as quickly on slate as on concrete or cobblestones.However, if you are not convinced by slate glitter, you can head to our garden slabs and slates that are made with natural quality natural materials.And, for any questions, do not hesitate to join our team of experts at all times via our contact form.

Use the slate as the upper layer in the planters to create a clean and modern look.In addition, this natural material will also help the drainage of your plants.

If you have borders in your garden, but you don’t want to spend too much time weeding or watering your plants, Slate shavings can be the solution!By planting just a few trees or shrubs, then adding slate pieces to the border area, you can provide an aesthetically attractive finish where you will not spend much time for maintenance.In addition, slate is a material facilitating the drainage of rainwater, which is an advantage for your plants.

Slate mulch

Slate shards have many advantages that are both economical and aesthetic, making it a material of choice for your outdoor development projects.Here are four advantages to use the slate:

  • Low cost: other alternatives of alleys, such as blocks in blocks or tarmac aisles, can be much more expensive.This is the reason why we recommend slate.
  • Resistant and little maintenance: slate bursts may need to be refreshed once every 5 years, when they wear out or compact, but the maintenance will be fast and inexpensive.
  • Easy to install: although it can help – laying aisles in slate or in the garden does not necessarily require the expertise of a professional.If you have some manual skills, you can make your slate mulch yourself, just you just have have your slates delivered.
  • An ideal surface for winter: although it is a fairly irregular surface, unlike the aisles in tar or paved, it is not subject to slippery ice plates in winter.

A very common question that our customers asks us is How much slate will you need M2? For the majority of garden projects, the depth that should be used will depend on the size of your slate.

For 20 mm and less slate glitter, they must be placed about 4-5 cm deep.

For slate glitter that we offer at FPI Occitanie, the 24 to 40 mm pieces must be placed at 5-6 cm deep.

And, the large 50-150 mm slate shavings must be placed a little deeper, about 7 cm, and despite their size, they are silent.However, due to their larger size, we do not recommend them for the creation of paths and aisles.Instead, favor a small or medium size.

slate garden pieces

Concrete, tar and paving stones: Nowadays, all garage entrances are alike.The good news is that it is possible to Place a slate alley yourself And that it instantly adds the appeal to your exteriors.

Fortunately, the process is simple and direct for the creation of a Allée or a slate floor covering.However, we recommend that you use slate glitter from 20 to 40 mm, as they tend to be flatteck and easier to install.

Step 1 :

To start, just choose your desired slate type – ideally 24 mm – and delimit the area of the aisle for excavation.

2nd step :

Dig the desired area at a depth of about 15 cm thick and flatten the base using a flattening tool, you can rent one in your local hardware.Otherwise, you can call on experts.Then add a layer of about 10 cm of gravel.Gravel is a bulk filling and leveling material which will allow your aisle to remain stable and not sink under the weight of vehicles.The size of the crushed stone varies from 40 mm to 5mm.Once the base layer has been added, make sure it is well compacted using a mass, a roller may be necessary if your aisle is large.

Step 3:

Finally, add a layer of membrane prevention against weeds.This will prevent unwanted herbs from overtaking from your slate and will allow water to flow through the surface.It will be enough to cut your geotextile fabric so that it is in the desired shape, then it will be necessary to apply it on the crushed stone base.This step will save you from having to use a weedkiller or spend a lot of time snatching weeds.

Step 4:

This is the last step!Now that the base is fully prepared, shove your Decorative slate glitter On the herbal anti-mauaes membrane, making sure that they are placed at least 6 cm deep, depending on the size of your slate, as we have seen previously.Use a garden rake to uniformly distribute the slate shavings and take advantage of your magnificent slate alley.

The slate requires very little maintenance, but once in a while you may need to clean your mulch.The best way to Clean slate shavings is to create a large sieve and water the pieces.

For example, you can use the following technique:

  1. Perce holes in the base of an old wheelbarrow (or a similar object).
  2. Fill the wheelbarrow with slate shavings and Wash the slate chips in the jet of water dirty.
  3. The water must flow entirely, then you can put (or rest) the slate glitter.

Although the slate requires little maintenance, there are some simple ways to ensure that your slate installations last for many years.

First, make sure the area is fully weeded before placing your slate gravel.Then, from time to time, rake the slate gravels so that the area remains uniform.

There are many places in France where you can find your slate to make your mulch.If you are looking for slate glitter in Toulouse and the surrounding area, you can go directly to our store.Otherwise, many areas are open to delivery.Do not hesitate to contact FPI Occitanie to find out if we can give you your slate needs.

Garden with slate glitter