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Can I vacuum small leaves and debris off or out of my rocks--without vacuuming up the rocks? I don't have a rock garden yet, but I'm considering using Ginger rock, 1.5", instead of standard mulch.

NeedEasyYard
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  • Depends on the air watts of the vacuum you use - my vacuum would suck stones that size up without even pausing... – Bamboo Jul 24 '19 at 09:59
  • Even if it doesn't suck up the "big" rocks, it will pick up a lot of rock dust which won't do the vacuum any good in the long term. – alephzero Jul 24 '19 at 10:28
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    If you use a Ship-Vac (assuming you're in the US), you may be okay for awhile. Could you fit some quarter-inch mesh over the vacuum's nozzle to prevent the rocks from going in? – Jurp Jul 24 '19 at 13:18
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    How about a low power leaf blower? Blow the leaves out and then vacuum or collect them with a rake or similar tool. – Steve-o169 Jul 24 '19 at 18:13
  • Ground cloth, or some such is nice. Weeds can be quite insistent about coming up through your measly 4" deep pebble bed. – Wayfaring Stranger Jul 24 '19 at 21:30
  • I have the same issue, having a bunch of rocks under a pine tree so it's a constant issue and I'm SO fed up. After too much browsing on YouTube, I found someone who used a flamethrower and it seemed to work perfectly :D (don't try this at home) – curious Jul 25 '19 at 19:57

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A leaf blower is probably your best bet. If the rocks are dry you should be able to blow any debris out from the cracks, while a high power enough to suck anything other than light dust out of cracks will pull your rocks with it. If you foresee the rocks getting muddy there's not a lot you can do but replace them with clean ones...

Hiro Schmidt
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