• Lava rock is a good option for flower gardens.Flower garden image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Finding the right kind of mulch for your garden can be a daunting task. With so many different choices available, like cedar mulch, pine needles, pebbles and sand, how do you know which is right for your garden? Lava rock is one of the less-thought-of mulch options, but will provide several benefits to your garden.
  
  

Types of Lava Rock

• Lava rock comes in many colors.rock texture image by sumos from Fotolia.com
  
  Lava rock is available in a variety of color choices at your local garden center. While there is no major difference between them, black lava rock does tend to hold in heat more than other colors. It has also been said that red lava rock can contribute to better tomato crops. Choose whatever color coordinates best with other elements of your landscape design.
  
  

Garden Benefits

• Lava rock can help prevent weed growth.two dandelions image by alri from Fotolia.com
  
  Lava rock has many benefits for your garden. First, lava rock eventually breaks down into lava sand. Lava sand is considered a great addition to garden soil, as it helps retain moisture. Second, it helps supress weed growth and can make it easier to pull the weeds that do sneak through, since the roots do not hold as easily to the lava rock. Third, it can help decrease soil temperatures in the heat of summer if the layer is thick enough, which helps prevent plants from wilting in high temperatures. Just remember, do not put a layer of plastic sheeting between your soil and the lava rock. This creates a barrier between moisture and your soil, thus preventing valuable moisture from reaching the roots of your plants.
  
  

What It Won't Do

• Lava rock can be a challenge to rake in the fall.herb garden image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
  
  Lava rock has great benefits, but one thing it does not have is any nutritional value for the soil like other wood, leaf and pine mulches do. It also makes for a tough raking job in the fall season, because leaves and small sticks get wedged in the crevices, making it hard for your rake to pull them out. However, it is healthy for your garden to leave a layer of leaf debris in the fall. If you do this, you can get the best of both worlds with your lava rock mulch.