Question
I am considering planting a few citrus trees in south Louisiana in a 700 sq. ft. area that will be covered by a mesh fiber grass barrier then 2 inches of limestone. What are some of the pros and cons of doing this? I know that water and air will freely pass thru the barrier, but I have some concerns about heat absorbtion in the summer due to the limestone.
Thanks,
bill

Answer
Billy,

My first question is why you want to put the grass barrier down and limestone?  Is it for weed prevention?  I would not go to that expense.  You could economically treat and prevent weeds with Roundup and/or cultural methods.  Besides you will still get weeds that will grow from seeds that blow in on top of the barrier that have to be treated.

The limestone will reflect a great deal of heat.  container plant grown on limestone beds routinely reach a temperature of over 120F, which can be lethal to some species.  

Good luck

Gary