How much gravel do you really need to suppress weeds

[Cheryl Isaak]

Especially to keep them from rooting from seeds?

Cheryl

[John Bachman]

What do you mean by "gravel"? Anyone involved in the road building trades knows that gravel is a mixture of rock, sand and clay. It forms a stable base for the road and can even form a nice dirt road/driveway itself.

Many people mistakenly use the term "gravel" when referring to crushed stone. Do you mean crushed stone?

If so, please elaborate on your project. Is the purpose of the crushed stone purely weed control? Is there a drainage issue that demands crushed stone? More details please.

John

[Cheryl Isaak]

I suspect that is a better term. Locally gravel is nearly synonymous with crushed stone

OK - under the deck is a slope that is a haven for weeds and run off from the back of the house. I'm too tall to weed under there comfortably. So I want to suppress the weeds, make a decent parking spot for the hose and finally fill in the (re-dug) dry well at the walk out door. I want something stable that the run off won't carry away when it really gets moving (about once a year).

I suspect the original dry well stopped working when washout filled it in.

Cheryl

[Janet Baraclough]

The message from Cheryl Isaak contains these words:

4 years ago I had a load of pea gravel left over from a drainage job, so I used it as a surface mulch laid direct on weedfree soil, no barrier, on a bed planted with herbaceous perennials. It's about 3" deep. Four years on, the gravel still looks good and clean, and very few weeds manage to germinate in it (easily tweaked out.). Pea gravel is the size of peas.

Janet. (West Scotland; mild maritime climate, 70+ " of rain pa.)

[Charlie]

Uhhhh, who is mistaken here?

Depends upon where you live and who is involved in the road building trades and what kind of roads you are building, I guess, John.

My bother-in-law is a sales manager for Norris Aggregates. They sell millions of tons of gravel or crushed stone for roads and concrete and all sorts of construction projects.

My son owns a truck and hauls gravel, or crushed stone, as you call it. He is currently involved in hauling 3 inch base rock for the access raods to a wind farm being constructed in the area. This is laid directly upon the subgrade.

After the 3 inch base is laid and compacted, they will overlay with

1 1/2 inch rock.

No sand, No clay. Just gravel, rock, crushed stone.... same stuff.

They then have a road.... capable of supporting the extremely heavy loads, of tower, blade, turbine and control components that will be transported over these roads.

No mix of sand gravel and clay.

Perhaps you were thinking of concrete? If so, it is a mixture of cement, gravel (crushed stone) and water and whatever specialty additives necessary for the project requirements?

Son also hauls sand to one of the local ready mix plants. He doesn't haul if there has been rain enough to cause any mud on the access road as any mud buildup on his truck frame that falls into the dump area has the potential to ruin the mix.

Any clay in the mixture will ruin it and the load will be rejected.

Perhaps things are done differently in your area, I can't speak for that, buth then again you cannot speak for all inclusively about

Once again, here is a basic primer on gravel:

you desire more information, I am sure Bill (the Bro-in-Law) will be happy to forward me what he knows.

I can also have my son request information from a classmate of his who is now general manager for **** Construction, KC division, a family held business that contracts all over the state of Missouri.

Perhaps you meant a sand-clay road.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:RSrLVEv9oxQJ:

Ouch, be more careful, that's gotta hurt, John Charlie

[Kay Lancaster]

Several inches to a foot or so, depending on how well it packs (I assume you're talking something like pea gravel). However, as the surface collects "soil" from detritus blowing in and/or rotting, you'll form more pockets that will allow seeds to germinate.

[Dave]

If the conditions are right, no realistic depth of gravel will prevent germinated seed from finding soil. Dave

[Bill R]

Depending on what type you use it may take 4 - 8 inches but if you are willing to put up with a few weeds you can get away with using "only" 3 inches of small sized gravel.

[Cheryl Isaak]

I do realize that.

I don't mind the once a season weeding (spring, summer, fall clean up). gravel has got to be better than the massive crop that is there week after week with bare soil.

[Cheryl Isaak]

I'll go for 4, I think more will have a potential "slide" issue.

C

[Cheryl Isaak]

It still has to be easier to maintain than what I currently have! LOL C

[Kay Lancaster]

Will you be mowing near your gravel? In my experience, there's no such thing as truly contained gravel. And gravel slung by lawnmower blades is a lot tougher on both the blades and on the thing the gravel hits than an organic mulch of some flavor.

Dry lawn clippings make great mulch that needs to be renewed once a year or so... much less work than gravel. Just make sure the clippings come from plants not recently treated with herbicide.

[John Bachman]

Well, if you are using the clippings to suppress weeds and are not putting them where you want to grow something what does the herbicide hurt? I think that fits the bill for the OP.

John

[Cheryl Isaak]

No - it is under a deck, a place already impossible to mow! and I need it for a dry well also

Not to worry there C