Putting gravel over lawn - any landscape experts?

[SupremePossum]

I have a section in my yard where I have a firepit, and just recently got a bunch of the Costco Adirondack plastic chairs which are HEAVY. Mowing and trimming here is a real pain. (PS: The Costco Adirondack chairs are nowhere near as my other Polywood chairs despite also being plastic and a similar design, but we wanted cheaper chairs near the fire incase they get melted by embers)

I'm planning on making it gravel, so I don't have to mow, and when something shoots off the fire, it doesn't burn the ground. Note that I say lawn, but this is just really weeds at this point

The red line would be approximate area I'd be making gravel

I'm thinking of getting this Blackstar Gravel

Blackstar Gravel For Sale - Sand and Gravel Yard - Houston, TX

Blackstar gravel is gray landscape gravel used in walkway and patio landscape designs. TGM has Blackstar for sale. Houston Gravel Delivery!

texasgardenmaterials.com

I do not want the lawn to end up growing into the gravel easily, so my plan is to make a trench around the area, and then pour a concrete barrier around the whole thing a couple inches high. Then I can put some fabric down and fill to the top of the concrete barrier with gravel. For Drainage, I would drill holes in the form and throw some 1 inch PVC conduit through it, so the water can escape

Does anyone think my plan is dumb?

 

[cptbarkey]

Having trouble envisioning your concrete barrier idea. Is that what will hold the gravel in?
I would dig 4 inches down, weed barrier, gravel, tamp it good with a hand tamper or plate compactor. Outline it with pavers or your concrete footer idea. If I had my tractor close by it would be a fun few hours.

 

[SupremePossum]

Having trouble envisioning your concrete barrier idea. Is that what will hold the gravel in?
I would dig 4 inches down, weed barrier, gravel, tamp it good with a hand tamper or plate compactor. Outline it with pavers or your concrete footer idea. If I had my tractor close by it would be a fun few hours.

My idea is digging down and then placing wood forms into the trench (Thin wood so I can get some good bends) and then just pouring a single one piece barrier

In my head it seems like a good idea, but who knows how it would play out. I like the idea it would be a really good barrier with no gaps

 

[tbm5690]

Why not just lay down patio pavers instead of gravel? If sticking with gravel I would use pre-made concrete decorative edging to contain it vs pouring something that sounds like it may not look very attractive.

 

[doitmyself]

What is the soil like underneath the turf? Sand, clay, who knows?? The general rules of thumb are to remove the sod layer 3 to 5 inches deep to get rid of the organic material that will rot down and settle and/or turn mushy underneath the stone. Then put down a good base of sand or whatever they use locally in your area. Some landscape fabric. Put the decorative stone on top.

For the perimeter, I cannot imagine your poured concrete could look attractive, unless we are envisioning something different than your explanation. I would at minimum use a HIGH quality lawn edging or use pre-formed paving stones as the perimeter.

Google "fire pit gravel patio: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=fire+pit+gravel+patio

 

[RhondaHonda]

It would work but you could just use metal edging or paver blocks. I have pavers between mulch beds and grass and it works well.

 

[bullwinkle]

Field stones would work around the perimeter as well, and I like the sand, landscape fabric, and paving stones (imbedded in a layer of tamped down sand with sand in between). Preen & Roundup or similar stop things from growing afterwards.

 

[4WD]

You don’t want trip hazards around fire pits … I’d try the rock without borders bcs you can come back to that anytime … and regardless it’s an interface you have to maintain with either a weed eater (border) or weed killer (no border) … Areas that I have done in pea gravel require supplemental rock (make sure you can continue to buy) when you don’t use a bedding cloth - but I found that stuff sticks up over time and eventually I pulled it out … Rubber mulch is also something very easy to use and durable as well …

 

[atikovi]

Even if you put fabric down, airborne weed spores will eventually settle on the gravel and you will need to spray the area with Roundup to keep them in check, or pull them out manually.

 

[SupremePossum]

Even if you put fabric down, airborne weed spores will eventually settle on the gravel and you will need to spray the area with Roundup to keep them in check, or pull them out manually.

Roundup should be illegal!

Propane torch all the way

 

[4WD]

Even if you put fabric down, airborne weed spores will eventually settle on the gravel and you will need to spray the area with Roundup to keep them in check, or pull them out manually.

Yep, and organics that would otherwise filter through the rock become a new system above the barrier … a thin layer of rock is not like a thick layer of mulch that nobody walks on …

 

[atikovi]

Roundup should be illegal!

Propane torch all the way

So you can start a brush fire and burn down the neighborhood?

 

[SupremePossum]

So you can start a brush fire and burn down the neighborhood?

Brush fire, on rock?

 

[atikovi]

Brush fire, on rock?

On the weeds you want to eliminate.

 

[SupremePossum]

On the weeds you want to eliminate.

Yeah, thats the goal with the torch haha

 

[4WD]

Once the area is mature - vinegar can keep up with spot weeds …

 

[Hall]

Use a combination of rock and pavers ? You can use RoundUp or similar first, then lay down the barrier (maybe 2-3 layers), then sand, rock, and pavers.

 

[barryh]

It seems to me that the question is, do you want the new area to be level with the existing grass or above it. Raising up the new area creates a tripping hazard and a problem for mowing up to that edge.

I would sink it for sure even though its a lot of work to excavate.

 

[97prizm]

I have a section in my yard where I have a firepit, and just recently got a bunch of the Costco Adirondack plastic chairs which are HEAVY. Mowing and trimming here is a real pain. (PS: The Costco Adirondack chairs are nowhere near as my other Polywood chairs despite also being plastic and a similar design, but we wanted cheaper chairs near the fire incase they get melted by embers)

I'm planning on making it gravel, so I don't have to mow, and when something shoots off the fire, it doesn't burn the ground. Note that I say lawn, but this is just really weeds at this point

The red line would be approximate area I'd be making gravel

View attachment 215431

I'm thinking of getting this Blackstar Gravel

Blackstar Gravel For Sale - Sand and Gravel Yard - Houston, TX

Blackstar gravel is gray landscape gravel used in walkway and patio landscape designs. TGM has Blackstar for sale. Houston Gravel Delivery!

texasgardenmaterials.com

I do not want the lawn to end up growing into the gravel easily, so my plan is to make a trench around the area, and then pour a concrete barrier around the whole thing a couple inches high. Then I can put some fabric down and fill to the top of the concrete barrier with gravel. For Drainage, I would drill holes in the form and throw some 1 inch PVC conduit through it, so the water can escape

Does anyone think my plan is dumb?

I'd use vegetation killer first. Then trench it if you want. After that I'd mow it on the lowest setting to get up any remaining grass debris. Put down a weed barrier and put pea gravel or limestone on top of the barrier.

 

[SHOZ]

I have a gravel drive that is not used much. You still are going to get weeds growing in it. I have to spray twice a year. Thought about using salt as a more long term plant preventer but there are some trees at the edge.