The Worst Place To Put Gravel In Your Yard

When planning a new yard project, you may be considering the addition of landscape gravel. There are many different types of gravel to consider, including river rocks, pea gravel, and crushed gravel. These small rocks purportedly offer a number of benefits, and they are considered durable overall. Gravel is thought to require less maintenance and pose fewer pest problems compared with wood-based mulch or pine straw. You also do not need to refresh or replace gravel quite as often as other materials. With that said, landscape gravel is only appropriate for use in certain areas of your yard and should stay away from your garden. Safety and maintenance are all potential concerns when graveling large portions of your yard.

Safety is the first drawback to using landscape gravel, especially when placed near a lawn without any barriers. If you still have sections of grass that need to be maintained, you may risk accidentally damaging your lawn mower if you run over any landscape rocks by mistake. Aside from potentially costly lawn mower damage, these rocks may become projectiles when you hit them with lawn equipment, which may cause injuries and property damage. Rocks that are not compacted well may also roll off into a grass or pathway and become tripping hazards. Edging any garden beds containing landscape gravel can also help minimize mowing and tripping hazards, but these techniques may not be 100% foolproof.

Gravel may not require as much regular maintenance throughout the year as other landscaping materials, but there are still issues to be aware of if you lay it near your lawn. For starters, if you do not place down a thick enough layer of rock during the initial installation process, you may still have to deal with weeds. Furthermore, any debris that blows into the rocks may be more challenging to rake — this is an important consideration if you have many trees nearby as well as subsequent leaf piles. Also, while you do not have to refresh gravel as often as mulch, you may still need to add new rocks every couple of years to help the area look its best.

When using landscape gravel in a garden, it's also important to consider the best type of mulch for your garden overall. Rocks can look attractive in pathways and edged beds around your yard. If you have a garden though, you should consider using a natural mulch to help regulate soil health and temperature while also controlling weeds. Some examples of natural mulch include wood, pine bark, and even grass clippings. Placing gravel beneath soil is not only unhelpful, but it can increase the risk of plant diseases. As a rule of thumb, reserve landscape gravel for small sections of your yard only, and make sure no rocks are placed near your lawn or garden beds.