Grass - gravel border ideas

[PandDLong]

I have 800' of driveway to "edge". I am happy to use the round-up spray method for controlling weeds on just over half and letting some gravel slide into the grass on this same distance. But, on the remainder I would really like a cleaner edge. The challenge is that this section is all curves and rounded edges so RR ties/4X4s won't work.

A local landscaper suggested edging with a trench about 8" deep and 6" wide that is filled with 1" crushed rock - it is supposed to keep the grass from creeping into the road and rock of this size shouldn't migrate much and the odd stray in the grass would be easy to kick back onto the road. I am not convinced this would work well or beyond a couple of years.

Anyone use this trench with crushed rock border method?


I am also intrigued with the idea of on-edge composite decking mentioned earlier in the thread - because it can be curved - and have it laid low enough to be a mowing edge. Anyone used this approach?

 

[MossRoad]

Otherwise sounds like you may have a lot of work ahead!

Or behind.... this is a 9 year old thread! :laughing:

 

[jeepinator]

Thanks for all the replies!

I ended up, only last summer, installing concrete blocks. The blocks are flush with the gravel, but create a small wall near the low end of the parking area on the grass side. Basically, the lawn has a pitch to it which was greater than I wanted the parking area, so I split the difference. Looks nice!

 

[jyoutz]

I have about 120 feet of grass/gravel bordering to do. We just installed (grew) a new lawn with sprinklers and the whole 9 yards. And a new graveled parking area is adjacent to it, with some pretty loose gravel (and will likely stay loose at is not used much). I'd like something that lives up to the quality of the new lawn, but simple and not terribly expensive. Perhaps 2/3 of the way up the scale. We priced out some concrete border stuff. Top of the line in both appearance and cost!

What have you done?
FWIW, I am not afraid of work. For work I don't work at all, if you know what I mean, so actually working when I am not at work is not really work either
It's more like fun.

Thanks!

If you’re not afraid of work, get some 2x6’s and bags of concrete. Slowly pour your own concrete borders. Or form it up and rent one of those pull behind concrete trailers and do it all at once. A cheaper option is to buy those steel edgers at Home Depot. They come in 8-10’ sections with steel spikes. I did this to edge flower beds in my yard.

 

[jyoutz]

I have 800' of driveway to "edge". I am happy to use the round-up spray method for controlling weeds on just over half and letting some gravel slide into the grass on this same distance. But, on the remainder I would really like a cleaner edge. The challenge is that this section is all curves and rounded edges so RR ties/4X4s won't work.

A local landscaper suggested edging with a trench about 8" deep and 6" wide that is filled with 1" crushed rock - it is supposed to keep the grass from creeping into the road and rock of this size shouldn't migrate much and the odd stray in the grass would be easy to kick back onto the road. I am not convinced this would work well or beyond a couple of years.

Anyone use this trench with crushed rock border method?


I am also intrigued with the idea of on-edge composite decking mentioned earlier in the thread - because it can be curved - and have it laid low enough to be a mowing edge. Anyone used this approach?

That doesn’t work at all. The grass will grow in the large rock.

 

[lman]

That doesn’t work at all. The grass will grow in the large rock.

Glyphosate is your friend.

 

[jyoutz]

Glyphosate is your friend.

The problem is that the grass is connected by roots to the grass in the yard and then you get herbicide killed patches of lawn.

 

[lman]

Glyphosate only kills foliage that it contacts. It can't kill patches in your lawn unless you spray those patches. Roots are not a factor. You can spray roots of a tree and it won't do a thing.

 

[jyoutz]

Glyphosate only kills foliage that it contacts. It can't kill patches in your lawn unless you spray those patches. Roots are not a factor. You can spray roots of a tree and it won't do a thing.

You are correct that glyphosate is foliage active, not soil active. But in the situation we are discussing, it depends on the grass species you have. Some grow with long connected root runners (rhizomes). If you spray the grass in the driveway, those leaves are connected to grass patches in the yard, making a huge grass patch effectively one plant. So it’s the same as spraying half the leaves on one plant. It will still kill the plant. Kentucky bluegrass is an example of a rhizome grass. Other species like tall fescue are separate plants growing close together in a lawn. It depends on what grass species are in the lawn

 

[lman]

It works for me. I didn't know they had grass in NM.