How Do You Get Driveway Gravel Out of Grassy Areas?

[PILOON]

"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!"

-On a plow blade, edge tamers is the answer.
-On a blower oversized skid shoes does the job.

Also waiting 'til the ground is well frozen is a big plus.
Also assuming you have snow tires vs 'all season' is a big factor.

I have both my blower and plow blade set up as I suggest and NEVER have needed to rake scattered stones, but then I have all wheel drive and real snow tires but also have a steep hill to navigate.
AND do we get snow! So much so that my drift cutters on my blower are 4 (four) feet tall!

Hey, winter is snow time. You should not expect bare pavement on your driveway.
Now ice, that's a whole different ball game. Some abrasive material is called for and INMHO small crushed stone is the best.

 

[i7win7]

I agree, but I want one
Don't have enough use to justify it though.

Aaron Z

On the BX, it will shear off mole hills and flatten the runs. When neighbors see you rolling the lawn in early spring they get the "fever". Drag out the lawn tractor with turf tires, hook up the polly roller, fill it and bury it in the lawn. Then can't understand how something 3x heavier has no problems.

 

[hogisland42]

Get a backpack leaf blower!!!! You can thank me later.

 

[kentrodngun]

Get a backpack leaf blower!!!! You can thank me later.

Got to agree, just own a decent one and blow on an angle so it doesn't blow across the driveway.

 

[the old grind]

I have both gas and electric blowers. 'Gravel nozzle' attachments are pricey and adapters may not fit both types.

IMO getting blown gravel to land reliably on the d'way is as easily mastered as chipping to a tap-in from a bad lie.

 

[sfabern]

It's that time of year again when the snow has melted leaving the gravel that was plowed off the road in the grass. This is an age old problem that normally isn't a big deal but I plowed so much this year that there is more stone in the grass than on the road in places.

Usually, I wait until it's dry, put the stone rake on and drag what I can back into the roadway. This does a fair job with the larger stuff but most of the stone 1/2" and smaller is left behind. If I get too aggressive with the rake, I tear up the grass and drag it into the road along with the stone.

For areas near the house, I use a fine bladed hand rake which does a pretty good job. I maintain 1.25 miles of gravel driveway and private road though and hand raking is out of the question. I thought about getting a power sweeper but I'm afraid it will also tear up the grass. Can anyone offer tips or tricks to ease the problem?

I find that using my shop vac without the collection bag works remarkably well on most gravel smaller than 1/2" to 5/8". It will pick up some organic matter, but I dump it all on the driveway and after the first good rain, the organic material is mostly gone. Alternatively, you can blow it off.

Saml_A

 

[Colledge]

I have a rotary broom mounted on my Deere 455 tractor, which really saves my shoulders from that manual raking. I added guide wheels to avoid tearing up the grass. I have also used the same process to clean up under walnut trees and even the numerous sticks that mysteriously appear in the yard in the spring. The broom I have was not designed for my tractor so I am still working on a way to angle the broom so I can windrow.
I also use that broom to eliminate the loose stones that accumulate on the paved road - so fewer end up in the grass with the snow removal.

 

[5030]

Never do squat. I'm careful when removing snow and a few hunks of gravel don't bother me at all. I'm not that ****, I live on a farm in the country.

 

[Gord Baker]

It's that time of year again when the snow has melted leaving the gravel that was plowed off the road in the grass. This is an age old problem that normally isn't a big deal but I plowed so much this year that there is more stone in the grass than on the road in places.

Usually, I wait until it's dry, put the stone rake on and drag what I can back into the roadway. This does a fair job with the larger stuff but most of the stone 1/2" and smaller is left behind. If I get too aggressive with the rake, I tear up the grass and drag it into the road along with the stone.

For areas near the house, I use a fine bladed hand rake which does a pretty good job. I maintain 1.25 miles of gravel driveway and private road though and hand raking is out of the question. I thought about getting a power sweeper but I'm afraid it will also tear up the grass. Can anyone offer tips or tricks to ease the problem?

There is a fine tooth rake that looks like a snow shovel in reverse. About 18" wide.
Best is the gas powered hand held machine with rubber flaps that does a good job. County uses them.
No tool known works for wife or kids.

 

[bunchgrass]

How aggressive do you plow? I barely have gravel on my grass yet I know how much to plow. I don’t plow aggressively when the ground isn’t frozen. Instead, I flip the back blade around only when needed and after compacting the first snow layer.

"when the ground isn't frozen" ---- Frozen ground doesn't exist much anymore or not enough to keep from tearing up the ground when you plow. This year was a perfect example. 50 inches of snow and never ad the ground frozen.