I have landscape fabric covered by bark mulch in some planting beds and gravel in others. It works quite well. Weeds do pop up but they don't get a very good foothold and there are few compared to a plain soil planting bed.

Jim

We put in gravel paths with fabric underneath because we have moles that would tunnel under it and cause problems. We also have thistles, dock, and blackberries that would come up through the gravel if we didn't use the fabric. So it depends on your situation.

Thanks for the advice. I'm putting in 3-4 inches of gravel. If I put down the fabric first, do I need to secure it? Wouldn't the weight of the gravel pretty much do that?

No need to secure it, the gravel will do that for you. If you haven't bought the fabric yet don't buy that thin plasticy shtuff that you get at home centers. Go to a place called WhiteCap Contractors Supply, they have a fabric that is like a heavy felt. Its what I used when I was a landscape contractor in Seattle.

And 20% vinegar--an organic control--will be effective for weed control on any weeds that invariably will come through at some point in time. I wouldn't use any deadly poisons, then track them in and out of my house.

Progress report: I have started and things are progressing well. The best investment I have made so far is in a 8x8 hand tamper with a fiberglass handle to compact the gravel. The 10x10 model was too heavy and IMO a bit large so I might have gotten my foot at some point, so I opted for the 8x8. It makes a big difference - the compacted gravel is much easier to walk on and you don't kick around loose rock much at all.

I use weed fabric a lot. Recently I removed some brick pavers from which grass was growing inbetween, layed down the fabric and put the pavers back on top. So far, so good. Our grass is rather invasive but I have not seen growing back.
I've thought about doing what you did, but using brick instead of gravel. Since I've considered using sand as a filler between the bricks, I'm curious if the weeds will set seed in the sand.

Heather

I use weed fabric a lot. Recently I removed some brick pavers from which grass was growing inbetween, layed down the fabric and put the pavers back on top. So far, so good. Our grass is rather invasive but I have not seen growing back.
I've thought about doing what you did, but using brick instead of gravel. Since I've considered using sand as a filler between the bricks, I'm curious if the weeds will set seed in the sand.

Heather

Question on grade of gravel for a path.

I am following directions from Better Homes & Gardens book on how to make a gravel path. 1) Lay down a covering of landscape fabric, which I'm doing. 2) 2 inches of 'construction grade' gravel. Question here: the guy at the materials yard advises me to use AB Roadgrade Gravel here. Says it will compact well. I'm worried about drainage. Any advice from experienced users/builders? Wondering if pea gravel would be better.

After this layer I will put down another of landscape fabric to keep the two gravels from mixing. Then a 2 inch layer of river rock. Need to know if the roadgrade gravel is okay.

Thanks.

Ralph

Ralph,
Don't worry about different mixes of gravel.
I have many paths here in olympia. Just specify 5/8 minus crushed gravel. This is gravel that is screened to a maximum size of 5/8 inch across. I got some 3/5 minus one time but don't like the look. the 5/8 minus compacts better.

I do fabric to keep it from sinking in hte clay base soil then 3-5" gravel. It gets tamped down by foot traffic and water. After 6 months it is firm.
Ed

A recent thread on the landscape forum discusses the use of round rocks for pathways, although you might have something different than this in mind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pea gravel pathway

5/8 " seems large? What seems to be used on things like hicking trails and bike paths is much smaller - almost sand size. has anyone used this?

Looking for advice on applying 2" of P2 or P1 gravel as landscaping to the front of my house. I was told to utilize the landscape fabric, will the weight of the stone be sufficient to hold it down or should some type of spikes be nailed? Is there a need for any additional layers? Can this arrange be conducive for walking? Can a motor vehicle drive and park on this? Thanks in Advance.

johnnie y, you don't get answers when you change the question in someone else's thread.

The answer, thought, is no. Rounded pea gravel should only be used in ornamental applications. Because it is round, it never locks into place. Every time you walk on it you sink in. A car would sink all the way through 2 inches of it.

There is a material with sharp edges that will work for you. You put down a layer and tamp it. Then another layer and tamp it. It becomes surprisingly firm (until the grass comes up). But the weight of the stone will hold the fabric down. You'll have many tons of stone on it.

definitely put fabric under gravel, especially if there are heavy loads involved that will cause the clay to pump up into the gravel - fabric keeps the layers separate and adds strength. Helps with weeds too.

Yes, weed seeds will grow in straight sand, but they are easier to pull up!
As suggested you can use vinegar, boiling water, even a torch to get rid of them.

I am new to gardening and a lot of you all are freaking me out:) The ones using the fabric with stone are for pathways etc. My question is this. Do I use the fabric if I am using rocks to landscape with my shrubs? We have a new house and the mulch that was their was attracting all kinds of bug, slugs, rodents because it is so wet. We decided to have shrubs around the house and use rocks at their base with the fabric under the rocks. Is this wrong? I want little maintenance for weeding and of course the pruning of the bushes. One can go crazy trying to figure it all out. HELP!

Yes, I know it has been years since anyone has posted a note on this site but....I have a retaining wall that my husband built about 6 years ago. We planted nice plants and some vinca, (big mistake, HUGE), the vinca has taken over everyting and is cascading down the wall. I want it gone! What I would like to do is take up all the plantings, (read vinca), and replace it all with nice looking stone gravel. But I do not want to waste time with thnigs that will not work. I am way to busy, and have an organic farm operation, with this seriously ugly front landscaping.

I am looking at taking out all the vinca plantings with a weedeater than putting "round up" on it, then plastic and then the nice looking gravel stone. I am too busy with other stuff to do this more than once. What I need to know is:
Will my plan work, and what kind of landscaping plastic do I need as a base for the gravel? Please someone help me! I would very much appreciate any advice. I am only planning on doing this once!

Sending this out into the big black hole called the internet, hoping someone can help.

thanks,

It has been suggested to me to use old carpet instead of the expensive landscape fabric.
I also hate to hear of your "problem" with vinca. It is a wonderful travelling rock plant for your wall, can't you embrace the natural beauty and trim as needed. A lot less to take care of instead of rigid plantings.

If you want the fabric work for the weeds, you must take ALL the contaminated soil with weed roots first. That mean taking about 4" and adding good un-contaminated soil, then put the fabric overlapping about 1" and secure with clamps, then put the gravel on top

I am building some pea gravel walkways. I have excavated down ~6 inches, installed borders, put down 1/2" hardware cloth (for the gophers we have which are the worst) and then landscape fabric. Now I intend to put ~3" of base rock which I will compact and then 2" pea gravel on top of that. My question is: Do I need to put another layer of landscape fabric between the base rock and teh pea gravel? I would rather not as I don't want the fabric to show through. thanks for any help.

To HU-890777521, See the following site regarding a pea gravel path. I don't know if this works, but the writer claims so. Scroll down to the 4th pic. Hope this helps. https://gardenerofgoodandevil.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/how-to-build-a-stable-pea-gravel-path/

I would avoid pea gravel on walkable areas. Sometimes, It gets stuck in the grooves of the soles of your shoes and could get tracked into the house. It may even scratch up hardwood floors.

We have locust trees on the boulevard beside the area I want to "pave". In discussions with my son, who is more in to this stuff than I, we concluded that since the falling leaves from those trees will compost down and encourage weed growth in the gravel, it will be better to use 5/8-3/4 riverstone as my final topping. This will enable me to vacuum up the fall leaf deposits without sucking up stones as well. Does anyone have experience in this regard, and do you think 3 inches of such stone over a tuff weed control fabric is sufficient coverage. The ground area is pretty firm, but I also want good drainage.

I put old swimming pool vinyl down in the walkway under our pavers and gravel.

Old swimming pool vinyl would equate to using a cheap tarpaulin or suchlike - zero drainage. I hope your ground has a really good slope to the nearest road.

I have old pea gravel between the retaining wall and deck. It is full of dirt from over the years. I think there is paper underneath. I have weeds growing through. I want to refresh but asking if I can just put new over the old? Should i try to clean the old? Hiw?