Will Grass Grow Through Gravel? What You Need to Know

Gravel can make or break a yard. If you want your garden, driveway, or lawn to look beautiful, few decorations will look as good as a nice gravel border. Many people use gravel to cover or get rid of grass patches, but can it be effective without letting the grass grow through the rocks?

Grass will grow through gravel if there are sprouting seeds or roots. You need to remove the grass before laying the gravel by tilling the soil, manually shoveling it out of the way, or laying landscape fabric over the grass. Place the gravel on top of the fabric and spread it evenly.

In this post, we’ll discuss whether or not grass can grow through the gravel and other rocks, what you can do about it, and different suggestions to remove the grass beforehand. We’ll also talk about how you can prevent the grass from becoming an issue.

Does Gravel Prevent Grass From Growing?

Gravel can prevent grass from growing if there’s enough of it, but even a small gap is enough space for the grass to grow. Most people add a thin layer of fabric between the grass and the gravel to prevent it from pushing through the rocks. If the grass has access to sunlight, water, and oxygen, it’ll grow.

So, will gravel keep your lawn from growing? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are there any gaps for air or sunlight to get through? Grass doesn’t need a lot of light to grow a little bit. As you might’ve read in my article about grass growing through pool liners, you could imagine how a few inches between the gravel could allow the grass to thrive.
• Does water trickle through the gravel to the grass? Water is one of the three necessary components for grass to spread and grow. If water flows under the grass, there’s no doubt the grass can grow under it. However, the weight of the gravel can prevent it from getting too out of hand.
• What kind of grass is growing under the gravel? According to Hunker, drought-resistant grass can cause a lot of problems when it’s growing under gravel. You might not be able to stop it without manually removing it. Drought-resistant grass doesn’t need too much water, which means it’ll continue to grow unless it’s void of sunlight and oxygen.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when you’re laying gravel over the grass. Fortunately, there are a few must-know tricks you can try to keep it manageable or completely eliminate the grass before adding the gravel. Review the suggestions in the following subheading for more information.

How Do You Keep Grass From Growing in Gravel?

To keep grass from growing in gravel, follow these instructions:

1. Till the grass or shovel it out of the patch before laying gravel over the area. Grass roots can go deep into the ground, remaining dormant until they get enough sunlight, oxygen, and water. Breaking the roots apart prevents the grass from growing down the road.
2. Place landscape fabric over the tilled or shoveled soil to create an impenetrable barrier below the gravel. Grass can’t grow through landscape fabric, which is why it’s one of the best tools for gravel patches. Use lawn staples to secure the fabric to the soil.
3. Level the fabric over the soil, then layer the gravel evenly to prevent it from shifting. Leveling the gravel will also stop water from pouring below the porous fabric. If a little bit gets through, there still won’t be enough oxygen or sunlight, thanks to the lawn staples.
4. The Clever Homeowner recommends spraying herbicide or other natural weed removers on the grass if it sprouts through the landscape fabric. These chemicals won’t damage or discolor the gravel, but they can be harsh enough to leave holes in the material. Make sure you use all-natural ingredients to stop this from happening.
5. Inspect the gravel once per month to ensure there’s no grass growing through the fabric, rocks, or around the edges. Thorough inspections are crucial to maintain a good looking gravel pathway or barrier. Keep a bottle of natural herbicide on hand for spot treatments.

Managing the grass after you’ve set the gravel over it is quite simple. Follow step number five until you notice patches in the fabric. The good news is that it typically lasts quite a few years before it’s time to get rid of it and replace it with a new layer.

What Do You Put Between Gravel and Grass?

You should put landscape fabric between gravel and grass to prevent the grass from getting enough water, oxygen, and sunlight. If the grass doesn’t have enough of those necessary nutrients, it’ll turn brown and won’t grow anymore. Landscape fabric is an excellent choice since it only takes a week or so to get rid of the grass.

If you don’t know much about landscape fabric, I’ve written about it quite a few times before. I highly suggest using landscape fabric under gravel, rocks, and other cosmetic yard items. Landscape fabric is strong enough to hold back all types of grass, even sharp nutgrass or drought-resistant grasses.

There aren’t many other options, considering the fact that landscape fabric is affordable and easy to install. The AHG Garden Weeds Fabric is an ideal choice because it’s quite thin and porous, which won’t let the water pool over the gravel. However, it’s dense and durable, so grass and other weeds won’t stand a chance.

Another reason you should consider using landscape fabric is that gravel doesn’t look great when it’s set directly on grass or dirt. All it takes is one rainy day to make it look like a pile of mud and rocks, ruining your yard’s appearance. Landscape fabric doesn’t blow away when you use grass staples!

Note: If you’re leveling a lawn to be the same height as a driveway, landscape fabric is often the only option. It handles the slope perfectly, creating a slope to drain the water. You should also know what height the soil and driveway need to be.

Should I Remove Grass Before Putting Down Rocks?

You should remove grass before putting down rocks, but landscape fabric can work in a pinch. Make sure you use lawn staples to secure the fabric and prevent it from moving around while you’re laying the rock. The staples will also stop oxygen and sunlight from reach the grass.

Whether you’re laying large 10-inch rocks or small gravel around the yard, removing the grass is always the best solution. While landscape fabric is essential to keep the gravel looking great and prevent the grass from growing through, leveling the yard will remove all of the grass before it’s a problem.

If there’s no grass in the soil and you lay some fabric with grass staples to pin it down, there’s no way any more grass can grow under the gravel. It’s the top-notch one-two swing you need to preserve and protect gravel areas around your home.

Keep in mind that grass can grow between large rocks much quicker and easier than it could with gravel. Drying the soil can help since grass needs moisture to grow. That being said, some people like the look of grass growing between boulders and mid-sized rocks.

In Conclusion

Many types of grass can grow through gravel, so it’s important to get rid of it prior to adding the gravel. Landscape fabric will do the trick, but you can also remove it with a tractor, shovel, or tilling machine. Patchy grass and gravel don’t look good, so do your best to fix the problem before it starts!