Can I grow grass on top of gravel?

hunker.com - How to Grow Grass on Gravel | Hunker

Is it cheaper to build a garage or a pole barn?

Technically, it all depends on how you would use the building. A pole barn garage would be cheaper than a wooden garage because it's a wooden...

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If you've ever mulched a landscape bed with gravel, you know that grass -- and weeds -- can grow in gravel. And that gravel compacts the soil underneath. But if you've inherited a yard full of gravelly "clean fill," you can convert it to turf, providing you're willing to invest some time, money and water in the project.

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Preparing the Site

You can grow turfgrass on gravel, but keep in mind that you will have to provide what gravel won't, namely nutrients and moisture. Give the gravel a fresh grade, crowning to guide runoff away from buildings. While grading, rough up the surface to provide new grass roots a grip. A top dressing of sand or river silt helps slow drainage and provide a finer texture to shelter germinating seeds and new roots. Start your lawn during your area's rainiest season, because seeds will need constant moisture to germinate. In the upper Midwest, for example, late spring is rainy, but in the West, fall may bring more favorable rains.

Choose Knowledgeably

Once your site is graded and prepped, invest in a soil test kit and take it to your local extension or lab. Only a soil test can tell you what nutrients are present -- and absent -- in your rocky soil and suggest the right fertilizing program. If you take your soil to an agricultural extension, its specialists can also suggest grasses that have the best chance of survival on your gravel. Choose a drought-resistant grass such as a tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) or red fescue (Festuca rubra), both hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 6, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9 -- or the recommendation of your extension agent.

Starting Right

For best germination, plant fescues and other cool season grasses when soil temperatures rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and switchgrass and other warm season grasses when soil temperatures stay above 70 degrees. Soak the area thoroughly before seeding and scatter seed exceeding the recommended rate -- if directions suggest 4 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet, lay down 5 or 6 pounds over the same area. Keep seed continually moist until it grows to 1 inch tall, then supplement rain so grass gets 1 inch of water per week. Wait until the grass is about 3 inches tall to mow and never mow lower than 2.5 inches on gravel. Fertilize annually or spring and fall based on needs established by soil tests.

Beating New Construction Blues

Clean fill contains little organic matter, so even your best efforts might produce quick cover but a short-lived lawn. Make seeding success is made more permanent -- and you'll save considerable annual labor -- by working 1 to 2 inches of a combination of well-rotted compost and topsoil into the top 4 inches of clean fill. If the clean fill is clay-heavy, use only topsoil to break it up. Add 1 or 2 or more inches of topsoil as a bed for the grass seed.

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Are shed plans easy to follow?

These are! They guide you every step of the way to complete your dream shed.

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How long do concrete slab houses last?

Poured concrete block bases and slab foundations will last for a lifetime, 80 to 100 years or more, given they have been constructed with precision. The termite proofing of the base, 12 years, provided the chemical barriers remain intact.

spauldingconcrete.com - How Long Does A Concrete Foundation Last?

Life Expectancy of Home Components

One way to plan for the expense of owning a house beyond mortgage payments, insurance and taxes is to know the life expectancy required of the components of your house. This awareness does not supersede a home inspector’s use when buying a house, new or old, but it will help you build a savings plan to brace you for the inevitable. Sooner or later you’ll need to fix or rebuild all of the pieces of your house— inside and out. Knowledge of life expectancies of components is what homeowner associations use to create, in part, a contingency fund intended to spread the eventual costs over time. If the roof goes out, the appliances conk out, or the paint starts to rust, it’s much easier to get the cash if you’ve got any socked away for just one rainy day. Last year, the National Association of Home Builders, along with the Bank of America developed the “NAHB/BoA Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components” to help you take the guesswork out of preparing for the worst. The study suggests that you use the timelines as a general guideline. Local weather conditions, use patterns, routine maintenance— or lack of it— all can influence many components’ life expectancy. Personal preferences for contemporary improvements need for remodeling and other considerations can also dictate replacing parts before their useful lifetime is finished. In any event, NAHB established knowledge about the durability of housing components based on a detailed telephone survey of manufacturers, trade groups, and researchers. From the base up to the rooftop, here’s a brief look at how long some of the most popular home components are supposed to last on a national average.