Creating A Gorgeous Garden

3 Tips To Prepare For Gravel Delivery

27 April 2021 by Tiffany Gonzales

If you are planning a landscape project that uses gravel, you must prepare for its delivery. The following three tips can help you do just that.

1. Choose Your Staging Area

The staging area is one of the most important parts of your gravel delivery. You need a spot that the gravel truck can easily access from the road, while also trying to make it as convenient as possible for the work you are doing. Generally, driveways are preferred because they are a hard, easy to access surface, but your driver may be able to deliver to a back or side yard if there is a gate that they can back up to.

Further, be aware of damage to the site. Gravel is heavy, and it can cause major damages to lawns and garden beds even if it is only going to be sitting there for a day or two. The weight of the gravel compresses both plants and soil. Compressed soil can't absorb moisture or nutrients. For this reason, it's best to stage the gravel on a paved driveway or patio when possible.

2. Develop a Site Plan

Have a plan for moving the gravel from the delivery site to the installation area. It's best to have this plan in place before the gravel arrives so you can have all of your necessary tools on hand. This is especially important if there will be more than one load delivered and you need to move the first load before the next arrives.

The simplest ways to move gravel by hand are with a wheelbarrow and a large shovel for scooping. If you have a lawn tractor with a bucket attachment, you can avoid much of the heavy labor. Make plans to purchase, borrow, or rent the necessary equipment before the delivery of your gravel.

3. Prevent Spread and Loss

One issue with gravel is that it will spread out to where you don't want it to go. Once the gravel escapes, it will work its way into nearby soil and wash away into the street gutters. To prevent spread and loss, cover the ground with a heavy duty tarp before the gravel delivery truck arrives. The tarp helps contain the gravel so it doesn't get into the soil, and it protects the paving below the gravel.

To minimize spread, cover the pile with a tarp when you aren't accessing it. Use heavy rocks or wood boards to anchor the tarp over the gravel. This will prevent spread, especially with small stones like pea gravel, which can wash away easily if it rains.

Contact a landscape gravel supplier to schedule a delivery today.

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