Gravel and weeds... Any tips??

[MaisOuiMadame]

Do you have any kind of stabilisation grid with a membrane under the gravel? They don't totally prevent weeds from windblown seeds, but they do keep them from growing up from underneath--in my experience, those are the ones that are problematic.

As we are (potentially) driving on all areas and it's steep the membrane is out afaik...
There is an underconstruction under the gravel to make it a secure driveway... But nothing anti-weed. We've had people come and look and they advised against tearing the whole thing apart, since it was apparently professionally done from a road construction pov

 

[MamaBee]

Well he doesn’t know everything but he’s the first to say he doesn’t if he doesn’t. And then he follows it up with “what, am I google?”

But....He DOES know everything!

 

[monarch64]

I’d bring it up with the HOA. It’s ridiculous what you’re having to deal with because of some stupid rule.

1. Anything you apply seeps into the soil and eventually water sources. Salts, table or epsom, are heavy metal. Yet there is no “safe” way to effectively and ecologically friendly manage the issue. The maintenance required is far more of a problem than it should be.

2. What would happen if you sold your home and the next occupants let it go, creating an eyesore?

And what if YOU were to let it go? Would you get slapped with a fine? Why don’t the HOA members come and help you with this, if they are so firmly against paving it over?

ETA: I really like @Matata ‘s suggestion of a good groundcover. Here we use rye and buckwheat and clover as “cover crops.” They grow all winter, don’t get tall, and it’s an eco-friendly method. You’d have to wait until it got established to drive over it, but in the long run (and if you don’t want to tangle with HOA) it would be worth it.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I’d bring it up with the HOA. It’s ridiculous what you’re having to deal with because of some stupid rule.

1. Anything you apply seeps into the soil and eventually water sources. Salts, table or epsom, are heavy metal. Yet there is no “safe” way to effectively and ecologically friendly manage the issue. The maintenance required is far more of a problem than it should be.

2. What would happen if you sold your home and the next occupants let it go, creating an eyesore?

And what if YOU were to let it go? Would you get slapped with a fine? Why don’t the HOA members come and help you with this, if they are so firmly against paving it over?

ETA: I really like @Matata ‘s suggestion of a good groundcover. Here we use rye and buckwheat and clover as “cover crops.” They grow all winter, don’t get tall, and it’s an eco-friendly method. You’d have to wait until it got established to drive over it, but in the long run (and if you don’t want to tangle with HOA) it would be worth it.

It's unfortunately not only our HOA, but also the local legislation. We checked if our home was listed before we bought and it's not, however the whole area is under special historical monument restrictions and the HOA is somewhat prominent in this area, so we cannot change anything without asking one specific architect from the historic monuments agency.

Our direct neighbor is a d*ckhead and a royal pita (not my assessment, but everyone elses also) and would hate your lovely eco friendly solutions. He'd be calling my "friend" from historic monuments ASAP.

We have meadow in the middle of the community. It belongs to one old couple and they make them keep up a lawn there. They don't even live here and it's frankly ridiculous. They pay gardeners to mow once every 6 weeks in summer, which is costly to them and the whole area still looks rough-ish. We suggested to make it an insect friendly wild flower meadow. Which I find more appealing than an unkempt lawn plus eco friendly. No dice with M. Lawyer - pita neighbor

 

[monarch64]

@kipari go guerilla-seed that meadow with a wildflower mix. Even if it ends up mowed over it will make you feel Super A-Team!

Did they historically have gravel and weeds there, like in the 1500s (or whatever)? I need to speak to this historic architect “friend” and smack him in the head.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

@kipari go guerilla-seed that meadow with a wildflower mix. Even if it ends up mowed over it will make you feel Super A-Team!





I did - bought so called "seed bombs" with insect friendly wild flowers and we threw them on there



Did they historically have gravel and weeds there, like in the 1500s (or whatever)? I need to speak to this historic architect “friend” and smack him in the head.


No, place is from the 1850 ies...so the gravel is there in the historic photographs...

But you're invited over to France for as long as you wish to stay anytime - architect smacking or not! We'd have a BLAST

 

[monarch64]

You’re way ahead on the guerilla seeding! Lol

if this plague ever leaves us I would love to come to France-and of course visit you!

 

[Arcadian]

Garden sheeting (basically its like a 2-3 ply plastic) you could put that down first, then gravel on top. You'd have to dig down a few inches then lay that, then gravel on top. only thing I've ever did to stop the weeds for any length of time.

 

[Matata]

Zoysia grass if it's available in France and not considered an invasive species.

All You Need to Know About Zoysia Grass

In its optimal growing zones, this tough grass can deliver a beautiful, dense lawn with very little input from you.

www.pennington.com

 

[lambskin]

What about a gravel mixture -that hardens nearly like cement when it gets wet used as a base layer. Weeds cant grow through it but looks like gravel. I think the fine powder in the gravel hardens while the gravel remains. Then put fresh gravel atop which will satisfy the HOA.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Thank you @lambskin , I'll look into this. Never heard of this before.


Thanks @arcaidian , but this only an option for very limited zones on my property.

@Matata, interesting grass, didn't know about it. It could be an option for two patches in the front that have been badly abused (they rolled over that with cement trucks repeatedly.. So the flower bed & patch of lawn is just.. Gone...)