Gravel is changing color?

[iLoveCacti]

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I need help please. How can I stop the gravel from changing colors? When I first put this gravel down it was beautiful dark gray. Now it’s turning pink and white. The first picture is the gravel that’s been outside for a bit and the second picture is after the gravel was sitting for a bit. What can I do? I know it might sound stupid to complain about the color of a rock but $5 a bag is pretty steep for something that will change. My vision is to fill this section with gravel and have a cactus garden. Any advice is appreciated!

Bonus question: How do I keep the weeds out? As you can see, some weeds have been breaking through. I put this gravel - the section on the right - about 2 inches deep on top of a 6 foot tarp.

 

[Tetters]

@zigs is the cactus person in this house, but is not here at this precise moment.... I can tell you that the last lot of gravel/grit we bought was covered with a dust (as most will be)
As the dust is washed off, or wears off the true colours in the stones will emerge. It's a bit like watching the shingle on a beach as the waves come over and wet the stones, they change colour and look shiny.
Putting a membrane on the ground will maybe suppress the perennial weeds from beneath, but weed seeds will blow in the wind, and have an uncanny way of putting down root anywhere - they take very little effort to remove.
If you used a tarp under the gravel with no drainage holes, your cacti will be prone to rot, as the tarp will stop the water running away, and the plants will not tolerate wet roots.
If any liner is used before gravel, it needs to be the proper weed membrane which allows drainage.

 

[iLoveCacti]

@zigs is the cactus person in this house, but is not here at this precise moment.... I can tell you that the last lot of gravel/grit we bought was covered with a dust (as most will be)
As the dust is washed off, or wears off the true colours in the stones will emerge. It's a bit like watching the shingle on a beach as the waves come over and wet the stones, they change colour and look shiny.
Putting a membrane on the ground will maybe suppress the perennial weeds from beneath, but weed seeds will blow in the wind, and have an uncanny way of putting down root anywhere - they take very little effort to remove.
If you used a tarp under the gravel with no drainage holes, your cacti will be prone to rot, as the tarp will stop the water running away, and the plants will not tolerate wet roots.
If any liner is used before gravel, it needs to be the proper weed membrane which allows drainage.

Thanks for getting back so soon! That’s unfortunate. My obsessive self is tempted to go pick out the pink rocks . My house is grayish blue so I was hoping for gray rocks too haha.

 

[Tetters]

Pink looks lovely with grey and blue.

 

[zigs]

As Tetters has said, the pink is granite with the dust washed off

If you wanted just gray, might I suggest crushed Carboniferous limestone, the stuff they use for railway ballast.

 

[zigs]

Be carefull with the Opuntia, the flowers will be bright yellow, that'll clash with your house

 

[DirtMechanic]

As Tetters has said, the pink is granite with the dust washed off

If you wanted just gray, might I suggest crushed Carboniferous limestone, the stuff they use for railway ballast.

Careful what you claim, my entire county is mined for the stuff. It is very white when exposed. Well- on second pause, you did use a big word so I better examine Carboniferous relative to the limestone we produce so far away from where you live.

 

[zigs]

Careful what you claim, my entire county is mined for the stuff. It is very white when exposed. Well- on second pause, you did use a big word so I better examine Carboniferous relative to the limestone we produce so far away from where you live.

We're on Cretaceous limestone here (chalk) which is pure white (white cliffs of Dover) but our Carboniferous limestone from up North is much darker as it's not so pure. I have both so I can take a picture of them tomorrow (It's night here now)

Found this...

 

[DirtMechanic]

We're on Cretaceous limestone here (chalk) which is pure white (white cliffs of Dover) but our Carboniferous limestone from up North is much darker as it's not so pure. I have both so I can take a picture of them tomorrow (It's night here now)

Found this...

View attachment 101520

That was interesting. I found it in reference to an obituary for the fellow. 1870 or so. He was a wealthy farmer that lost it all in the civil war. There is a open pit mine not far to the west of me. Saginaw I believe they call it. Blue Circle cement works as I recall. They have huge kilns making the component for portland cement. The whole place is dusted. Glad the wind blows westerly. When its wrong and strong we can get a little "snow" on that side of town.

I gave up on drip coffee makers, too much lime. Hard water here. It is not uncommon for water softening systems to be caught trying to sneak out of the house.

anyway back to the op the limestone I see has a very white look.

 

[mkmiraglia]

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I need help please. How can I stop the gravel from changing colors? When I first put this gravel down it was beautiful dark gray. Now it’s turning pink and white. The first picture is the gravel that’s been outside for a bit and the second picture is after the gravel was sitting for a bit. What can I do? I know it might sound stupid to complain about the color of a rock but $5 a bag is pretty steep for something that will change. My vision is to fill this section with gravel and have a cactus garden. Any advice is appreciated!

Bonus question: How do I keep the weeds out? As you can see, some weeds have been breaking through. I put this gravel - the section on the right - about 2 inches deep on top of a 6 foot tarp.

For the weeds, you have to pull them and get out the roots. People think there are shortcuts to getting rid of weeds -- there are not. The only thing that really dissuades them is a think cover of healthy grass. You just have to keep after them until you get them manageable, after that just pull the occasional weed.
Mulch will help but won't eradicate them.
About the gravel -- you should complain to the vendor / distributor / producer. Obviously you're paying for the color and obviously this gravel was tinted. It will not stay gray. As for something that really is gray. For example, in the park across the street from me we have small rock black gravel. And it pretty much just stays that way because it's naturally gray.

 

[lifegardener]

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I need help please. How can I stop the gravel from changing colors? When I first put this gravel down it was beautiful dark gray. Now it’s turning pink and white. The first picture is the gravel that’s been outside for a bit and the second picture is after the gravel was sitting for a bit. What can I do? I know it might sound stupid to complain about the color of a rock but $5 a bag is pretty steep for something that will change. My vision is to fill this section with gravel and have a cactus garden. Any advice is appreciated!

Bonus question: How do I keep the weeds out? As you can see, some weeds have been breaking through. I put this gravel - the section on the right - about 2 inches deep on top of a 6 foot tarp.

I find this funny, in that I have the same situation with some white rock (primarily quartz) I put down, which is slowly exposing the true color after being hit with rain - which is fine , and more natural looking. Your rock was "powdered" gray.


By the way $5/bag for landscape rock is a a good deal, it quite often - depending on rock quality - is much more.

 

[lifegardener]

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but I need help please. How can I stop the gravel from changing colors? When I first put this gravel down it was beautiful dark gray. Now it’s turning pink and white. The first picture is the gravel that’s been outside for a bit and the second picture is after the gravel was sitting for a bit. What can I do? I know it might sound stupid to complain about the color of a rock but $5 a bag is pretty steep for something that will change. My vision is to fill this section with gravel and have a cactus garden. Any advice is appreciated!

Bonus question: How do I keep the weeds out? As you can see, some weeds have been breaking through. I put this gravel - the section on the right - about 2 inches deep on top of a 6 foot tarp.

Follow up on gravel change of color:
You're not alone for sure - ours has also changed due to the rains, from an artificial white to more natural off-white and darker tones. No plans to replace it either - we have come to accept that some change in stone color is natural.

The occurrence of weeds:
As long as there is some light hitting the soil below, weeds shall germinate. The good part is, they are usually easy to remove. If you have a few additional bags of gravel, cover the areas where weeds pop up.
The more you pull weeds, the more will grow.