Raise and level surface

[mthomas]

Hi all,

I’m working on a garden project and could really use some advice.

I have a small, low-lying area next to a paved path that I want to raise and level before covering it with plum slate chippings. It's a low footfall zone, so it doesn’t need to be super heavy-duty, but I want it to be stable and tidy in the long run.

Here’s what I’m dealing with:

The ground is currently uneven and lower than the surrounding path.

I don’t plan to plant anything — just want to lay slate chippings on top.

I’ll be using a weed membrane underneath the slate.

I was planning to raise the area by about 5–6 cm.

I was originally going to use Dandy’s Topdressing Sand and Soil Mix (70/30), but it’s currently out of stock. So I’m exploring alternatives and wondering:

1. Would Dandy’s TurfSand Mix be a good alternative for this purpose?

2. Or should I create my own 70/30 mix using sharp sand and topsoil?

3. Are there other pre-mixed products people would recommend for this kind of job?

4. What would give me the best long-term stability under slate in a low-traffic garden area?

Any suggestions, product recommendations, or lessons learned from similar projects would be massively appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sean Regan]

Hi and welcome!

I'd use hardcore, it can be bought in different sizes.

 

[mthomas]

Cheers Sean do you mean hardcore gravel ?

 

[Sean Regan]

Cheers Sean do you mean hardcore gravel ?

Yes, it will drain well and nothing should grow up through your membrane.
But it can be hard to work out how much you will need.

 

[dirty hands]

Maybe forget the membrane and just use more slate. It would suppress the weeds that way.

 

[cpp gardener]

That would also be better for the nearby shrubs. Any sheet mulch/membrane impedes gaseous exchange from soil to air. There are pre-emergent herbicides that will help keep down the weeds.

 

[dirty hands]

That would also be better for the nearby shrubs. Any sheet mulch/membrane impedes gaseous exchange from soil to air. There are pre-emergent herbicides that will help keep down the weeds.

I put a thick layer of just gravel down and still started getting weeds after a year but I used paver sand in a couple of other areas with 3 inch stone on top and only get a few weeds around the edge and around the shrub base now and then. Not really an issue now.

The areas i used landscape fabric started getting weeds after a year. I think from mowing and birds dropping seed.

I compacted the paver sand first too. I use a blower on the rock to keep it free of grass or weed clippings.

 

[oneeye]

I would just scalp the area and use shredded wood mulch to cover everything. Wood mulch has to have nitrogen to decompose and will absorb all the nitrogen out of the soil and from the weeds not allowing the grass to grow. Where as rock will allow the grass seed to sprout and flourish fabric or not, and take a lot of maintenance. After using stone on a lot of jobs over the years my final conclusion is that rock on the ground is a "pain to maintain". Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[dirty hands]

I didnt know that about wood mulch. I thought it just smothered and blocked out sunlight like landscape fabric.

Thank you for that info. It makes me see things differently.

 

[dirty hands]

I pit a real lot of work in my yard over ten years. There was no landscape at all when I moved in. The areas I put tge extra effort onto are pretty good other than a little weed killer here and there.
I have used thousands of pounds of rock some pea stone some pond stone and various boulders.

Thousands of dollars in plants and trees too. Most of done with a shovel and wheelbarrow and my back.

Some areas have been done over 3 or 4 times. Some times things just dont grow or look right or I think of something better.

Ive recently switched to black mulch. Ive used red and cedar in the past.

Im trying to figure out how to post more pictures because I've taken hundreds of them in the process too. I love my home.

 

[dirty hands]

Ahh it worked. I dug out th
e front by the mail boxes because it flooded there a lot and froze in the winter making pulling out of the driveway dangerous. I get very few weeds there after several years and I love the look. I put the junipers in myself with a wheelbarrow and shovel. They were not as big but not small neither.
Its pretty much my hobby.