Garden: stop grass growing through pebble "shed" base

[skotl]

I know, I know.... I do, in fact, know which makes this mistake all the more embarrassing.

I love these lego-style shed bases. Interlocking slabs that you then fill with gravel:

They're under my numerous sheds and under the decking. All have a membrane, and none let the grass grow through.

Then, last year, like a noob, I laid a pattern out on a dug out section of the lawn to make a standing area for my 8ft x 3ft trailer. Laid down the plastic slabs without a membrane, filled them with gravel and parked the trailer on top.
Of course, even without overhead sunshine, I now have 8" tall grass growing underneath the trailer.

So I have two options: opinions welcome on each, but even better to hear smarter ideas:

1. Spray, spray and spray again with farmer-strength Roundup, then pour numerous bags of sand over the gravel
2. Admit you screwed up, lift it all up, a meter at a time, and put a membrane underneath

Clearly, as a lazy bugger, #1 sounds better to me...
Thoughts?

 

[Erie Fred]

try salt.

I have a tank of salt brine on my land, from a gas well, your mileage may vary.

 

[Ross365]

try salt.

I have a tank of salt brine on my land, from a gas well, your mileage may vary.

Salt may well be useful, but it will spread sideways and it is long lasting. Do we have any idea of how much salt gives a good effect without being excessive?

 

[Agroshield]

Embrace the grass and have a hardstanding with a natural look like the top left of the picture. Mow it occasionally.

Suck out the gravel from each square of the grid with Henry. Cut a square of membrane, drop it in and then put the gravel back.

What is your thinking about the sand? The grass will grow through it.

Lay membrane on top and do the whole thing over. Less work, more money than lifting the existing but higher finished level.

 

[6ply]

Lift the whole lot up (not just a square at a time) and do a proper job. A standing area for an 8*3 trailer can't be that big can it?

 

[james butler]

lift and redo its the propper way to fix it so it doesnt happen again

 

[addjunkie]

Get the Mrs to move the trailer and mow the grass, while you watch and drink beer.


No matter what you do grass will eventually grow in gravel

 

[Bravheart]

Not mentioned yet-

Concrete over the base. With membrane.
Or lay paving slabs on top of the base. With membrane.
Or find someone who has left over sodium chlorate. other residual Weedkillers also available.

 

[RichardM]

Lift it and lay it properly.

 

[Agroshield]

We should probably say that the membrane does more than prevent vegetation growth. It stops the gravel and soil mixing and spreads any applied load, so without it, there will be more settlement along the wheel tracks of the trailer.

 

[frank horton]

scortched earth policy....
we really dont like weed killers....
we use a stong solution of salt and washing up liquid applied with a big rose sprayer....not a perm fix but make a bad situation better.....easy to apply and cheap

 

[badabec]

Stupid boy.

 

[MattF]

Salt may well be useful, but it will spread sideways and it is long lasting. Do we have any idea of how much salt gives a good effect without being excessive?

Doesn't need vast amounts, just some sprinkled over the area in question. If patches continue to grow, sprinkle those.

 

[Migmac]

On a area of lawn I’d be quite happy having the grass grow through, I’d just mow over the top

 

[BrokenBiker]

vinegar...not the stuff you get from the chippy though, get down b&q and get the cleaning vinegar, chuck a hefty bit of salt in and a few drops of washing liquid.

it will kill anything it touches thoughso contain it to the areas needed...we had a weed growing on the gravel on the driveway, couldnt kill it no matter what we tried, even had the national grid dig it out when they did some work and it came back within about 3 weeks of them re-laying with fresh soil...sprayed it with the above mentioned mix and it was dead in 3 days and hasnt come back.

i also used thos mesh panels as a base for my shed, and even though i used the membrane i sprayed the area with this mix first to make sure nothing will ever grow through

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Lay artificial grass over the gravel...solves the grass cutting problem!

 

[oldbikedavey]

Accept that it is an ongoing maintenance requirement, and spray with Roundup periodically.
It doesn't require much effort at all, is safe, and works.
Main thing is to avoid spray drift, so keep the pressure low, the droplet size huge, and the spray nozzle close to the ground.
Light air or Light breeze are acceptable, but Calm is obviously better.
Only a few droplets are required to administer a lethal dose ( grasses are particularly susceptible ), so don't spray to run-off.
Glyphosate is your friend, used correctly, despite the demented howlings of Organised Boobydom....

 

[Wildefalcon]

Chuck the membrane on top of the gravel and then more gravel?

 

[Bullet2012]

if you wait long enough one of the lunatics will ensure that nothing will grow.

 

[Pond frog]

Strim the grass down and then sprinkle on wild flower seed mix to make it look deliberate