My experience with Mulch Mound was great and super easy. I ordered two yards of screened topsoil and was able to get it delivered within 2 days. They came in my requested time frame (afternoon) and dropped it off where I asked on my driveway. The topsoil was exactly what was a...
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How Much Material Do I Need?
Two to three inches is right for decorative stone in beds, and four to six inches for driveways and heavy traffic areas where Hudson's freeze and thaw cycling works material downward. Dry creek beds usually need four to six inches to look natural and function during heavy runoff.
Use our free stone calculator
What is a Yard?
A yard is approximately 27 cubic feet. As a general guideline, one yard of material can cover an area of about 100-160 square feet at a 2-3 inch depth.
My experience with Mulch Mound was great and super easy. I ordered two yards of screened topsoil and was able to get it delivered within 2 days. They came in my requested time frame (afternoon) and dropped it off where I asked on my driveway. The topsoil was exactly what was a...
How Much Material Do I Need?
Two to three inches is right for decorative stone in beds, and four to six inches for driveways and heavy traffic areas where Hudson's freeze and thaw cycling works material downward. Dry creek beds usually need four to six inches to look natural and function during heavy runoff.
Use our free stone calculator
What is a Yard?
A yard is approximately 27 cubic feet. As a general guideline, one yard of material can cover an area of about 100-160 square feet at a 2-3 inch depth.
My experience with Mulch Mound was great and super easy. I ordered two yards of screened topsoil and was able to get it delivered within 2 days. Th...
Read full review
My experience with Mulch Mound was great and super easy. I ordered two yards of screened topsoil and was able to get it delivered within 2 days. They came in my requested time frame (afternoon) and dropped it off where I asked on my driveway. The topsoil was exactly what was advertised, clean with no rocks or other debris. The price was reasonable. I plan to use them again in a couple weeks to order compost for my garden beds.
Multiply length by width in feet to get square footage, then choose your depth, remembering that one cubic yard covers about 162 square feet at two inches deep. Stone is sold by weight in some sizes, so ask us to convert tons to yards for your specific product. Order slightly heavy, because stone always spreads thinner than you expect once it settles.
Complete Your Outdoor Stone Project
Pair your stone with woven landscape fabric, steel or paver edging to contain it, and a few larger boulders or outcropping pieces to break up long runs. Mulch works well in adjacent shade beds where stone would overheat plantings.
Build dry creek beds with mixed stone sizes rather than one uniform gravel. Line the channel with two to four inch river rock, set a few larger six to twelve inch pieces along the edges, and scatter cobbles for irregularity. Hudson gets intense spring downpours, and a varied bed both slows water and looks like it belongs there instead of reading as a gravel trench across the yard.
Mulch Mound Pro Tip
Contain your stone or you will be raking it out of the lawn every spring. Hudson lots often have enough grade that gravel migrates steadily downhill, and once it reaches the turf it becomes a mower hazard. Steel edging set flush, or a concrete paver curb, holds the line for decades. Set the stone surface about a half inch below the edging top so nothing spills over during heavy rain.
Mulch Mound Pro Tip
Rethink limestone gravel next to acid loving plants. Crushed limestone slowly raises soil pH as it weathers, and Hudson soils are already trending slightly acidic in a way that suits rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries perfectly. Set stone beds near those plantings and you can push pH out of their comfort range over several years. Use river rock or granite gravel in those spots instead.
The Unique Landscape of Hudson
Stone earns its keep in Hudson because water management is a year round job here, with 43 inches of annual rainfall plus snowmelt moving across silt loam that drains slowly once compacted. Gravel beds, dry creek runs, and stone splash zones handle that volume in places where mulch would simply float away by June. Stone also stands up to Hudson's freeze and thaw cycling between the October 15 first frost and the May 5 last frost, which chews up softer materials and heaves poorly built pathways. For driveways and parking pads on Hudson's longer rural lots, a proper limestone base is what keeps the surface from rutting during the spring thaw. Decorative river rock and pea gravel give beds a permanent finish that never needs annual replacement, which appeals to homeowners tired of remulching. Used thoughtfully alongside mulch, stone solves the problem areas that organic material never quite handles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click a question to see the answer
Answer
What size gravel should I use for a Hudson driveway?
Build in layers. Start with a four to six inch base of number 2 or crushed limestone for drainage, then top with two to three inches of number 57 or crushed limestone with fines that locks together. Hudson's spring thaw is brutal on single layer gravel drives, and a proper base is the difference between a smooth surface and annual rut repair.
Answer
Will stone in my beds make the soil too hot for plants?
Light colored stone reflects heat and can stress shallow rooted plants along a south facing Hudson foundation in July. It works well for sedum, ornamental grasses, junipers, and yuccas. For hostas, hydrangeas, and other shade plantings common under Hudson's mature canopy, stick with mulch.
Answer
How do I keep stone from sinking into my silt loam?
Install a woven geotextile fabric underneath, not the thin plastic weed barrier sold at big box stores. Hudson's silt loam softens considerably during our wet springs and stone works down into it fast without separation. Woven fabric keeps the stone and soil apart while still letting water through.
Answer
Is river rock or pea gravel better for a walkway?
Pea gravel is more comfortable underfoot but migrates, so it needs solid edging, which matters on Hudson's sloped lots. River rock stays put better but is harder to walk on. For a path that sees regular use through Hudson winters, crushed limestone with fines compacts into a firm, stable surface that also sheds snowmelt well.
Answer
Can I use stone around my downspouts to stop erosion?
Absolutely, and it is one of the best uses of stone in Hudson. A three to four foot splash bed of two to four inch river rock over fabric absorbs the impact of roof runoff, which is substantial with 43 inches of rain a year. Extend the downspout at least four feet from the foundation first so you are moving water, not just spreading it.
Answer
How much does a yard of stone weigh, and can my driveway handle it?
A cubic yard of gravel runs roughly 2,600 to 3,000 pounds, considerably heavier than mulch. Older asphalt driveways around Hudson can mark under a loaded truck on a hot day, so we can stage the load at the apron or on plywood if you prefer. Just flag it when you book.
Answer
Does stone really eliminate weeds?
It reduces them significantly but does not eliminate them. Hudson's tree canopy drops leaves and seed all fall, and that organic debris breaks down within the stone and creates a seedbed. Blow the stone clean each November after leaf drop and you will cut weed pressure dramatically the following spring.
