St. Paul Stone Delivery

Will road salt ruin my decorative stone?

Salt will not damage granite, trap rock, or river rock, which is exactly why stone beats mulch along St. Paul sidewalks and driveways. Limestone can etch slightly over many winters. The bigger issue is the plants near the stone, so if you get plow spray from your street, choose salt-tolerant plantings and consider rinsing the bed once in April after the melt.

Do I need fabric under stone?

Yes for decorative beds and no for drainage applications. In St. Paul silt loam, stone laid directly on soil will work its way down and mix within a couple of seasons, and fine silt will migrate up between the rocks. Use a woven landscape fabric, not the thin plastic sheeting. For a French drain or dry well, keep the stone open so water can move.

How deep does stone need to be to stop weeds?

Three inches over fabric is the practical minimum in St. Paul. Anything thinner and you will see sunlight reach the fabric, which is all creeping charlie and thistle need. Even at three inches, wind-blown seed and the maple and elm samaras that blanket older St. Paul neighborhoods will sprout in the dust that collects between stones, so plan on a spring cleanup.

Can I use stone instead of mulch in my planting beds?

You can, with two cautions specific to our climate. Stone absorbs heat and radiates it, which pushes soil temperature up in July and can stress shade-loving hostas and ferns that do well in St. Paul yards. Stone also adds no organic matter, so silt loam beneath it stays compacted. It works best around shrubs, ornamental grasses, and drought-tolerant plantings.

What stone works for a driveway or parking pad here?

Use a crushed stone with fines, like class five or three quarter inch minus, so it locks together and packs hard. Washed round rock will rut and spread. In St. Paul the freeze and thaw cycle heaves gravel surfaces every spring, so plan on regrading and adding a thin lift of material most years, usually in late April once the frost is out.

Will stone help with my erosion problem on a slope?

Yes, and it is often the only thing that holds on St. Paul bluff-side lots. Use angular rock rather than smooth river stone so the pieces interlock, sized two to four inches on moderate slopes and larger for a rip rap channel. Lay fabric first so the silt loam underneath does not wash out from below the stone during a heavy July storm.