How to Install Gravel in a Yard

Remove any existing lawn. Spray a herbicide and wait for it to kill the grass in seven to 10 days or try other methods that do not involve chemicals. For instance, cut the grass as low as possible with a mower, water it heavily and cover it with a tarp. The grass will shrivel up from the heat of the sun in about six weeks. Alternatively, cover the grass with at least six layers of newspaper and a layer of organic mulch. Water the coverings and wait for the lawn to die off in about two months. Use a hoe or shovel to clear the area of the dead grass, weeds and other debris.

Measure the yard to determine how much landscape fabric you need. Unroll the fabric and cut enough strips to cover the area according to your measurments.

Lay the strips of landscape fabric on the bare soil with the edges overlapping. If there are plants on the landscape, cut an X in the areas of the fabric where the plants would show. Fold the corners of the corresponding X cut back for each plant and pass the plant through the hole.

Place plastic edging material around the boundaries of the yard to keep the stones in place if the yard borders a lawn. Stray stones in the lawn can become projectiles when you mow the grass.

Pour the gravel onto the landscape fabric in a layer as deep as 6 inches. The thickness depends on the size of the gravel. For instance, apply up to 4 inches of pea-sized gravel or 2 inches of medium-sized gravel.