Safety Concerns To Consider When Using Landscape Gravel In Your Yard

There are so many ways to make your plants stand out in your garden. For example, some people choose to work with gravel because it can be used in various ways, doesn't require much maintenance after it's set up, and may even benefit your plants in terms of insulation and drainage. Unfortunately, it isn't always the easiest to use. There are plenty of common mistakes you can make when using gravel in your landscaping, and one issue is that what seems like a normal piece of yard decor can easily turn into a dangerous or deadly weapon when you're mowing. Gravel is made up of some rather small rocks that can easily get caught up in a lawn mower blade. When this happens, at best, it may jam your blades and break your machine — a costly replacement. However, there's an even more dangerous situation, which is when the stone doesn't get lodged but instead becomes a projectile. 

A rock that is shot from a lawn mower easily travels 50 feet or more and at speeds up to 170 miles per hour. As you can imagine, this can cause quite a bit of damage to homes, vehicles, or even people. You can keep your gravel areas weed-free with a few simple tips and tricks, which will help reduce the need to mow when you're actually on the rocks. However, even if you aren't directly mowing over where you placed your gravel, there are other times when these stones can be a problem for your lawn mower. Namely, if those rocks accidentally get moved anywhere else, including in your grass, you might not see them until it's too late. 

To prevent this danger when maintaining your lawn, it's a good idea to keep gravel far away from where you regularly mow. Even if you carefully add barriers, it's common for wind, rain, or animals to move the rocks and scatter them around, so if the two areas are next to each other, you run the risk of gravel getting mixed into the spot you're mowing.

Thankfully, if this does happen, there are a few ways to reduce the danger. For one, take time to clean up all the rocks using a rake or a shovel. Additionally, you can raise up your lawnmower blades so they're less likely to hit the gravel. While this may not let you get your grass as short as you want, it helps to keep people and property safe.

Another option is to not mow in that area. Instead, you can use a weed whacker to get spaces in and around gravel. While the wire can kick up rocks, it's not at the speeds of a lawn mower. You can also control the tool a bit better, targeting only tall plants and avoiding most of the gravel. Additionally, if you leave the guard on, you don't have to worry about projectiles as much, though you may still want to think twice before using your string weed trimmer to edge your lawn. There are other ways to keep your yard in check without using fast-moving tools as well. For example, a scythe is not only a great option to prevent rocks from hurtling through the air, but it's more environmentally friendly and safer for any wild animals you may have hiding in the grass.