Landscape Rock, Gravel and Soil Delivery in Mesa, AZ

Loam Laid Down by a River

The USDA soil survey maps the ZIP's center point as Gilman loam, and the Gilman series makes up 100 percent of the unit. The top mineral layer is loam, a balanced mix of sand, silt and clay that digs cleanly with a shovel and holds together when squeezed damp.^[1]

Gilman loam is rated well drained, in hydrologic group B with moderate infiltration. Irrigation water and storm rain both soak in at a steady rate, and a stone layer laid on top dries out quickly. Shrink-swell is low, at 1.5 percent in the top 100 cm, so the ground stays stable through wet and dry spells.^[1]

Beneath the soil, the mapped geologic unit at the center point is Holocene river alluvium, a young deposit of sand, gravel, silt and clay left by moving water.^[2]

Because the alluvium was laid down by water, it can hold river gravel and cobbles a little way down. Those stones cause no trouble under a drive, but they can slow the digging for post holes or a tree.^[2]

The ground at the ZIP's center point rises about 1,210 feet above sea level, per the USGS.^[3]

Sun, Dust and the Odd Hard Rain

The nearest NOAA normals station is Tempe Asu, AZ, about 4 miles away. It records an average of 8.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snowfall. A dry year can pass with only a handful of real storms, yet one summer cell can put a lot of water on a yard in under an hour.^[4]

Frost visits only briefly. Tempe Asu counts 10 days a year with a low of 32 F or colder. The median last spring freeze is February 13, and the median first fall freeze is December 5.^[4]

With so little cold, the stone in a Mesa yard faces heat, ultraviolet light and blowing dust far more than ice. Choose materials for how they pack, drain and hold their color, and plan grading so the rare heavy storm has a path off the property.^[4]

Strong sun also breaks down plastic edging and cheap landscape fabric left exposed, so bury fabric fully under stone and choose steel or concrete edges that last.^[4]

An RV Pad or Side Yard Parking Spot

Well-drained loam makes a firm subgrade once it is compacted. Scrape off grass or weeds, wet the loam lightly and run a plate compactor over it until it no longer gives underfoot. Shape a slight fall away from the house and the block wall.^[1]

Spread Road Base in two or more compacted lifts. Its fines and crushed stone bind into a dense layer that carries the weight of a trailer or RV without rutting. Crushed Concrete does the same job and is a good fit for a work area or a pad behind a gate.^[1]

Top the pad with 3/4" Crushed Stone for a clean, crunchy surface or with Asphalt Millings for a darker, dust-free finish that tightens in summer heat. #57 Crushed Stone drains faster but moves more where wheels turn sharply.^[4]

Edge the pad with a concrete curb or steel edging so the stone stays put when a trailer backs in at an angle. A row of larger River Rock along the edge keeps tires from spreading the base into the yard.^[1]

Trading Grass for Stone

Replacing lawn with rock and low-water plants cuts the water a yard needs. After removing the turf, rake the loam smooth, set the drip lines, and lay a permeable fabric before the stone so weeds have a harder time coming through.^[4]

Decomposed Granite covers open areas and paths with a fine, natural surface that packs firm when it is wetted and rolled. In planting areas, 3/8" Crushed Stone, #89 Crushed Stone or Pea Gravel spread a couple of inches deep shades the soil and keeps moisture in around roots.^[1]

Use larger River Rock for borders, dry creek beds and the spots under downspouts where water lands hardest. Riprap holds the ends of a swale or the bank of a retention area where a summer storm sends the most water.^[4]

Stone near a wall or a window reflects heat, so a bed of darker rock or a shade tree can make a patio more comfortable. Wood mulch such as Brown Shredded Mulch suits shaded beds on the north side of the house.^[4]

Decomposed Granite or Pea Gravel for a Patio

Decomposed Granite and Pea Gravel both make a casual patio, but they feel different underfoot. Decomposed Granite packs into a firm, nearly smooth surface once it is wetted and rolled, so chair legs and a grill stay level. It tracks a little dust into the house in dry weather, and it needs a firm edge to keep it from creeping.^[1]

Pea Gravel never packs. Its rounded stones shift and crunch, which suits a fire pit circle or a seating nook, and water passes straight through to the loam. Furniture sinks into it more, so it works better under lounge chairs than under a dining table.^[1]

On well-drained loam, either one can go over a thin compacted layer of Road Base. For a patio that gets heavy use, Stone Dust Screenings mixed into the top of the base help Decomposed Granite lock tighter.^[1]

Homes in ZIP 85201

The Census counts 22,779 housing units in ZIP 85201. Detached single-family houses account for 29 percent of them, against 55 percent across Mesa.^[5]

The median home in 85201 was built in 1981, while the median across Mesa's 222,992 housing units is 1989. Owners live in 39 percent of the occupied homes in the ZIP.^[5]

Older yards can carry tired gravel that has sunk into the soil over the years. Rake out what you can, top up with fresh stone of the same size, and add a layer of Decomposed Granite in paths to refresh the look without tearing everything out.^[5]

Narrow side yards can be hard to reach with equipment. A pile placed close to the work saves a lot of wheelbarrow trips, so pick the drop spot with the job in mind.^[5]

Beds, Lawns and Masonry Sand

For a vegetable bed or a flower border, mix Garden Soil or Compost into the native loam to add organic matter, which desert soil runs short of. Plant frost-tender crops after the February 13 median last freeze at Tempe Asu, and give them shade cloth before the hottest weeks.^[1],[4]

Topsoil fills low spots in a lawn area and levels the ground before sod goes down. Fill Dirt raises a corner of the yard before hardscape, compacted in thin layers so it does not settle under a patio.^[1]

Concrete Sand goes under pavers and into concrete, Mason Sand makes smooth mortar for block walls and planters, and Playground Sand is washed for sandboxes. Stone Dust Screenings fill the joints between flagstones and pack hard.^[1]