Gravel, Stone and Soil Delivery in Johnston, IA

Loam on the Bemis moraine

At the center point of ZIP 50131 the soil survey maps Hayden loam, Bemis moraine, 6 to 10 percent slopes. Hayden is the main series, at 85 percent of the unit. The Bemis moraine is a ridge of glacial debris left at the edge of the last glacier to reach the area, and its slopes roll more than the flat prairie farther out.^[1]

Hayden is rated well drained, yet it sits in hydrologic group C, with slow infiltration. Its top mineral layer is loam. Glacial till under the loam can be firm and clay-rich, so rain that falls hard tends to run off the slope rather than soak in.^[1]

Shrink-swell in the top 100 cm is moderate, at 3.9 percent. Ground with that rating moves a little between wet and dry seasons, so a stone base works better than a thin slab laid straight on soil. The ground at the center point stands 910 feet above sea level.^[1],[2]

Glacial loam on a moraine can change across a single yard. The top of a rise may be thin and stony, while the foot of the slope collects deeper, wetter soil washed down from above. Dig a test hole at both ends of a project before you decide on base depth.^[1]

Hayden ground packs firm when it is dry and turns soft and slick when it is soaked. Work on it after a few dry days, when a handful of soil crumbles instead of smearing.^[1]

Snow and freezing nights at the Johnston station

The NOAA station Des Moines Wsfo-Johnston, IA, about 1 mile from the center point, averages 36.2 inches of precipitation and 38.0 inches of snow a year. Lows reach 32 F or colder on about 135 days.^[3]

That station's median last spring freeze is April 19, and its median first fall freeze comes on October 18.^[3]

Deep snow and many freezing nights are the main tests for a gravel surface here. Frost works into a wet base and lifts it, plows push stone into the lawn, and spring melt softens the edges. A drained, compacted base and a firm top layer handle all three.^[3]

Ice on a sloped drive is a winter hazard. A top layer of clean, angular 3/8" Crushed Stone gives tires and boots grip on packed snow, and it can be raked back onto the drive after the melt.^[3]

A sloped drive on glacial loam

Strip sod and topsoil, then cut the subgrade to a steady grade with no dips. On a 6 to 10 percent slope, add a cross fall toward a ditch on the uphill side so water leaves the surface. Lay a woven fabric over the loam to keep the base clean through freeze and thaw.^[1]

Build the base with Road Base in compacted lifts, wetting each one so the fines bind. A thicker base spreads loads on soil with moderate shrink-swell. Crushed Concrete works as a recycled alternative. Finish with Driveway Gravel or 3/4" Crushed Stone for grip on the grade.^[1]

Line the ditch with 1-1/2" Crushed Gravel and set Riprap where it drains away. Plow with the blade raised a little, and push snow to the low side so melt runs away from the drive.^[1],[3]

Plan for a little upkeep each spring. Plows, melt and traffic move stone off the drive over a long winter. A fresh layer of Driveway Gravel and a pass with a rake bring back the crown and close small ruts before summer storms.^[3]

Runoff, swales and drains

Group C soil on a slope sheds water quickly, and new subdivisions often send runoff from several roofs across one yard. A grass swale with a River Rock channel down the middle carries that water while slowing it. Riprap at the outlet keeps the flow from cutting into the ground.^[1]

Where water collects at the foot of a slope, a French drain wrapped in fabric and filled with Drain Rock or #57 Crushed Stone moves it to a safe outlet. Behind a retaining wall, the same stone and a perforated pipe stop water and frost from pushing the wall over.^[1],[3]

Window wells and basement egress pits fill with water on slow-draining soil. Dig out the bottom of each well and fill it with #57 Crushed Stone so water drains down and away from the glass.^[1]

Clean the swale channel each fall. Leaves and grass clippings that pile up in the River Rock slow the water, and in spring the melt then spreads across the lawn instead of staying in the channel.^[3]

Lawns and beds in new subdivisions

Many houses in ZIP 50131 are recent, and builder grading often leaves a thin layer of topsoil over firm subsoil. Spreading Topsoil or Garden Soil before seeding or sodding gives grass a better start. Work Compost into planting beds to loosen the loam and help it hold water.^[1],[4]

Set out tender plants after the April 19 median last freeze. The growing season ends near the October 18 median first freeze, so trees and shrubs are best planted in early fall or in spring.^[3]

Mulch protects roots through a long winter. Brown Shredded Mulch, Black Shredded Mulch or Red Mulch over beds evens out soil temperature across the freezing nights and cuts down on plants heaving out of the ground.^[3]

Small backyard projects add up on a new lot: a stone pad for a grill, a gravel border along the fence, a sand box for the kids. Playground Sand, Pea Gravel and 3/8" Crushed Stone each suit one of those jobs.^[4]

Edging along the beds keeps mulch in place through spring melt. Set stone or steel edging a little proud of the lawn so the mower can run along it without throwing mulch onto the grass.^[3]

Homes in ZIP 50131 and in Johnston

The Census counts 9,822 housing units in ZIP 50131. Detached single-family houses make up 57 percent of them, the median home was built in 2004, and owners live in 71 percent of the occupied homes.^[4]

The city of Johnston has 9,720 housing units. Detached houses make up 56 percent, and the median year built is 2004.^[4]

Detached houses are a little over half of the homes in both the ZIP and the city. Townhomes and apartments share the rest, and their common areas often need mulch, edging stone and drain work.^[4]

With a median build year of 2004, many homes in ZIP 50131 still have their original builder landscaping. Beds laid out at move-in often need fresh soil and mulch, and a gravel side yard or a drain may fix a spot the builder left wet.^[4]