Question - top soil to line a driveway, or fill and topsoil?

[goehm]

As a followup - I ended up getting a good deal on some lower grade top soil from a local guy. It was almost a cross between topsoil and fill, and better overall soil than most of my yard so it seemed like my best bet.

The estimated 10 yards turned into 20 yards ... and unfortunately, I didn't have my FEL so I rented a Ditch Witch walk behind utility loader. It gets real tiring walking up and down a 300' driveway all day!

I bought a bag of fescue and straw and went to work. A bit of a challenge keeping it watered .. but the biggest issue is just keeping cars off it. Turns out people seems to have problems staying on the driveway, so I've had to repair quite a few ruts when it was wet and people went off road.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[LBrown59]

As a followup -
1* I ended up getting a good deal on some lower grade top soil from a local guy. It was almost a cross between topsoil and fill, and better overall soil than most of my yard so it seemed like my best bet.

The estimated 10 yards turned into 20 yards ... and unfortunately, I didn't have my FEL so I rented a Ditch Witch walk behind utility loader. It gets real tiring walking up and down a 300' driveway all day!

2*I bought a bag of fescue and straw and went to work.
A bit of a challenge keeping it watered .. but
3*the biggest issue is just keeping cars off it. Turns out people seems to have problems staying on the driveway,
so I've had to repair quite a few ruts when it was wet and people went off road.

Thanks for all the input!

1*Summer before last I lucked out getting 6 free five tone truck loads of top grade top soil.
2*I use hay. 50 cents to 1.75 a bale is a lot better than 3 or 4 dollars a bale for straw.
3*My turn around is big enough to drive a mack truck in circles on and my 2 lane drive way is 2 lanes wide 24 to 26 feet wide, yet people can't turn a Honda around on it with out taking a tour through the yard.

 

[LBrown59]

I would just slope fill dirt out from the edge of the driveway.
Start about 3/4 to and inch below the surface of the drive.
Go out far enough away from the drive so that it leaves a long gradual slope that blends in with the surrounding yard and doesn't leave a hump to drive your tractor over when mowing the yard.
Seed it with grass seed and cover it with hay.
I use hay cause it cost a lot less than straw and works just as good as straw for me.
The slop will cause water to flow away from you drive instead of under your driveway which helps avoid freezing and thawing problems.
I'm in the process of putting in a new drive way but have to move an 8 x 16 building first as it's setting right where the new drive is going through.

Got this building moved but also had to re do the under ground Elect and phone lines.