I'm removing tiny (1cm) landscaping gravel from my backyard in hopes of putting down topsoil and then grass seed. I'm having a hard time getting all the pebbles up. I'm going to be adding, at minimum, 6 in of topsoil. Is it ill advised for me to just remove everything that isn't embedded in the dirt and just add the soil on top?
How much gravel to remove to plant grass
landscaping
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I've looked at this in the past. These two links are pretty general, but each has an interesting tidbit.
Link 1 "If your yard has especially shady spots, you might be better off seeding those areas, since most sod is made up of sun-thirsty grass varieties."
Link 2 "A prime disadvantage of sod is the limited number of grass species included in sod mixes."
Other than that, sod is a clear winner if you have more money than time. I've done both, killed both, and revived both...lets just say I'm eyeing my neighbor's lovely rock garden with a bit of envy.
Sounds like you got "Crusher Run", when you wanted "Washed Stone". This site has a good description of some different types.
Crusher Run
Washed stone
It's used as a base for driveways and roads, but is typically compacted and covered by another material (asphalt for example).
You may have been thinking of something more like pea gravel, or similar. Something that consists of smallish roundish stones, that you could use as a top layer for a driveway. While the quarry was thinking you meant more of a base type gravel, that you would later add a finish layer on top of.
This is sometimes the problem with ordering stone without being familiar with the source, since "Gravel" is a subjective term. Making matters worse, places often try to guess what you need based on the description of the job you provide.
Best Answer
If you're collecting the gravel to reuse, get as much as practical. If not, just leave it in place. 6" of topsoil should be more than enough for grass to establish itself, and the gravel won't hurt anything. Soil will eventually fill in the gaps.
You could speed the process by putting down a thin layer of cheap dirt or sand, and watering it to wash it into the stone, then put down the topsoil. Or, you could mix the gravel into the topsoil when you put it down.
Until the stone is filled in and it becomes compacted, you will get more drainage than top soil over clay or compacted dirt, so water a little more often for the first season.