Topic: A Question About Paths

[Common_Clay]

Hi,
  Early this year I put woodchip on the pathways on my allotment and it was fine... for a while. Then the inevitable happened and the grass and weeds grew up through it.
  I now have some ground cover to lay down first, and then put more woodchip on top. I've heard people say that you must weed the area first before putting down the ground cover, but will it really not stop them coming through even with woodchip on top?
  There must be an easier way to do this, the ground is like concrete at this time of the year, especially on the paths where it's so compacted, the thought of having to weed this first is very daunting.
  Any suggestions welcome. Thanks. :)

[pntalbot]

USED  `ROUNDUP`  FOR MY `WEEDY/ GRASS`PATHS`on the Outside Perimeter of Plot .( Paths within the Allotment area, just use a Hoe ) --PERFECT, IF DONE TWICE A YEAR. You can buy Roundup with a Trigger applicator, to make the Area required for Weeding, more Concise.

[supersprout]

Scrape off weeds, grass and rocks with a hoe, then lay your ground cover, then your woodchip etc. - should be fine :)

[Common_Clay]

Ok, thanks!
Sounds easier than trying to dig them up, I was just afraid I'd go to lengths to lay it down and cover it with woodchip only to find it growing back through. I would possibly lose the will to live then.  ;)

The suggestion of Roundup... do you not use anything else to cover your paths with then? And is it not a bit tricky trying to avoid everything that's growing that you want to keep?

 :)

[supersprout]

Couldn't resist CC, picture series of path covering (newspaper/straw) a few weeks ago. The 'immaculate' paths being covered had weeds hoed off at ground level just before ::) ;)

[Common_Clay]

Thanks Supersprout, they look great! Does that mean that you will no longer have to ever hoe them again then? That is what I am looking for!

[katynewbie]

SSprout...do you worry about slugs lurking in the straw? Do they? Is it easier to find them cos you know where they are?!

 ;)

[supersprout]

Yes, zero maintenance paths CC, woo hoo!


It's the first year - time will tell if I take them up in winter and put on the compost heap, and re-do in Spring, or if they will be OK just left and topped up ::)
Weeds that creep around the edges of the newspaper and poke up their heads are easily spotted and hoiked out.
Lay the newspaper on very thick - don't open them out - my first few were stingy, I got bolder and thicker as I went along. Watering as you lay helps them stay down. Straw on thick and 'fluffed out' from the bale, rain and treading flatten it down.
If the straw starts to 'creep' over the beds, it's easy to rake loose stems back onto the path for neatness whilst weeding the bed (I use my hands).
Katy - no slugs! (No rain! :() The birds seem to love taking 'straw baths' in the paths - maybe they're having lunch too?

[Common_Clay]

Zero maintenance, how I love the sound of that...  ;)

One thing though, you mentioned to hoe the weeds off first... is that just to get it flat or does it do something to prevent them from growing up through? Just thought I'd ask because if not maybe I could get away with doing what you did with the newspapers first and tread it down, then the ground cover, then the woodchip... what do you reckon?

[supersprout]

We-e-ell I don't know ??? It just means the weeds get a proper check?
I hoed the weeds off to put on the compost - didn't want to waste lbs of greenery ;)
And to make it flat (think Princess and the Pea). And the clean bits of topsoil went on the beds.

The double whammy of ground cover and newspaper sounds like a really good idea on the horsetail-ey bits. I'd personally put the ground cover down first, and the newspaper on top - then when it rots down it could go on the compost with the straw at some point, leaving the weedproof base intact. It's a matter of personal preference.

Some people use cardboard instead of newspaper on areas of tough perennial weed.

Now I can't wait to see your photos! :D

USED  `ROUNDUP`  FOR MY `WEEDY/ GRASS`PATHS`on the Outside Perimeter of Plot .( Paths within the Allotment area, just use a Hoe

This is exactly what I used to do pn, until it got so hot, then it seemed sensible to stop water evaporating from the paths - hence the straw thing ::)