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Marestail & Bindweed under my plot's paths

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Harry:
My quarter plot is separated into 6 sections by paths made of carpet squares. Similar path between plots. Just under the surface of the carpet squares are marestail and bindweed roots. I spent much of this, my first year, removing marestail from the beds, but obvious enough, the stuff crept in under the carpet.
1) Is it worth lifting those paths to try to pull the weed roots? I'm thinking yes. I'm actually thinking of losing half the paths.
2) I can get masses of free chipped tree prunings. Would that be better to use to remake the paths? With or without the carpet layer?
3) My beds are surrounded by rotting wood, which marks the perimeter, but is falling to bits. Worth replacing or just remove and let the paths be the only demarcation. If you see my meaning. The beds are only a few inches higher than the paths.
4) I like FREE, but is chipped tree prunings useful as a mulch for root veg, strawberry and raspberry beds? I can get unlimited free supply, but I understand it's too 'brown' to be much use in composting.

Hoping to hit the ground running in my second year. :coffee2:

Paulh:
My experience with bindweed is that a layer of (thick) cardboard with a wood chip mulch on top defeats it. I don't know about mare's tail. I'd treat your paths like that and weed out (or use weedkiller on) anything that comes through. Doing that let's you make good use of your free wood chippings too!

JanG:
I would also store as much wood chip as you have space for and wait for it to rot down down, then use as a mulch quite freely. You can just pile it up in an odd corner or use pallets etc to make a tidier pile Even half rotted is good for things like fruit bushes. But yes, as Paulh says, use it freely on paths.

I’ve never used wood to surround beds as the expense and work involved would put me off. I have some woodchip paths. They do tend to get a bit lost in the height of summer and weeds seed into them, but I reclaim them in autumn when things calm down a little, and put some more fresh woodchip on. It probably depends a little on how tidy you like to be as to whether it’s worth the effort and expense of replacing all your wood. If you have a source of free wood, that could swing it!

Tee Gee:
My way https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/M/Mare%27s%20Tail/Mare%27s%20Tail.htm     

Harry:

--- Quote from: Tee Gee on December 26, 2023, 19:23:48 ---My way https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/M/Mare%27s%20Tail/Mare%27s%20Tail.htm     

--- End quote ---

Cheers.
This will be the second year of my war with marestail, where I previously plucked the top growth off before it could reach 3 inches or so.

I was specifically asking if 'the collective' thought it will be worth my while lifting my carpet tile paths to try to thin out or eliminate marestail roots just under the surface..... Or will those roots die out if I can keep plucking the topgrowth. I know I'll only be getting the top few inches of a very long root system. No intention of digging deep to vainly try to eliminate the stuff.

I suppose I'm also asking whether free tree chippings are really worth blagging. I LOVE free, but not if it will take me decades to use the stuff. :)

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