How wide are your paths?
I was planning 3ft for main pathway, 2ft for other paths between beds (4ft wide beds)
Is this too little, too much or just right?
Thanks
Nats
18inches around raised beds with a 2ft main pathway. We tried a foot between raised beds, but this was definately too small.
people recommend at least enough room for wheel barrow but what ever your happy with (whats manageable for you) i have quite narrow paths as i only have half plot. want to keep an optimum growing space.
Hi Natsb,
I would guess at 3 ft being plenty wide enough for your main paths.
I suppose it depends on the size of your plot, if its small you want to waste as little space as possible.
Having said that if you make path to narrow you will alway be cursing.
I have been thinking along similar lines, basically the paths where I will be pushing the borrow on a regular basis will be a bit wider than the paths between the beds.
I am planning on having one fairly wide path between the chicken coop and compost heap, then the beds will be off to one side with slightly narrower paths between them.
Al
I have half a plot with raised beds.
The main paths running up the middle to the compost bins and diagnally to the shed are 36" and the rest of them are 26". This should be enough for the wheelbarrow and overhang of the plants. The raised beds are tappered at the ends to allow be to turn the wheelbarrow.
If you put some sticks in the corners of the beds and walk around or with a wheelbarrow it will give you a feel of the size.
This is the layout of my plot to scale...
(http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x296/nilly71/allotment/allotment32d.jpg)
I need to update it a bit, but it gives you an idea
Neil
thats a corker of a plot nilly. tell me where did you source your timber from for your beds?
All my paths are 2ft wide and I have used the wheelbarrow loads during construction with no decapitations ::). I feel 3ft is a bit generous.
Doesn't it depend on how wide ones arse is ? with narrower paths for a skinny arse.
That would allow one to walk around with comfort.
Nice drawing, is that done in Google Sketchup ?
hi there
i am aiming for 3ft paths. i have a 2yr old who will be at the plot alot and feel it would be easyer with the wider paths for him to play while i work. :-\
I have read all the methods you adopt and as I would expect their are many points of view.
Try this one for size (size being the operative word)
Kneel down as if you were weeding!
Mark where the front of your knees rest and where your toes rest then measure the distance.......this is the width you need for your paths.
This method caters well for tall and short people alike.
To take this idea a stage further;
Stretch forward (again as if you are weeding) but do not overstretch i.e. where you are comfortable if you were weeding!
Measure this distance and double it and this will give you the width of bed suited to your size.
When sowing seed forget what it says on the packet if the distance is less than 12" apart.
Use your rake width plus 3" and this will allow you plenty of room to get the hoe in and rake out the rubbish once the plants start growing.
Who needs a tape measure? ::)
ps these I would suggest are 'minimum' measurements!
I also use 3' path top to bottom and 2' side paths between my raised beds, which at 4' wide and 8' long suit both my reach and the space well. I find this is just right for navigating a wheelbarrow around the corners when clearing beds, and kneeling between the beds to plant up etc.
I confess I usually plant in staggered rows to use the available space to a maximum and use my hands to judge planting distances......never actually measure anything either! :o
My path width will be whatever width the flagstones are--loads left on the lottie from previous holder; my challenge will be how to 'move' them around, into position, carefully, safely & by myself. Watch the back. Was thinking of just tilting them end over end till they're near the desired spot, standing clear in case I loose my grip, & then gently flopping them into position. Not much choice really when you don't have any extra pair of helping hands. Trick will be how to grab & remove each one from the pile to begin the manoeuvres....
I've just done that Vitaw! I laid a small patio in front of my shed and to get the slabs from their various resting places I 'rolled' them along on their edges or, for the biggest ones, I heaved them one at a time into the wheelbarrow. The thing I found hardest was the picking them up/laying them down/picking them up/laying them down to get them levelled and stable on the sand base. I can just barely lift a 2 foot square concrete slab but I ended up moving each one maybe half a dozen times. That was exhausting!
Ceres, don't do things like that again on your own, I often come your way and would always give you a hand.
Ceres, I thought I was the only one tackling such a task solo...I know what you mean about the constant moving one slab about until it's right; I once laid a whole double path in front of the house but was much younger/fitter then.....anyhow I usually make use of a spade/shovel to lift them up & wiggle them about a bit! It always still requires me to get down on all fours & heave & shift....so irritating & exhausting, I agree. Once it's done, though, we feel better with the end result (sort of).
And lucky you, getting an offer of assistance from Sinbad....can you send him/her up my way when you're done, please.
Vitaw, I would too but have just googled you and think you could be a bit too far away for me to day trip.........................sorry
Aw! Thanks Sinbad, what a kind offer. I'll keep you firmly in mind for the next Labour of Hercules!
PS - you should have seen me last week twisting and dragging 3 half full water butts to the back of my shed. That was also exhausting!
PPS - in case you're wondering why I didn't empty the butts - 1) the ground is so saturated it wouldn't go anywhere! 2) we have to pump our water up from underground by hand so it seemed the lesser of two evils!
Cheers, Sinbad! - yeah, just a bit of a distance, I know. Nice thought, though, thanks. I need to find the local Sinbads, somehow......
Ain't you lot heard of a sack barrow? about 15 quid from most DIY stores ? wilko's / QD's
Thanks for all the replies - that is a very impressive drawing of your plot Neil!
So, I have had the tape measure out...
And no, I did not measure my bum ;D - that comes with a wide load warning anyway!
My knee-toe measurement is just over 2ft, but I have big feet so I'll stick with the regular distance and tuck my toes under!
I was also moving paving slabs today - as I clear the allotment they keep materialising under an inch or so of roots and soil. I am hoping to get enough for a path, but I doubt it!
Thanks
Nats
Simmo
Yes, it is using Sketch-up. The wood for the raised beds and to make the shed cost about £400, it was a lot but i just wanted to get stuff done and thought the investment would be long term.
The reason for the 3' path up the centre is because i use a big 4 wheel trolly to clear the plot of all the rubbish that was there.
Tee Gee
Thats a good way of working out the size of the paths, i did the same for the widths of the beds and using 2" wide timber means i can place a piece across the beds to make a bridge so i don't stand on the soil.
Neil
Oh, right. A sack-barrow. But of course. Now why didn't we think of that age-old device. Another equipment investment from Wilkies, why not, if it makes the job easier, safer & gets the job done--it will be my extra pair of hands, I think.