Topic: Paths

[artichoke]

That looks wonderful, Supersprout! 

But my question was not so much about weeds poking through (newspaper and cardboard seems to have smothered them, and I am happy about slaughtering selfsown weeds), as about slipperiness on a slope. Have you tried putting woodchips down on cardboard, and NOT slithering about? Or maybe your site doesn't slope?

I would put membrane down if I thought it was essential to prevent slipperiness, but not otherwise.

[supersprout]

oops :-[ sorry to get the wrong end of the stick chokey ;)
Ours is a pretty flat site with a slight slope - the previous long term tenant used to dig in one direction, and gradually made a dip near the path and a hillock at the other end!
One more method: Having laid perforated black plastic over the new plot, I laid straw over it to make a few paths. I didn't mention it because you'd think it would slip and slide all over the place, but it doesn't - probably because the straw is VERY thickly applied (wads!). Thick application of woodchips/straw might work on slopes to give a good grip, I'd certainly try it - fluffy woody/strawy stuff shouldn't behave like gravel, shale or scree, so it might be worth a go?

[caroline7758]

I'm very jealous of all your well-organised paths! We've just got grass in between, which then of course creeps into the beds. In an ideal world I'd do something about it, but doubt I'll find the time!

[powerspade]

In my recent item I made a remark that using wood chips can bring about honey fungus, I know what I had and I resent remarks sent to me privately by people who blatantly called me a lier, To those people will you look at the Royal Horticultural Society web site and read the item on honey fungus. Honey fungus CAN be spread by infected wood chips, I know because I had the mushrooms investigated as I lost a lot of fruit trees due to the infestation

[natasha]

I was about to order some wood chippings and now I'm worried about this Fungus, I have several yuong trees on my plot and I don't want to lose them. Is there a way around?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Be careful where you get your chippings from. If they've chipped trees with the fungus, then the result is likely to be carrying it.

[Barnowl]

The RHS article distinguishes between wood and bark chippings - the latter being less of a problem. If I've read the article correctly, it seems best to put them out thinly (possibly on membrane) in the summer when the chips will dry out, killing off any fungus (which by coincidence is exactly what we did! :)

http://www.rhs.org.uk/conservation/projects/Armillaria.asp