Paths & plot edges

[tabbycat]

Was wondering what anyone does with their paths if they have any?

My new plot has lots of weeds and in order to get going and grow stuff, I've dug & cleared beds, some of which have wooden edges, but left the paths, as there's only me digging and I'm just a bit tired!. I've made sure that I keep cutting the weeds on the paths, but what do I do in the long-term?

Can I just sow grass to compete with the weeds and keep mowing that?
I'm reluctant to put down any weed fabric to cover the paths as I'm pretty sure the sneaky little beggars will just divert themselves into my beds. Is it best to just let them grow where I walk to keep them distracted!

Also, what do you all do with edges of your plots? I am at the end of the row and have a weed filled bit of spare land by me. I need to define the edge and discorage the weeds from spreading onto my plot.

We are not allowed fences. Would a row of dwarf root stock  fruit trees help with weeds? I have a feeling that you are all going to tell me I need to dig a nice deep moat and line it with plastic! I can't take anymore digging at the moment!

Tabbycat

[tabbycat]

[SMP1704]

I can't take anymore digging at the moment

I know exactly what you mean.  This is also my first year and went for wooden beds and like you only dug the bits that I would be growing in.  Mostly because I ran out of scavenged wood, I have some wood free beds (just scoop up the sides like you would a sand castle) and I think these work better in terms of controlling weeds.

Robert B mentioned paths acting as a weed reservoir - and he was right......I have been hoeing the weeds on the paths and then raking all the decapitated heads into the compost bin.

For next year, I am thinking that I need to dig the whole plot over :o :o but I do have a fine crop of the dreaded horsetail that seems to be making a bid for world domination (triffids have nothing on this stuff >:( >:()

I have laid out heavy duty ground cover in one area and the weed just grow up the gap between the wooded edges and the fabric - sigh

SO, I am resigned that there are no quick fixes - on the plus side tho - think how much better our upper body strength will be ;D ;D

[supersprout]

More ideas for paths at http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,15610.msg166548#msg166548

We made two types of path on our plot:
1m wide longways, covered in weed suppressing fabric, and a layer of wood chip when we can get it; and
80cm paths widthways between the beds, which get scraped with a hoe if weedy



We recently added a strip of weed suppressing fabric between my neighbour's plot and mine, to stop his weeds. It's firmly pegged down, and seems to be working (at back of picture).



I might try newspaper and straw mulch this year on the narrower paths, if it gets very hot, to conserve the soil moisture.

[tabbycat]

Thanks for the advice, and the link to the other thread.  :)

Lots of ideas - am now resigned to having to dig the beggars out.

You're right, I'm going to have forearms like Maddonna in her "muscle woman" phase! ;D

Will try a strip of weed fabric down the length of the plot and see what happens.

Thanks,

Tabbycat x

[Charlie R]

I too had the idea of leaving paths between beds, however the advice I was given by other plot holders was that they were a fantastic reservoir for weeds Not only would they spread to the beds but also in times of water shortage (yes we live in the south east of the country) they remove moisture from the soil.

The solution I have chosen was to dig out the grass paths, and put down paving slabs as stepping stones, you can plant between the slabs with crops such as Raddiash. In addition the slabs can be moved to create differing sized beds dependent on the crops you wish to grow.

Admittedly I am lucky enough to have been given the slabs free, as they were removed from a neighbours garden recently.

[supersprout]

I too had the idea of leaving paths between beds, however the advice I was given by other plot holders was that they were a fantastic reservoir for weeds Not only would they spread to the beds but also in times of water shortage (yes we live in the south east of the country) they remove moisture from the soil.

After a season's attention, the weeds are no longer a problem on my 'bare' paths, but I'm concerned about losing moisture - cracks developed last summer, not good news! This year I'll cover the paths thickly with newspaper and straw. At the end of the year, I'll bung the whole lot on the compost. That's the theory - will see how it works out ::)

[artichoke]

I have bare paths that I scrape with a spade or hoe if weeds germinate, but it has taken me a year or two to rid them of couch and bind weed. There are grass paths around the allotment that are mown regularly by a saint, and I have to watch them for creeping buttercup etc.

[keef]

Seeing as I dont have my own garden at home - i'm a bit fussy and trim the edges and gut the grass a couple of times a week with my push mower. This does help stop weed invading (such a couch grass etc..) aswell though.

[OliveOil]

 I have a load of carpet tiles that i was thinking about using between beds - good idea or bad idea?

[supersprout]

Depends on what they're made of oo. Some synthetics can produce poisons which could end up in your veg :-\ If they are 100% natural, great idea :)

[OliveOil]

Oh bugger - i think they are nylon with a tar? backing. I was going to put the nylon face down.

[John_H]

I just have earth paths between the raised beds, I know some like grass paths but If I had grass on every path I would end up putting more effort than I want to into cutting and strimming (rather than planting and growing)

I also quite like the dust barrier that dry hoed paths create in the summer, since it seems to help stop the slugs from getting around quite as easily. I've recently taken the wooden boards off the edges of the beds since they seemed to be acting as slug refuges. I now have the edge of each bed marked out with string and sloping edges to the beds (which makes it easier for predator species  - like ground beetles, slow worms and lizards - to move around. I have laid kept quite a few of the boards on the ground to act as predator refuges, but I turn them over and kill all the slugs underneath each time I visit the plot.

A shear edge between the communal path and my own plot seems to be a good long term method of stopping things like 'twitch' from moving into the plot, since most twitch seems to travel along in the top six inches of soil (it also helps keep the slow worms and beetles on my patch where they can eat all the distructive bugs).

Oh, and I find the best thing for doing the edges and my part of the communcal path is one of those simple 'swoosh / sickle' things and a long cylindrical sharpening stone (always wear a very thick gardening glove on the hand holding  the sharpening stone). Its dirt cheap to buy, easy to maintain, quite satisfying to use and and takes up very little room in the shed.

[jason]

hi I have just taken on a plot and all I have done is scrapped all the weeds and grass away. Then I cut plastic sheeting to the size of my paths and covered it with small pebbles from focus

[Sprout]

That sounds good, Jason but didn't that cost you a fortune?

[Jokerman]

i sunk zincs around my plot to keep out the weeds, left about a foot sticking out above the ground.

[artichoke]

What are zincs? Don't you trip over them? I have a big problem with perennial weeds swarming through a fence from neighbour, and would love to sink something to stop them.

[pete10]

Hard work but dig a trench about a foot down and line it with black plastic will keep the nasty stuff
at bay .

[supersprout]

Hey! Just found this picture artichoke, another way to stop the cooch? :)

[artichoke]

Looks good, supersprout. It must be more or less what I do to keep the public grass path from growing into my plot, but it encourages me to do it more purposefully - deeper "ditch" and crisper clipping. It wasn't until someone here mentioned it that I realised couch grass roots are not very deep, unlike bindweed which seems able to dive down for metres.

The neighbour problem with my garden at home is rather different as there is only a trellis between him and us and his nettles, couch, ground elder and thistles simply swarm through it. My latest solution is to dig up the ravaged border and replace it with a long thin lawn (just germinating now, and needing rain) so that I can simply mow them down.

[supersprout]

Experimental straw paths on the plottie are starting to take shape - from this ...



to this!



I've already noticed it's a lot more cool and pleasant with the lighter paths, and will do more as fast as I can. We'll see how they survive a season's wear 8)