[Headgardener22]

Surely if you used a pondliner gauge black plastic - or compost bags maybe - under woodchips, nothing could get through? Weed supressing fabric must have a weave that aggressive weeds can find a way through.

Possibly true but I had a supply of weed suppressant and not pond liner.

Its still a lot easier than strimming the paths.

[loafboy]

Out of interest, are the cordless strimmers any good, if I did decide on turfing the paths?

I've got one and its not that great. It's okay for a small garden, but anything very tough it struggles with. I use my pertol one now, the other one is collecting dust in the shed (i think the wife occasionally uses it on the edges of the lawn)

[ptarmigan]

Hi.  I've got a cordless strimmer. I find the petrol ones too heavy for me.  I find it really useful for keeping grass around the fruit bushes and the edge of the plot under control (I've got a full size plot but the paths between raised beds are woodchip).  It only lasts for about 20 minutes on a full charge - - but if I use it a couple of times a week then that's enough. 

Then I borrow a petrol strimmer and persuade my husband to use if once a year on the paths on either side of the allotment and in front where the battery operated one wouldn't be able to cope.

I also use a bit of judicious weed killer around the edges too.

[Ma Lowe]

Woodchip paths for us too. we did have the main path as grass when we first took over the plot but it was a mess so we covered it in woodchip, didn't have any weed suppressant at the time but we spray with Glyphosphate every few months and have no other problems.