[jameshuk]

Not sure this is the correct forum but couldnt see one that fit exactly...

I want to split my allotment with some paths and have done some research on this in various books and was thinking about bark chippings over a weed suppresing membrane - am new to this so any advice is really welcome!!

[jannie]

hi jameshuk , i think you would have to line the paths with something to hold the bark chippings, and would have to top up with more everynow and then or the membrane breaks down if the sun gets to it , i used old smooth roofing tiles and they interlock and just wide enough jan

[noshed]

I use grass (no good - too weedy) and woven weed membrane, which I have found to be very good with nothing on top. It is held down with big staples you can buy in Homebase and it is nice and grippy, even when wet. I'm going to do all my paths with it in the winter.
I got this stuff: http://www.allplas.co.uk/acatalog/Weed_Suppression.html
It's been down 3 years and has lasted well.

[birmancats]

I've used concrete slabs, begged, borrowed and freecycled.  They are between the raised beds though so the aim is more permanent.  Great when it's been raining etc. etc but it depends what you want I guess.

[agapanthus]

It's a great idea...membrane and wood / bark chippings, but it can work out very expensive. I tried it with bark and for the huge b&q bags it did'nt really go very far. I suppose it depends on how many paths you want to make.

[Plot 2]

Too many flag stone's  around your allotment just means less growing space, earlier this month I removed 14 large (2'x2')  flag stones ( row of potatoes really!) before making 2 large raised beds (12'x12') out of scaffolding boards with a smaller path in between using 18' flags which are ideal.

good Luck!!

[Trillium]

I too can quickly run short of growing space if I did wide paths, so mine are slightly wider than my foot and the beds are mounded up. The paths are lined with heaped wood chips I get free from my town, or sometimes lengths of weed membrane first, or, sometimes I throw my weeds on the path and let them rot down.

[Clampit]

My paths are grass, I just levelled the ground where I wanted my paths and then left them for nature to take her course. I just cut them once a week. I use the clippings on my compost heap or as a mulch.

[Plot 2]

18" Flags...NOT 18' as i mistakenly posted,..Silly Me!!

[Aunt Sally]

I don't have paths but I do put wooden planks (gravel boards) down to walk where I need it and move them about.  

Flag stones make excellent homes for mice to live under so I'm told  :!:

[corndolly]

We used heavy duty membrane and log chippings . Its been down 3 years and needs very little maintenance, the odd weed grows but is very easy to pull out , as you walk around inspecting your plot.

We have 3- 4 inches of membrane at the edge of each veg plot as a boundary , cant afford to edge our plots with wood , they are 75 feet long and 4 feet wide.

Cheap log chips . Try Tree Surgeons sometimes happy to let you have it cheap, we had 30 leylandi cut down, hired a chipper and produced mounds of chips , for use on paths .Dont let the chips come into contact with the soil that is to be planted as it sucks out valuable nutrients in its decomposing process.

Is working for us !

[jameshuk]

Thanks For all the help guys!!  That's really usefull!

I will be attempting to lay them this weekend so hopefully I wont be back with any problems!

[siztenboots]

Decided this year to dig up the paths that ran up each side of the double plot and keep one central one, and also dig up the midpoint crossing paths, ie.  |+| became | .

Our 10 rod doublt plot is laid out as four quarters, with one permanent fruit bush / tree bed, and the rest rotate.

By getting rid of the grass on the remaining path using round-up , we noticed that when digging up the grass we disturbed so many bugs, slugs etc, that were eating our plants, so they have been evicted and gone elsewhere.

The amount of extra growing space makes it worthwhile, and we will try and squeeze more out of the space.

In terms of access, I use my boot as a reliable measure of spacing between rows, so minimum of 12" between small growing stuff, so you can get up and down the rows to water and weed.

On the remaining path, I will put containers that can be moved around, and also try growing things raised off the ground . Never had much luck with carrots so will try them like this, as well as herbs. Currently grow strawberries in 3 large tubs and they have done okay.

[lincspoacher]

ok, let me tell you why not to use bark chips.

there is a world wide shortage of bark chips at the moment, because once upon a day on the horticultural industry and landscapers used them. the they started to burn them in power stations, and the bio fuels industry has started distilling bio fuels out of them. So demand has tripled and supply will never rise, and the price has rocketed, and it wont get any better.

in three years time, the cost of bark chips will make them all but impractical for gardening, in fact they are likely to all but vanish from retail sales. So if you put down bark chips now, your likely to have to think of an alternative when they need renewing in a couple of years time.

[jono2507]

My plot is still in its fledgling stages and I really like the idea of wood/bark chipping and membrane so I might just nick that one!!!

My main issue at the moment though is my neighbour. He's decided that the best way to go is to remove as many stones as he can from his plot and he's dumping them on the adjoining path at the top of my plot.

It's not too much of a problem at the minute as that part of my plot is still overgrown, does anyone know what the etiquette is for this type of thing?