Long rows versus individual beds with paths...

As a convert from planting long closely spaced rows of veg to small rows in 8' x 4' beds - after advice from chums here, we're beginning to see the benefits even more now, as things are getting away a bit.

I used to stand at the end of a 30' row, and think - 'that's an hour's weeding, and its going to rain' etc etc, and the task seemed to become more onerous back then.

Now, Mrs Growster and I flit between beds (sounds a bit like '50 shades of gardening', but don't let your imagination run away with you...), and each one takes much, much less time, and the next bed to do is probably growing something totally different, so there's variety as well as order.

One thing I wanted to ask someone here though , (I cannot recall who it was who mentioned it I'm afraid), is that their allotments are not allowed to have grassed paths - they have to be hardened earth/clay.

Why would that be?

Grass paths require constant maintenance and create competition for the veg near by.  We have them on our site around the edges of all plots though, they look nice if they are kept mowed.

Having spent the last three years battling with next doors overgrown grass path I can understand the ban.  They put up a fence next to the path, and as it is so overgrown the long tap roots come up through the weed suppressant fabric and then underneath onto my veg patch  

I picked up the Grow It magazine yesterday in the supermarket as our trip to the allotment had been rained off, and it had an interesting article about the two systems (a couple - one who uses the long row method of growing v his wife who uses the small bed system).

I always think that long row allotments look fabulous, but imagine them to be a lot of work. As I haven't got a strong enough back for regular double digging, I know I couldn't keep on top of the digging, so the low/no dig approach is better for me personally.

I also covered all my grass paths with weed suppressant and bark chips when I realised that plot neighbours struggled all the time, not only to keep on top of the grass cutting, but also to stop the couch from penetrating the beds from the paths.  Looking around our site, the plots are split between grass paths and bark chip paths.

I have grass paths cutting is a pain, the intention was for weed surpessent with wood chips but the free woodchips haven't materialised yet.

As a woman I like small beds psycolgically they feel easier to maintain its easier with clay too not compacting the soil by walking on it and I can weed when others cant get on the soil too.

As its my first season i'm hoping not to have to digg again getting the twitch out was bad enough.

I also like intercroping ie one bed is kale and onions and I grow tall things in the middle and smaller things as edges just to entertain myself mainly.  Things like carrots I broad cast with flower seeds supposed to confuse the carrot fly i'll let you know, if you don't mind hand weeding.

Some beds are going to have perminant crops too. the border beds have articokes and are going to be edged with red viened sorrell I think. I have a comfrey bed and a rhubarb bed too. Trying to get some earth chestnuts going too.

Also it seems to work well to follow on, I'm just lifting ow onions and i'm going to plant winter radish and mustard greens.

I have small raised beds at home as the veg patch is on general display and it looks neat and tidy, but no raised beds on the plot.  The beds at home have gravel in between in an effort to keep slugs down - not quite working this year   

Works for me as I grow the bigger space hungry stuff on the plot and the stuff I want to pick frequently at home 

I have made paths between my beds using the thick weed suppressant, which works well except that the cut edges fray which is a bit frustrating sometimes

Not being able to find my blowtorch (and being reluctant to buy a new one when I know I have 2 somewhere!) I used a hot air gun on the edges of my cut fabric - ruched up a bit but sealed nicely,a nd less scary than blowtorch. This would need to be done at home though, unless you have a genny.

Can I put in a vote for chip paths WITHOUT fabric. yes they get weeds but they're very easy to hoe off, and they don't allow Horsetail to travelaround the plot unseen. We have a friendly tree surgeon who drops off chip on a regular basis, so I just top the paths up when they go squidgy..

I have a mix of raised and deep/lazy beds, mostly about 12' x 4', and I find it suits me very well...

sav

I can't do imperial measures, my inherited 'raised' beds (more like bits of decking sunk into the ground!) are mostly 5m by 1.2m. Seems to be ok at the top of the plot, but it slopes downwards and to one corner, and the 2 beds there are waterlogged and swampy. I've got 1 wood chip path, which seems to stay dry when the others are boggy. This winter I am getting rid of all the grass paths and digging a few gravel trenches to soak the water at the bottom away - they aren't really proper grass anyway, more like a concentrated mix of bindweed, couch grass and creeping buttercup.

V interested in the woodchip beds without membrane idea, as the plots around me all have horsetail that is being allowed to flourish happily.