[Madame Cholet]

Got a supply of woodchips coming soon for my paths. I was going to lay a membrane but ive changed my mind now. How deep should i lay it on the grass please?

Can't wait got fed up with cutting it all with shears phew

[allotmentann]

I think if you are not going to use any type of membrane it will have to be really, really thick. I get the odd bit of grass poke its way through two layers of membrane plus bark! I would be surprised if bark alone will stop strongly growing grass, but I could be totally wrong! I expect if it will work someone on here will have done it! I am guessing at least four inches or so. Don't forget that everytime you walk on it the chips will move and often you get thin or even bare patches. Also birds like to dig around in it and throw it around as they look for grubs and slugs etc, so I think you will find it hard to keep it all covered deeply enough to stop all the grass growth. Also, just a thought, but if you do then find you have trouble with grass growing back it will be hard to cut because of all the chips mixed in with it. I don't know, but I would lay the membrane or plastic (although it gets slippy in the wet even with chips on top) or even cardboard under the bark

[allot2learn]

One of our tennants has just had a path tarrmaced and didn't put any membrane down, and just one month later the horsetail has come through and is six inches high.
I would definately put some down to be on the safe side.

[savbo]

I don't use membrane under chip as I think it's just a rat-run for horsetail to get between the beds! I put down about 3" of chip and then hoe off anything coming through. Of course I get lots of weeds but they're manageable.

sav

[sarajane]

Lots of plotters on our site have bark pathways (we have a free supply dropped off regularly) and you can soon tell if there is not a membrane underneath as the grass and weeds quickly find there way through.  Thick cardboard is a good alternative to membrane but I would definately use something.

[sunshineband]

Lots of plotters on our site have bark pathways (we have a free supply dropped off regularly) and you can soon tell if there is not a membrane underneath as the grass and weeds quickly find there way through.  Thick cardboard is a good alternative to membrane but I would definately use something.

I agree.

Any weeds that make their way up through the sides can be treated or cut off.

The section where we just bark chipped it, four inches thick, quickly grew a beautiful crop of thistles and couch grass, and we started again  :blink:

[Madame Cholet]

thanks got a huge supply of cardboard will get some more.