Pathways on allotments

[pigletwillie]

No, the woven black membrane is permanent, just the top gets replaced Hazel.

[snohare]

I've used newspapers by the hundredweight almost at my plot, the soil is very sandy loam and I have little else in the way of humus that I can transport there. I particularly have laid them on paths as a base for bark chippings, and they worked perfectly with at least an inch, preferably two inches depth on top. The secret to laying them is definitely to put them in a bin bag with holes or the top undone, and leave them to get soaked through by the weather. Once they're wet through, laying them is a doddle, and they stay where you put them, not slippery at all I found (more like a stiff papier mache). Great food for the worms, too good - the only problem is that they need to be relayed when the chipping are rotted down and get taken away.
Dry newspapers on a windy day - do not go there ! The complaints...

[Flummery]

Laying black membrane is a laught in a high wind too. I laid it on a path in my front garden. The path goes round the pond It brought out my sweary side I can tell you! However, once the bark went on it's been a dream.

[snakeshack]

you can get 100m rolls of the woven stuff on e-bay for £30- 40 depending on width share with someone or use to cover and plant through.

[Snadger]

I started off using carpet strips for my paths (now frowned upon).

Went to the lottie the day after some high winds to find my neighbours allotment had fitted carpets

[john c]

I use cheap bales of old straw from a farmer..£2.00..and this lasts for about 2years..good for the paths and the birds love it for building there nests

[crichmond]

Question: Is using newspaper classed as organic gardening or not, I only ask as the paper is processed using chemicals and then the is also the chemicals of the ink. But what is the official stance if anyone knows?
Personally I think it is a good idea to recycle where ever we can, and think the newspaper idea is a good one rather than just chucking them in the bin.

[Sue]

Crichmond
Apparently, the printing inks used these days are not harmful, anyway this is according to a number of gardening/recycling books I have.
Sue

[rainbowminx]

Snadger - LOL at your neighbour's new fitted carpets! Honestly, that has had me chuckling for ages!!

[Eyren]

Question: Is using newspaper classed as organic gardening or not, I only ask as the paper is processed using chemicals and then the is also the chemicals of the ink. But what is the official stance if anyone knows?

I think newspapers are OK, but glossy mags might be a no-no (not that they would make good papier-mache anyway).

[selfheal]

im going to try and 'crazy pave' part of my plot (infront of compost bin and tool store.

i volunteered fulltime for 9 months 2 years ago and my parents wanted to crazy pave the 3x3m piece of dirt in our courtyard. wherei was working they had just taken back control of someones property and they had left a large pile of local stone from their contracting work. I was allowed to have as much as i needed to cover the 3x3m area- 2 weeks later my parents turfed the grass as a temporary measure when a toddler came to stay and the grass has stayed ever since..... now i have a big pile of stone waiting to be used up thats got to be worth a couple of hundred pounds!!!

its off to the new lottie on saturday ready to be layed as a path/paved area

i also managed to pick up some rolls of used marquee flooring- coconut matting. they have holes in them but they are doing a superb job covering my soil at the moment without any real need to be held down, so im considering cutting them into strips once the beds have been marked out to lay as paths. Also going to try and get old paving slabs to lay as my dad is an architect and stops all sorts going into skips on building sites!

[Alison]

Crazy paving that takes me back to when we first moved into our place, had a large area out the back full of the stuff - can't stand it, looks dead old fashioned to me, and it took soooooooooooo long to get rid of! Some friends were even worse off, they had a small garden wall made of it. Never seen anything like it. Mind you, if you've got the stone, you may as well make some use of it.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I decided not to go with the newspapers - just the free conifer chippings from the park, laid on top of Wilko heavy duty weed suppressent £12.99 for 1m by 25m roll).

Looks great, smells wonderful - I'll see how long it lasts for.