Deliberately growing grass on the allotment?

[jenjen]

So I go down to the allotment today (finally! some potatoes worth talking about!) and notice my new next door neighbour (he's been there about two months) has sown grass seed over all the paths on his allotment. I'm sure he's jealous of my, erm, 'natural' green paths between the various bed bits of my allotment (a result of the neglect of any area which isn't actually growing something, I don't have raised beds, but have a 'T' shaped path running from the entrance at the side of the allotment to both ends which has gradually greened over during the summer) but I can't help feeling that's a abit odd. I mean, we've got grass seed everywhere as a result of the overgrown paths BETWEEN allotments, the green grows quickly enough, and why spend money on grass seed.

But maybe he's not strange, and I'm the one with the Weird Ideas about not sending money on stuff I don't need (its possible, of course, that he didn't spend money but there is A Lot of grass seed on the ground). Anyone one any comments? Seen this before? Is he odd or is it me

[Snadger]

I suppose it's called a quick fix. If he has a nicely manicured lawn at home maybe he wants nicely manicured paths at the lottie!

If he wanted a really, really quick fix he could have turfed the paths!

[Hazel at the Hill]

He's maybe sown rye grass as a green manure which will be dug into the ground in the spring?

[NOG]

Yep woman next to me...seived all the stones out of the plot and piled them round the trees (?)....then poured grass seeds all over the plot....(?)....planted loads of stuff then hasn't been back.

[SarzWix]

I suppose in one way it makes sense - if you sow decent lawn seed, or a grass/clover mixture onto the paths, then you might keep out the couch grass which is much more invasive into the beds from the paths? (I know, I'm constantly trying to stop it encroaching )

[Sue]

Sarzwix
Oh the paths round the allotment....its not just the couch grass although that's bad enough, there's another grass that sends out feelers over ground and then roots, a horrible leapfrogging plant with yellow flowers which does the same and lots of lovely bindweed and dandelions. It's just me with a pair of scissors and a handfork, got paths round three sides of my allotment. The other side is the allotment hedge and then it's the brambles doing their triffid thing. Oh and the bindweed, the hedge is infested with it as well.
As if I haven't got enough to do with actual gardening...
Sue

[rustylady]

I suppose in one way it makes sense - if you sow decent lawn seed, or a grass/clover mixture onto the paths, then you might keep out the couch grass which is much more invasive into the beds from the paths? (I know, I'm constantly trying to stop it encroaching )

Some hope - couch grass will grow anywhere and will take over.

[Matt.]

I sowed grass seed paths and its well worth it. It keeps the paths neat and my boots mud free. You have to cut it (so no issues about grass seed) whcih stops other weeds growing through and this provides extra greens for compost. To top it all off once cut it looks great. I can't recommend it enough.

The cost was minimal £10 to £15 on the cheapest "value" seed that B&Q sell.

[basketcase]

I sowed grass seed paths and its well worth it. It keeps the paths neat and my boots mud free. You have to cut it (so no issues about grass seed) whcih stops other weeds growing through and this provides extra greens for compost. To top it all off once cut it looks great. I can't recommend it enough.

The cost was minimal £10 to £15 on the cheapest "value" seed that B&Q sell.

Do you have raised beds, Matt?

[Matt.]

No just dedicated beds. I could never find the spare soil/manure/compost to fill raised beds. It also makes mowing easy as I can trundle the mower just over the edge of the soil to cut the edges. It saves having to use a strimmer.

[Matt.]

If you look on my blog link below this message there are pictures half way down the first page. They're last years pictures but enough to get the idea. Each path is about 3' wide so big enough to comfortably take a barrow but not use up loads of space. It takes about 20 mins to cut with my petrol mower.

[The Nichols']

A lot of the allotment holders just have "the plough man" turn their whole plots over which is quicker but means you either have to work quickly or the weeds (in this case grass) take over.

We kept ours and cut the beds out of the turf. Mainly it's so the little one has somewhere to walk up and down without stepping on the veg but also because we think it does look nicer.

[glallotments]

We have grass paths too. They are kept mown and not only look good but provide a natural habitat for wildlife especially the beneficial insects such as beetles. They also encourage bug eating birds. Unlike the black weed suppressant used by many that just seem to provide a hiding place for slugs and snails.

[Alison]

I thought that from the title of this post that you meant that they were growing grass over the entire plot rather than having any crops - that would have been pretty odd. However, if it's just the paths then fair enough, will look nice and you can get basic grass seed pretty cheaply.