Woodchip Paths

[Lando]

Hi

I want to get rid of the need to mow paths and keep down weeds, so am planning to buy a tipper load of woodchips.
Has anyone done this before? Is it worth it? Do you have any tips?

Thanks

[VirginVegGrower]

You will need to peg a membrane down first, unless you want weeds to take hold in it. We use chipped bark, but buy it rather than make it. Having said that though we have flagged down an open backed lorry with a chipper plus full load, paid them some beer money and had a shed load, which we used for the hens. All our paths, except the centre line, are bark chips on top of membrane, but we have raised beds.

[Samurailord]

I have used a double layer of thick cardboard under my bark chip paths which are laid between raised beds.

Working well so far, just the odd determined perennial (dock) coming through but I keep cutting them off and they are definitely getting weaker.

Andy

[chris]

I use membrane with woodchip on top - the weight of the chip keeps the membrane down.. Delivered free by local tree surgeons.

[DavidM31]

Woodchip or gravel paths

I put down a membrane in between my raised beds, pushing it right down against the wooden surrounds and stapled it too the wood, then covered the membrane with a 2", 5cm layer of gravel or home produced woodchip and both work very well. The odd weed seedling still takes root, but they are easy enough to remove.

[Scarlet]

Same as above really. Laid the membrane and then wood chips on top. My chipping are delivered free by my local tree surgeon. You will need to keep topping them up though.

[Newton]

I have some with weed membrane below the chips and some just chips. No discernable difference between the two in respect of weeds!

However on the paths without the membrane the chips will break down into the ground more easily than the membranes paths.......I think!

[Two_Sheds]

Being an organic material, they will rot down and need replacing over time. Plus you'll get mushrooms in them as the wood rots. Not a problem per se, just something else to consider

[MrBloom]

have to make sure you have good drainage for the chippings otherwise water will gather and it will rot and start to stink. a friend of mine made mistake of putting it straight on top of concrete base lol and after a month or so of hard rain it began to rot and stink vile

[rustylady]

have to make sure you have good drainage for the chippings otherwise water will gather and it will rot and start to stink. a friend of mine made mistake of putting it straight on top of concrete base lol and after a month or so of hard rain it began to rot and stink vile

Why on earth put woodchip on top of concrete?

[Kestrel]

I have just done this a week ago - no membrane though and did think twice but my thinking was
a) membrane is expensive and the woodchips are delivered free to the plot,
b) I would rather bindweed and brambles popped up in the paths to be dealt with and did not snake their way into the beds under the membrane
c) loose chips make weed removal easier.

I'm probably deluding myself and it will be a weedy disaster area but it didn't cost anything and was easier and I'm essentially cheap and lazy!

[MrBloom]

because he was an idiot lol

[Hans Mum]

^^^ as others have said lay down on cardboard, membrane, or thick layers of newspaper. But definately do not pay for them our local tree surgeon surgeon supplies us with more than enough free of charge for our site which is 70+ plots. I think i'm right in saying they have to pay for them disposing now so its a win win situation.

[alldigging]

Agreed don't pay for them!
You need to tell people you know to look out for stuff for you - my OH's mum is very well trained and is happy to go and ask for stuff for us

[roitelet]

I use wood chippings from the chain saw for paths on top if cardboard, works a treat and as we burn 10 cupic metres of wood a winter there is always plenty for topping up. Also works well for de-mudding the chicken run. They dont seem to scratch it about as much as straw