Woodchip Paths

[northepaul]

Council provide us with woodchip, we put membrane down first along paths, but also its good for a mulch around trees and blueberries.

[binley100]

I put down about 6 layers of newspapers first on paths ......also use it to mulch fruit bushes but always on top of some newspaper and never more than 1-2 inches deep as a mulch .

[Lando]

thanks for all your replies. It was a tree surgeon I spoke to about the chippings and he was going to charge me £30. I will try and find another one.
The council burn all their chippings to generate heat, I have spoken to them and they have agreed to drop some off if their van is working in the area, but I am not holding my breath.

[chris]

Go through yellow pages and give your local ones a bell?

[Alison]

I've got membrane and chippings but some weeds do find their way through, especially at the edges next to the beds (I have no dig beds with 8" ish wooden edges round most of the plot) but I can deal with these. There are different types of membrane about and I've found that a layer of card / newspaper is very good underneath the membrane, gives a better surface and helps suppress all the weeds too. The only disadvantage I've found is that they're not very comfortable to kneel on and if you've got shorts etc on they they do dig into your legs when dry, unlike the nice soft grass I had previously.

[hamesy]

I had chippings for my paths, but was getting sick of the weeds (don't think the previous tenant put any membrane down) and I managed to find someone at work getting rid of a load of slabs, so I used them.

If I was starting my allotment from scratch, I'd get some membrane, mark out the paths and then put the chippings down.

[crichmond]

I put chipping on mine a couple of years ago, they have all rotted away now and im back to a mud ( soil when it doesnt rain ) path, I didnt pay for mine the coucil guys were happy to deliver to my allotment when i saw them chopping and chipping trees down on my road and i asked them.