What do people here use for paths?

[Two_Sheds]

Wet newspapers over any weeds that have gotten out of control. Otherwise bare dry earth. There's not much will grow on them, just annual grasses

[Martin H]

Wet newspapers over any weeds that have gotten out of control.

That's a nice idea. How do you do it, a sheet at a time, watered and overlapped until you've got a thick layer?

[chris]

Do you have raised beds to contain the bark chips though?

I have woodchip paths, with both raised and "normal" beds.. As the soil starts to mound up, the woodchip stays put. Yes you do get a few in the beds... doesn't really bother me though!

[bario1]

I do like the idea of woodchips, but i'm trying to minimise slug habitats on my plot, and i've heard they like to hide there in the day... also, i don't have access to free woodchip. If i leave them as bare earth, i think they'll get full of couch grass again. Newspaper sounds good, or cardboard... i can get hold of plenty of that.

[chris]

They'll get under those too...

[bario1]

So i went down to open the coldframe on the way to work this morning and found that the council had delivered a large pile of chipped conifer branches yesterday! Luckily i had some cardboard sheets sitting in the shed, so i quickly got them down on the two bare earth paths i'd cleared and dumped two wheelbarrow loads of chippings on both. Still got to work on time! I'd like to get the rest done this way but i have a feeling all the woodchip will have disappeared by the weekend...

[Two_Sheds]

How do you do it, a sheet at a time, watered and overlapped until you've got a thick layer?

No, you just dunk a whole newspaper in a bucket of water for 5 mins until sodden, then you lay it on the weeds. Repeat until all are covered. You may have to hold the paper down with stones or bottles of water, or weeds, if the weather turns dry and hot and windy

i'm trying to minimise slug habitats on my plot

What you want to do is create a couple of slug hotels, where they will congregate in the daytime. I use planks of wood. You then turn over the planks, salt the slugs, and move the plank along a bit. Virtually effortless on your part.

[Stan79]

And linked to two_sheds suggestion for slug hotels, i use boards as paths. Scaffolding boards for the central highway and strips of laminate flooring i rescued from a skip for the paths off to the sides.

[buzzingtalk]

I am tempted to grass mine, but its going to be difficult as I need to use them so can't really sow grass seed? can't afford turf either. any suggestions? my plot is overrun with bindweed/couch grass etc so I don't want to leave it as it is, I'll never see the end of it!

[rustylady]

Trouble with grass buzzingtalk is you have to mow or strim it.

[Madasafish]

Our paths are mainly paved with old flagstones,second hand (freecycle) 2x2s or disused gravestones...(!)

[snakeshack]

just mypex on the internal paths,grass between me & the neighbours

[BertieFox]

Now I've got a really good Bosch shredder after so many years of terrible ones that blocked at every use, I am able to put woodchips on the paths. I also like to leave them to grow long grass which I clip with hand shears and use as an 'instant mulch' around the vegetables on the beds.

[penny71]

Paving slabs freebies off freecycle and gumtree after wasting time and money laying weed fabric to no avail for a year

[buzzingtalk]

What's the best solution for doing it on a plot that doesn't have raised beds? I can't really lay weed fabric as it won't have anywhere to 'end' or push against? Mowing isn't really a problem but its more thr limited use you have after sowing grass seed that would be a pain