for those who have paths on their plot .......

[Alison]

Not only do grass paths need cutting but the edges also need tidying - grass can also be very slippy. The grass on our allotment site seems to seed at a very low height. We're going to use a mixture of freecycled paving slabs, old carpet cut down into path size lengths and scaffold boards - mainly because we want to be able to change the layout. Also we'll use stable litter round our permanent raised beds to keep down the inevitable weeds (we've just taken over a neglected plot). A relative used bark chippings and had a major slug problem but this may have been a one off so I'm not too keen to use this. We think the chippings had the slugs eggs in them.

Obviously different things work for different people but I wouldn't use carpets, a lot of sites have banned them anyway. The previous plot holder on my plot had used loads of those carpet samples you can look at in shops and they were a right pain to remove as they'd started to break down and there were fibres all over the place, really very bad.

[Florence Fennel]

I don't have paths as my beds have been pinched from lawn, but there are two areas between my raised beds that are still covered by the carpets I used to create the beds and that must be 6, maybe 7 years ago. They are just beginning to break down, so I'm looking for ideas. I like the hardboard idea, but would it be slippery when wet? (There's a song about that isn't there?) I'm not that steady on my feet in the garden, so it must be something non-slip. I suppose I could just let the grass grow as it is wide enough for my mower.

[Bigmallly]

I don't have paths as my beds have been pinched from lawn, but there are two areas between my raised beds that are still covered by the carpets I used to create the beds and that must be 6, maybe 7 years ago. They are just beginning to break down, so I'm looking for ideas. I like the hardboard idea, but would it be slippery when wet? (There's a song about that isn't there?) I'm not that steady on my feet in the garden, so it must be something non-slip. I suppose I could just let the grass grow as it is wide enough for my mower.

Set some flags into the grass Flo, make them the same height as the grass then you can just mower over the top of them.

[Kaiya]

Just a trim once a month. It's no big deal.

A trim once a month is a lot if you only get to visit your plot ~4 times a month. When I'm on my plot, trimming grass is the last on a long list of jobs.

[Bigmallly]

A trim once a month is a lot if you only get to visit your plot ~4 times a month. When I'm on my plot, trimming grass is the last on a long list of jobs.

4 times a month?.............I'm gutted if I can't get down 4 times a week.....

[Kaiya]

Yeah it sucks I live away during the week, and usually can only make it to the plot one day out of the two weekend days. My plants have to grow up hard and sort themselves out, and I'm trying to become the queen of mulch to win over the weeds this year. It's only a 1/4 plot but surprising how many jobs there are to do!

[The Large One]

[QUOTE=Florence Fennel;995396] They are just beginning to break down, so I'm looking for ideas. I like the hardboard idea, but would it be slippery when wet? (There's a song about that isn't there?) QUOTE]


there are 2 sides, 1 shiny finished side and a rough textured side which is what i walk on, even in the rain it's more than safe to walk on