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Gardeners World blog

Allotments

Wood chip paths

Posted by: Jane Moore, 18 April 2008, 11.54AM

Wood chippings I'm rather proud of the plot at the moment. It's weeded, fed, mulched and manured, the potatoes are chitted and in, and the beds are ready. Best of all, I've just top dressed my paths with lovely wood chips, which set the whole thing off to a 'T'.

Even my neighbour Vic commented on the beauty of it all. Encouraging and cheerful though he is, he's not overly free with his praise (although he can get quite carried away about a nice cabbage).

Pete the Tree delivered a load of fresh, clean wood chips (mostly ash, he informed me) to the plot, and I spent two hours shovelling it into the wheelbarrow, carting it to the plot and tipping it onto my paths. Thirty four wheelbarrows later and the plot is a radiant vision. The golden wood chips suppress weeds and provide a lovely, springy, dry surface to walk on. This means I don't need to don my wellies if I've just nipped up to harvest a few vegetables for lunch.

You can't top dress beds with fresh wood chips as they leach nitrogen from the soil during decomposition, but they are ideal for paths. We first applied wood chip to the plot three years ago - it's lasted all this time, and only now needs replenishing. I think I can manage thirty odd wheelbarrows every few years in the name of beauty!

Comments

  • Sarah from St. George's School Gardening Club

    01 January 2007, 12.00AM

    I've been laying old carpet along my paths before I get another "Pete the Tree" to come along with his delivery. My school plot was a wild party of brambles and stingers last summer, so although I have dug & pulled them all out, I think I need all the help I can get to stop then coming back through. My students will value the chippings, for the same reason as you do, as they will be wearing school shoes when emptying their cookery-class-peelings into my compost heap. Last term was decidedly muddy!! Good luck with your planting next month.

  • Ross, Telford

    28 April 2008, 10.07AM

    Great thing chipping, thought I'm struggling to find some for free at the moment in my area, and don't really want to pay for it if I can help it. Adds that little something to the beg garden.

  • Jo

    20 April 2008, 08.09PM

    We too are lucky enough to have wood chips delivered free to our allotment. I usually put weed suppressant membrane under the paths but wonder if just a thick layer of chips would be enough to keep the weeds away?

  • nigel

    22 April 2008, 08.24AM

    I was lucky enough to have a mate who was chopping down a behemoth of a conifer and another mate who has a chipper, got the whole done in a day and all for free!!

  • karen

    22 April 2008, 11.36AM

    If you have a plot on a council run allotment, try contacting them. They often have wood chips to get rid of from their maintenance activities and will deliver a trailer load to your allotment for nothing. Also don't waste the old chips when they start to break down after a few years. If you have put a membrance down, then carefully rake off the big chips on the top, and you will find a wonderful barky compost underneath that can be dug straight into the ground, or used as a mulch.

  • deb laslett

    22 April 2008, 11.39AM

    Hi I am looking for some advice if possible. Many schools now have a mini allotment for the children which is fab and the kids love it. Of course term finishes on 18th July which brings to an end our growing season. I just wondered which veg and fruit could mature quickly for cropping before then. We are doing salad - radishes - peas - any other ideas or a range of seeds which would be good? I had heard of 10 week veg or was I confused?! Hope someone can help. Thanks.

  • Alison

    22 April 2008, 01.04PM

    Last year I put just chippings down on my pathways and found that the weeds eventally came through just as thick and fast. Always one who prefers something for nothing - rather than buying membrane, I found large strips of tought plastic bagging (I was lucky enough to find some unused bags at work on a roll which we cover kitchen products, but something like compost bags will work). I put small holes in it for drainage, before covering with chippings (delivered free by our local council gardening contractor).

    This has worked fine. The only thing is a few blades of grass seem to be working their way out between the raised bed and the pathway but so few its not worth worring about.

  • heather

    22 April 2008, 11.31PM

    After several seasons the chippings break down into a rich crumbly material. If you have laid your chippings on plastic - in my veg garden all the paths are the width of compost bags (empty!) split open down both sides, opened out and laid end to end - it is relatively easy to scoop up the composted chippings and use them to mulch under shrubs etc, or dig in to improve the soil structure. Then replace with a new chunky batch of chippings and wait for the magical process to repeat. Good for the garden, good for the waist and a good idea if you have a shredder and can re-cycle your (or your neighbour's) woody waste instead of buying 'proper' chippings.

  • Sharon

    23 April 2008, 09.33PM

    For the last two years I have wood chipped my paths that separate my beds, they keep the weeds down. I top up the surface once a year before the winter. I suffer from multi allergies including a bad reaction to grass cuttings so grass paths were out of the question. It looks tidy and is nice to walk on, it is warmer on your feet in the winter than a soggy grass path. It doesn't grow, doesn't need edging or cutting and if you can't get it free from your council try a Tree trimmimg company or Timber merchant for a cheaper alternative to the DIY or garden centre bagged bark.

  • judith merseyside

    24 April 2008, 06.44PM

    Managed to get free wood chips from a nice man shredding trees at the side of the road. said our local council charges him to tip them, so was pleased to deliver to the allotments.

  • Juliet

    26 April 2008, 02.33PM

    We have a shed in amongst a (small) orchard. Mowing this area can be a bit of a fiddle, so to minimise the fuss we decided to dig out an irregular shape around the shed, cover with membrane and on this add wood bark and edge with stone. I also had visions of ferns growing in this area. However, I was away when my husband got to grip with this project and instead of the dark wood bark, he has applied a light coloured wood chip which lends more of a seaside air... not the desired effect I had hoped for! Please can anyone tell me if these chips will darken in time and can I plant amongst it. Thanks.

  • John Drinkwater

    27 April 2008, 05.12PM

    Wood chips look very natural in gardens & look lovely, I have tried using them myself but I have a problem as I am visited every night by 4 legged bulldozers in the shape of badgers. Being a wildlife enthusiast I tolerate them but my bark paths have been virtually destroyed through the winter months.

  • petes plot

    30 April 2008, 08.53PM

    Everyone seems to be getting free chippings and manure while here in sunny Devon I pay for every thing and top it all our council has banned all fires until nov. With so many weeds and pests that are recommended should be burnt...

  • Wendy, Wakefield

    16 May 2008, 08.11PM

    I do try to keep my garden 'tidy' but my daughter and her friends, rather than walking down my concrete path, take a short cut over my lawn. Would a path of bark chippings work for the heavy walking of several teenage girls? I am a born again gardener, any tips on how to start this project would be 'much' appreciated!!!

  • Arif, Birmingham

    02 June 2008, 06.29PM

    I have also put wood chips on my pathways but after a while one finds the weeds growing back again. What one did was one layed old compost bags on the pathway then lay the wood chips on that. After one did that one's plot was free of weeds for some time.

  • louise from barnsley

    13 June 2008, 03.32PM

    Just taken on a plot & our local council doesn't do a thing to help, no top soil, no chippings not even a secure fence. Any advice welcome!

  • Gillian

    17 July 2008, 02.19AM

    A question: can walking on fresh wood chips cause an allergy ? We has wood chips delivered today and now my mum has really itchy feet.

  • JIM

    07 August 2008, 05.59PM

    I want to cover 150 square metres of grass with woodbark. I plan to cover the entire area first with plastic sheets before putting the bark down. Should I make holes in the plastic to allow water drainage. Like to hear how other folk would tackle this problem.

  • northwood kirkby allotments joey

    05 September 2008, 01.45PM

    on my allotment i have done all my paths .with grass so wene i cut it.ican put all the grass cutings into my composter.now that keeps the weeds down .and it gives me compost back.thats good fore the soil.

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