allotment paths

[fox1028]

Hi i got really bad bramble over grown allotment last april (i'm new to allotment keeping).I got it all cleared and got a few plots growing a few veg.I'm planning 5 new plots this yr if poss, the planting what and where is sorted.My problem is i want proper working path's.I read up on paths but keep changing my mind which would be the best way to go.My allotment is fairly boggy at min. I'm a woman and altho not scared of the hard work of allotment keeping (it's mainly me as hubby and kids have no intrest) i'm not good and D I Y (altho i was quite proud of my herb/fruit raised bed i made last yr).what is the easiest and best paths (i have 6 or seven pallots which i could try and break up and use) for allotments ?.

[Mallard]

Paths are quite a bone of contention on our plots, and recent new insurance rules have made the committee jump on people who don't keep them up to scratch!
The best of course are flag stones, but unless you can get some cheap or via freecycle, they're expensive.
You could use wood chip; I have on small paths, but it soon disappears into the mud!
Most of ours are grass, some even sow a little grass seed. I got hold of some hefty pallets for the sides of mine, but I have strips of old carpet down now to cover the mud!


I notice on new sites the paths should be 1.5 metres wide, to allow wheelchair access!

[rhubarb93]

I spent ages ferrying woodchip onto my paths a couple of years ago, and was most disappointed when it disappeared within what seemed like a few months!
Mine are grass now, strimmed from time to time as needed. But the grass is couch, and tends to invade. Even with carpet offcuts the grass grows through in time.
Perhaps your best option if you have the cash and inclination would be black membrane with woodchip on top.
But there is no easy answer, I'm afraid, just personal preference.

[bluebell]

I had woodchip pathways, but even with weed suppressing fibre underneath they have disappeared under grass and weeds. I did read a few years ago about a lady who made a cork pathway, wiring corks together to make a mat and got enough to cover her allotment pathways. She contacted local pubs not to throw their corks away and collected them regularly!

[lancashire lass]

I've been trying different things and my perfect footpath would ideally be paving stones but apart from costs, they are too heavy to move and lay so that they are safe to walk on.

On the shared plot, my friend with his brute of a petrol strimmer cum rotavator didn't mind strimming the grass on the communal footpath but I've had problems with my own plot. For years it was one of 3 vacant plots and the footpaths disappeared under bramble, couch grass, marestail and bindweed. Part of my strategy has been to keep most of the plot covered over using damp proof membrane and cutting through the plastic to make raised beds (so footpaths within the plot are already covered) It's not very tidy or attractive, especially when the plastic starts to deteriorate, and is positively lethal to walk on if it gets wet and you have clay sods sticking to your boots! However, it has minimised weed travel between beds.

The other footpaths within the plot are covered over with whatever I have available - from splitting compost bags and weighing it down with bricks on to footpaths, to re-using bits of roofing felt and bits of old carpets (my friend owns a carpet fitting company and often gives me samples) but it doesn't look very nice or tidy. Some allotment sites don't always allow this so you might have to check.

As for the community footpaths - both of my neighbours are still struggling to cultivate their plots (more to do with their time management than actually growing stuff) so I've more or less had to look after both footpaths on my own. I bought a battery operated strimmer (and a spare battery!) and it's about as useful as a chocolate teapot. It will really only tackle light strimming and couldn't cope. I've tried the fabric weed suppressant stuff and bark chippings but it is too expensive as it only lasted a year! Currently both paths are just compacted dirt

[lilac lill]

Hi fox,

I think this is something we all struggle with. My plots didn't have anything, let alone a path as they were last 'worked' in the 1980's so had basically reverted to a field.!
We chose to put our path down the centre (we have 2 adjoining plots plus another for the girls), and it is only a path because we walk on it... if that makes sense?
It's still the original grass... or whats left of it, as it currently looks like the Somme as we are on clay I petrol strimmed it in summer, but this is my first winter, and with going to the girls everyday, I don't know if it will recover.
Hard paving would be the way to go for me, but as said, it's expensive and heavy. Anything else would just dissapear in the wet weather.
If you find an alternative I would be very interested to hear about it.

Debbie x

[p.penn]

My little patch has the same problem - invasive brambles and weeds. I have laid some weed matting, and did intend to bark it, but at the moment have popped some paving slabs on it to stop it blowing away as I couldn't get the pegs through.

[LittleBrownFrog]

We used to just have a cinder path down the middle of our old veg patch - worth considering if you have a solid fuel burner - it does take a surprising amount of fire 'leavings' to make a path though, but once it's done, you just keep topping up & the walking compresses it nicely.

[AL37]

I am stock pileing any used red bricks I can get my hands on. They are fairly easy to get hold of. Eventualy I want to make a number of paths using the bricks on their edges. Similar to block paving. My mum has them round her cottage and they look great once they have weathered a bit.
Its way down on the to do list for me though.

[p.penn]

I have laid red brick edges to my garden paths, back and front, but although they have been down years, sadly some of them obviously weren't totally frostproof and seem to be disintegrating.

They do look nice though.

[AL37]

Helen I also like the bricks used as edging. What I didn't make very clear was the whole path will be made of bricks laid on their sides.

[p.penn]

Are you going to lay them herringbone pattern?