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Pathways between veg beds

John952John952 Posts: 21
in Fruit & veg
i have a veg patch which is made up of no dig beds in the field behind my garden. 
I,m  struggling to keep the paths between beds clear of grass and weeds to walk on.
I have been offered some wood chipping- mainly conifer and maple and I'm wondering if I could use this to make paths or if it would wash into soil in the beds and make too acidic?
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Posts

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I don't think you need worry about that, any minor rise in acidification is soon neutralised by your soil, but it depends on what your soil ph currently is... if it veers toward the acidic already you may see a a small effect, but you can always lime your beds as a quick fix. 

    I sympathise, I too have bare paths between beds and have to constantly hoe, which is a pain. This year, I am lopping off seed heads to reduce spread, but otherwise letting the weeds grow, then will treat the paths with glyphosate at the end of the season. I try to garden organically but have had enough!

    I have considered wood chip, but would need a really good quality weed membrane underneath and the overall cost proved too much. The perennial weeds, especially the bindweed, will always push through anyway and chippings would make it more difficult to hoik them out. The other drawback is that decomposing chippings will harbour all sorts of pests and lurkers waiting to devour your veg...
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • John952John952 Posts: 21
    Hmmm- thanks for your advice Nollie. I hadn't thought about the pest problem. Got enough of that already 😫 Think will put up with weeds
  • HelixHelix Posts: 631
    The chippings will also harbour good insects that will eat pest ones....   we use them in all sorts of places without a pest problem.
  • John952John952 Posts: 21
    The plot thickens 🤔 Thank you for your comments- food for thought
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    We buy weed proofing membrane when it's on offer and have a farmer neighbour who offered us a huge sheet of green plastic to cover the bits of our new potager we haven't had time to deal with yet.  It's former donkey pasture and full of all sorts of horrid weeds.   As and when, we will cover the membrane with our own chippings and we have bought larger sized whippings for laying on what will be the permanent fruit beds plus artichokes and asparagus.

    Meantime, a good strimmer is handy if your paths aren't wide enough to get at with a mower.   Decomposition is very gradual and you can easily balance any changes in soil alkalinity.  As Helix says, good guys hide in there too and birds will come and pick off the juicy pests.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    We mow the grass between our veg beds, it works well for us, and is less work than trying to keep the weeds/grass down, and makes for attractive paths. It may not suit your situation John952.
  • John952John952 Posts: 21
    Thank you all for your comments- given me some ideas to work on
  • EilaEila Posts: 63
    I have had wood chippings between my beds for several years and i have to constantly weed them! dust blows into them and they rot down after time.
  • John952John952 Posts: 21
    I think I'm going to try the strummer & see how I get on from there 
    Thanks all- been really helpful
  • John952John952 Posts: 21
    Strimmer even!
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