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Can wood chip be put directly on top of old paving stones?

sweetbeesweetbee Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hello, Excited to be here! I am new to the forum and to gardening. Our new garden has a woodland area at the back with an old path made of broken paving stones. We were thinking about removing them and making a wood chip path instead but could we actually just put the wood chip on top of the paving stones, therefore saving us a lot of work and backache?
Thanks for any help!

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Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Sure, as long as they are fairly deep over the paving stones, so that you don't slip around on top.  I would say at least 4 inches.  
    Utah, USA.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2021
    Yes. I have done it over a gravelled garden and it has worked really well. It saved me taking up literally tonnes of gravel and plus having to get rid of it. If a future owner wants to go back to gravel, it's still there underneath.

    As Blue says, keep it really deep and keep topping it up each year. Worms love it. It will turn to soil over a few years and things will start to seed in it. A future owner might be delighted to find your old path in years to come.

    Even easier if you have your own chipper or can get a delivery free from a local tree surgeon or wood shop. Many companies are keen to get rid of their wood chip for free as they have to pay for their own disposal.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    The birds miss it up here,it needs a lot of topping up,, doesn't go very far
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I typed muss, phone changed it
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    @Nanny Beach
    you can edit and correct your posts when the phone does that. Just click on the little cog wheel in the top right corner above a recent post and you’ll get offered the chance to click on ‘Edit’ ... if you do that you can sort out misspellings. I do it all the time. 
    The cog wheel will be there for an hour after you’ve made that post. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I will have a go Dove, I always wondered why my kids texts didn't make any sense, now I know why.
  • sweetbeesweetbee Posts: 5
    Thank you Everyone  :)
    That's very useful to know the depth needed Blue.
    Fire, thanks for the tip about contacting a tree surgeon... the paving is lots of large rectangular pavement slabs placed on the earth (lots broken), not a pretty path. We are thinking we might need to dig down a bit and push the paving slabs down to get the 4 inches of wood chip on top as it would be higher than the earth either side of the path. But that's probably still easier than removing them all!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    You could use possibly edging like Everedge to raise the area. Just a thought. 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Timber edging would probably be more sympathetic and cheaper. This sort of thing would be pretty good in a woodland area: 

    https://youtu.be/63vr0OY-cL0

    If you are having to 'push the paving slabs down' you may as well just lift them and get rid of them via Freecycle/Gumtree.

    Or you could raise the levels either side of the path.... the lazy option.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited April 2021
    Crikey. Yer man has had fair number of triple espressos. :D

    Tree stakes aren't that cheap either. I'm a bit in love with Everedge. I agree that if the thought is to set the path downwards, you may as well take the paving up and give it away.I guess it depends how long the path is.
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