Best material for lottie paths?

[Diggingthedirt]

Hi all,
I am going to start laying some paths around my raised beds I'm putting in on my lottie and was wondering what recommendations you have as the beds are pretty much where i want them but with the weather we have had the ground is just turning to a sludgy mess running the wheelbarrow over it and it is clay about a spit down which isn't a help i was thinking of using sandstone crush and run and hiring a little roller or wacker plate to firm it up or would wood chip or flags be better would be grateful for any reply good or bad

[Snadger]

I'm beginning to slightly regret using wood chippings last year as they need topping up now and the source I got them from has dried up.
Just be aware the dolomite chippings you are considering using will turn to mush when wet!

[Lovage]

Crush and run will be cheaper and quicker to lay than flags. I would dig out 4 -6in of top soil ( add this to beds ) and lay the stone on a membrane to prevent it sinking. Down side is that it will get weedy after a while

Woodchip on a membrane with wooden edges will also be cheap and does not look obtrusive. However it will need topping up and will stick to muddy boots

[Jeanied]

For me the best path was made out of paving slabs - obtained for free from a skip (with permission) laid on top of old carpet and old vinyl flooring (free from freecycle). The second best was made out of membrane with a topping of bark chippings - those I had to buy- not so chuffed with those and as others have pointed out, they need topping up / grow weeds/ stick to boots. Am currently toying with the idea of putting down some sort of narrow duck boarding using old wooden pallets.

[snuffer]

I too have used bark chippings on top of a weed suppresing membrane. It works very well and looks nice into the bargain.

If you opt for this option remember to make sure that the membrane is permeable otherwise in heavy rain your bark chippings will all be floating on top of what has become a water filled ditch between your raised beds.

It may be worth asking a local tree surgeon chappie if he has any shreddings he wants to get rid of. You might just find a source of cheap or even free path material, I know other grapes have been successful in this. Never had any luck myself but it has to be worth a try.

[OllieMartin]

I put bark chippings on mine, but the neighbourhood cats seem to like it. That said, my neighbourhood cats would go to the toilet on anything just to spite me!

[Shadylane]

I use straw although it's only my second year and I may need to think of something more permanent. It's usually cheap - I get it from a farm for a quid a bale and a bale tends to go a long way. I've found it's also best to put newspaper or cardboard down first (underneath) - an idea I got off here. As I said it's not permanent but it looks quite nice, spiders and worms like it (so I've heard) and it's stops the mud a bit. I also discovered a month or so ago, that dogs also like cacking on it but that's neither here nor there...

[jogette]

i've just finished laying paths with wood chips - no membrane but boarded to keep it in order.
I approached a tree surgeon who was busy chipping what he had just pruned and explained about the allotment and he very kindly let me have that load ......and 6 others. We now have a rather large heap of chippings on our car park I'm sure it will disappear when people get back on their plots after this wet weather.

[oldie]

I've also used straw on thick newspaper, some on membrane. Very cheap. Has lasted two years on the newspaper before getting very soggy so it has been raked up and mixed into the compost pile with loads of rabbit and chicken manure. Should be ok to use next year.

[chriscross1966]

I've used freecycled paving slabs.... nice to be able to walk up and down without a ton of mud sticking to me, managed to get enough to have a full run from the front edge to the back at the shed, plus the side paths that split out the six main beds, plus a "service area" at the shed, hopefully also enough to do the extra bits for the polytunnel going up in a month or so...

chrisc

[Pies]

Ive just used a permeable membrane,nice and simple

[snakeshack]

Ive just used a permeable membrane,nice and simple

me too, permeable membrane down the middle and cardboard on the smaller paths at right angles

[Scottishnewbie]

has anyone used gravel?

[Pies]

I keep thinking of gravel but as its not bio degradeable if i decide to alter my plot ill have a fair bit of digging to get rid of the gravel,

[Paulottie]

I keep thinking of gravel but as its not bio degradeable if i decide to alter my plot ill have a fair bit of digging to get rid of the gravel,

Why?.....not great for a carrot bed admittedly... but a little gravel is not a problem in the veg patch....good for drainage infact. If laid on membrane you could probably re use most of it anyway.


As a joiner I favour wood-shavings...nothing wasted here ...keep the workshop warm in Winter and mulch the paths in Summer...top up for a while and then after a few years lift membrane and use as bed mulch and compost bulker..... replace. I guess I'm lucky as they are mainly hardwood shavings. A lot of workshops ans sawmills sell it now but still worth asking

... the point is to use what is available and cheap. I'd definitely advise membrane or cardboard (can be slippy at first take care) underneath rather than carpet; which becomes matted in if left too long and it's impossible to shift the nylon weave