Straw mulch for pathways

Hi I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts on the following.
I have quite a large plot with planked in beds. The bits inbetween are grass and weeds and to be honest I´m fed up mowing it Rolling Eyes

Anyway the solution I´ve come up with is kill it and then cover everything in straw (which I can get plenty of from next doors calve stall) the theaory is this gets trodden down and stops the weeds etc comming up.
cheers,
Kevin
Blimey it´s hot here 36 C

Chez

Would it not go horrible in the wet? Just thinking of how the straw I used to use in the hen-run got. Wood-chip might be an alternative? But worth trying if the straw is cheap!

Ian33568

Hmm not sure how practical this would be - As Chez says, the straw would become wet and it would eventually break down - how often you may have to replace it and keep it tidy might end up being as time consuming as the grass. Agree that wood chip is a good option or a good layer of gravel over some weed suppressing membrane.

kevin.vinke

Gravel is v expensive here but woodchip would be a possible option.
The thing drawing me to the straw short or otherwise is it´s free and I can get a trailer load every two weeks if needs be.

I ssem to remember that there was a system where all weeds and stuff was put onto pathways and the resulting trampled on and broken down stuff scraped up and put onto the beds.

Ian33568

That would work with the foot traffic helping to break stuff down however it would be very muddy at times surely?

alice

When I eventually move the beds I originally put in here I shall definitely make the paths in between a mower's width. I stupidly dug out the paths and put membrane and stone chippings down - tidy but it's murder to kneel on Rolling Eyes

With hindsight, I should have left the grass and weeds, but made it easy to mow.

Will be interested to know how it works out if you do try it. We've wondered about it for paths on our allotment plot. Joy Larkom recommends it for paths in one of her books - I think it's her anyway.

There is a discussion on the Allotment and Veg gardening forum:

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk

with a pic of a straw path

And try this link as well:

http://www.linkagenet.com/gardening/boards.htm

and another one:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/allotment-advice/allotment-paths_3911.html

also with pics

Oh - is it alright to put links to other forums???

Just wondered if have committed terrible faux pas. Embarassed

hardworkinghippy

I don't think so ! Very Happy

I use a similar system of a straw and hay compost which "flows" down the garden thanks to gravity and the chickens scratching it up. When it gets thick enough I just put it on the raised beds or use it for potting compost.

nettie

Oooooo nasturtiums and no cabbage whites. That is flash Smile

Lovely pics HWH xx ... and I have to say your plot looks amazingly pest-free.

Do you not get an inadvertent mini-crop of wheat or barley as a result of your straw usage? We do, and I only use straw on the strawberries! Mind you there's worse on the plot to contend with Rolling Eyes

nettie

Sorry Kev, back to the original question.

After a year of trying to keep the pathways mown in between the raised beds, we decided to put down membrane, and cover in woodchip.

This looked excellent for about a fortnight. Then the neighbourhood mole decided to turn our pathways into his own little version of the Alps. So we have little black plastic islands in an ocean of woodchip, He eventually came up trumps by sticking his head up in the middle of the brassica patch, which has resulted in blown cabbages and rather droopy PSB. He also, in other beds, managed to uproot all my carrot seedlings and loosen my beans.

If I hadn't spent so much on the materials for the raised beds, in hindsight I would have just dug good old fashioned beds and mowed the paths, like I used to on my allotment.

So if you have moles, i reckon you are better off just going au naturel, with none of your fancy raised bed stuff Rolling Eyes

kevin.vinke

Thanks everyone for the comments. The photos and links look good so I think I´ll give it a go Very Happy

judith

VM wrote:

Oh - is it alright to put links to other forums???

Just wondered if have committed terrible faux pas. Embarassed

Yes, it's fine to post links to relevant forums.
We won't be sending the boys round to break your fingers! Very Happy

bring me sunshine

After months of slipping and sliding this winter, I now use old straw and cardboard in the paths across the field. It still gets wet but at least it's firm(er) footing. It looks bloody awful in the dry but more than makes up for it in the p---ing rain Smile

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