Landscaping fabric for paths - good idea or not?

Hello everyone and thanks for accepting

I help out on a couple of allotments, we have just acquired a new plot and are mapping out the new paths. Some of our members are convinced that the only option (apart from expensive stone) or brick, which doesnt really suit our plot, is putting plastic weed membrane/landscape fabric down covered by wood chip.

Now I realise this is quite normal, however I personally dislike the stuff, it makes it even harder to weed because the weeds embed themselves in the organic matter above the fabric, their roots pierce the fabric and to pull them out you end up shredding bits of plastic into the soil, it looks unpleasant when the woodchip blows/washes/rots away, and you end up with lots of plastic threads.

My ideal cheap(ish) solution would be cardboard covered in some kind of organic matter. Their opposition is that it rots - which is true, but its easily replaced. And in feeding the soil, I find it makes the weeds less resistant to removal. Though no options are low maintenance, I realise that!

My feeling is that landscape fabric is great for covering over bare ground temporarily but not for burying and covering because it seems to create a much less workable zone underneath.

What do people think?

 

I just strimmer my paths, its mostly a spring and late autumn thing as once the summer comes, most years, it all stops growing.

 

How about gravel?

 

I can't really see the objection to membrane. It doesn't matter whether the soil's workable or not under a path? If you get good quality membrane, it lasts for many years. My original stuff is still going strong 17 years on. It doesn't provide a good, hard, barrow-proof surface in a wet winter, but nothing other than a hard-landscaped surface would. I'd much rather do something like that once every 17 (or even 10) years than have to mess about laying cardboard every few months

 

My issue with it is that when you put woodchip on top of it, thuggish weeds like dock and hogweed will seed into the top and pierce the lining with their taproots, and when I try to dig them out I end up ripping up the membrane which then sheds plastic particles into the soil.

I'm not against it used in certain circumstances, it does slow down establishment of weeds for the first 6 months or so, but if you cover it with anything organic I find the weeds that do manage to get a foothold become very difficult to deal with and it ends up being incorporated into the soil and I'm forever pulling pieces out.

 

One spray a year with glyphosate should sort out any perennial weeds that try to get a foothold.

 

No to membrane.
Yes to woodchip but
a)take a turf off first- stack upside down to compost to a useful loam in 2 years.
b)use 100mm deep woodchip, 'cultivate'* twice per season so as remove any stray seedlings
c) after 2 seasons rake aside, scoop off bottom 40mm and spread on beds. Level back and reapply a further 75mm of new woodchip. Repeat.
You do need to train your neighbour(s) to adopt the same
regime.
Woodchip is freely available: see
Wood Chip Tip Site Directory - Arbtalk
(No brash, conifer, weeds please !)
* just run through with 3prong to disturb the surface, to avoid consolidation

 

Our nearest garden centre has membrane covered by gravel. I think they must use weed killer to stop the weed problem that @Erigeron described. The previous owner of our house had used this membrane extensively in a shrubbery, and it was an awful mess, with both weeds and the shrubs spreading their roots over the top into the organic mulch she had used on top. So I think weed prevention is the only practical way with this solution for paths.

 

I used a mix of the black fabric and the woven stuff with woodchips on top when I got my allotment many years ago, for both paths and the area where I have fruit bushes and apple trees.. I've since pulled them all up as mentioned the weeds root through them if you don't keep on top of the weeding. I also wasn't particularly pleased with the idea of have all that plastic in the ground. Whereas the paths i started with just cardboard and a thick covering of woodchips, the weeds are very easy too pull out if i forget to hoe it. I just add a bit of woodchip to all paths each year, no need to remove any, we get it free at the allotment though. Also plants in neighboring beds can root into the path if they need. Once it's settled it's nice to walk on too, never gets muddy or slippy whereas the grass can in the depths of winter at least

I still have some grass paths but it's a bit annoying have to strim and edge them in summer. Might be a bit much with just woodchip and no green though

 

I hate weed membrane, the slightest disturbance and you cannot get it back down again. Cardboard covered in wood chip is my suggestion. renew every few years