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Re: [SG] fall planting

Well, John,

I've done a lot of woodchip paths over the years and IMHO they are OK for
starters, but not to go on with even on a flat area.  Primary reason is
that  once the chips rot down a bit, everybody and his brother wants to
grow in them and they require pretty constant weeding.  And, they do rot
down and need topping up about every other year, depending on how deep the
chips were to start with.  The one plus to this is that you can scrape all
that nice rotted humus out and use it to amend your beds and borders, but
it is quite a bit of work.  My other problem with them is that they do not
provide a firm path for tasks that require running a loaded wheelbarrow
down them.  Plus, as Betty noted, it is not easy to rake them as you end up
taking off the top layer of chips along with the leaves....and blowing is
not an option!

That said, they are nice for woodland paths, IF you want to put in the work
needed to maintain them.  For years, I used either woodchips or sawdust for
our main paths until we finally got them paved in flagstone which has saved
me countless hours of work on them and is something I am eternally grateful
that we managed to do!  I still use chips in my old veggie garden that I
now use for holding beds for woody and perennial plants that haven't yet
found a permanent home.  Right now, they are a weedy mess, but probably not
as weedy as they would be with just plain dirt.  It's easier to pull the
weeds out of them, at any rate:-) when I finally get around to it.

FWIW, if you do choose the stepping stone route, unless you intend to plant
a dense groundcover type plant in between your stepping stones, you will
still have a good deal of weeding to do.  Even with flagstones (mine are
set in stone dust, not concrete) I have to go around at least twice a
season and clean out the cracks where things love to seed themselves.  If
you sink the stones, I expect you could put in grass around them and be
able to mow it....dunno as I have not tried this.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: John & Pat Adney <johnadney@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
> Date: Thursday, August 27, 1998 3:19 PM
>
> Hi Betty and all:
>
> I took all those things under consideration before I decided on woodchip
> paths. Our lot is level so there will be no washing. A small portion of
the
> main path is near but not under the lone big shade tree in the backyard.
I
> don't expect major problems. And I'll do it myself.
>
> However, I may change my mind;  yesterday I saw at a home building center
a
> tool to make your own stone paths. Now that would look neat, though the
> process would be slower. Has anyone on this list used such a tool? How do
> the cement stones hold up?
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> John G. Adney
> Marion, Iowa (zones 4-5)
> johnadney@email.msn.com
>
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