[Community_garden] path construction

[Ray Schutte]

Bermuda grass will find the edges, find light and start to grow in the wood
chips and into your gardens. All is not lost.

You will have to diligently watch the edges and remove the grass white root
and all to get it under control,  Every piece of root will sprout new
growth.  It is really not as hard as it seems, it just require persistence.

I have had good luck using cardboard covered with chips. (its free) you can
get big heavy sheets like what is used to package bicycles and
refrigerators.   The cardboard prevents light from reaching the grass and
hence it dies of starvation.  You sill have to watch the edges and if the
grass comes back in a couple of years, repeat the process.

I agree with Mike you should not have to pay for chips, unless you are
really into designer chips, ie controlled sizes and specific species. 

Ray Schutte

"The truth of the matter is that the flower has cleverly manipulated the bee
into hauling its pollen from blossom to blossom." The Botany of Desire,
Michael Pollan


-----Original Message-----
From: community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org
[mailto:community_garden-bounces at list.communitygarden.org] On Behalf Of Mike
McGrath
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 9:38 AM
To: Vinnie Bevivino; community_garden at list.communitygarden.org
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] path construction

1) My first thought is that you should never have paid anything for 
woodchips. They cost a fortune to landfill and people are often paid to take

them--not the other way around.

2) My inbox is filled with horror stories about landscaping fabric--weeds 
growing through it and then it being impossible to remove. hope you fare 
better.

3) I love the wood idea! Philadelphia used to have several streets made of 
wood.

                                            ----Mike McG
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vinnie Bevivino" <bevivino at umd.edu>
To: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 12:31 PM
Subject: [Community_garden] path construction


> We're redoing our paths at the Master Peace Community Garden, and I
> wanted to ask what people have had success with.
>
> Last year, our first year, we made woodchip paths, both wide "main"
> paths for wheelbarrows, and woodchip "secondary" paths to divide the
> plots.  We had a hard time fighting bermuda grass, and the problem is
> that it just grows through the woodchips and when you weed them half
> of the woodchips ends up underground.  We wasted a lot of expensive
> woodchips this way last year.  We have rebuilt out "main" paths using
> landscaping fabric with woodchips on them, and then lined with brick.
> But we're scratching our heads about the "secondary" paths that serve
> as borders between the paths.
>
> Our best idea is to use 10x2 lumber, laid right on the ground.  We
> have a local store that sells reclaimed wood from deconstructed
> buildings, and its great hard wood, not treated.  It would presumably
> last for a long time (5 years?).  It gives us the weed protection, and
> the semi-permanence (we can move it around if we want, but it isn't
> going anywhere).  Its also fairly cheap.
>
> Does anyone else have any better ideas?  Has anything worked, or not
> worked, in hotter areas that have horrible weed problems?
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Vinnie Bevivino
> Community Garden Educator
> The Engaged University
> Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program
> University of Maryland
>
> The Center for Educational Partnership
> 6200 Sheridan Street
> Riverdale, MD 20737
> 301-405-0656
> engagedu.umd.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
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