maintaining garden paths

[Linda Sternin]

Hello! My school garden team colleagues and I are looking for ideas on keeping our garden paths weed free.The weed barrier placed over the soil has broken down. We re-covered the paths with crushed stone, but the weeds keep coming through.  It seems we spend more time weeding the paths than the garden beds.  We have tried vinegar/salt/dishsoap solutions but that has gotten very expensive.  With Spring around the corner, we want to be prepared. 

Any ideas or solutions? 

Thank you in advance! 

[Heidi Auel]

I have had this question for a long time as well. When it was first built, we had wood chips between the raised beds but we cannot afford to replace them every year. I have begun trying to top seed clover since it does not grow tall and can crowd out other plants. I have heard this recommendation from others, but would gladly take other options!

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Heidi Auel

Discovery Woods School

Brainerd, MN

[Ben]

in my own yard here in San Diego I've used a weeding hoe to clear pathways

https://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/sh-63000-heavy-duty-weeding-hoe-7-in.html

after knocking down the weeds in the pathways w/ the hoe (link above) I rake up the weeds and throw them in my hot compost pile

basically because it does not rain here very much, in the pathways I've placed irregular stepping stones which serve a few functions,... when it does rain the stepping stones prevent waking in the mud AND the stepping stone prevent soil compaction (which I don't want because I want the natural rainfall to soak into the ground and not "run off")

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Nantucket-Pavers-20-in-and-21-in-Irregular-Concrete-Blue-Stepping-Stones-Kit-20-Piece-52201/204400147

A study in San Diego asked if people could identify the scientific reason why climate change is happening

The findings sadly no one could correctly answer the question

www.ThereIsNoPlanet-b.org

Make science in America great again

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[Nancy Benefiel]

I've used boxed that appliances come in. Break them down to lay flat.  Then put a thick layer of wood chips over the cardboard. It all breaks down.  It won't take care of the weeds totally but helps greatly. And, the weeds are easier to pull. The word chips were free and got the boxes from appliance store. 

When the utility companies are trimming trees because of power lines mist of the time they will give them to you. 

[emma nadeau]

I would add that it depends on what weeds you are dealing with. We have Bermuda in our school garden paths, which spreads vigorously by rhizomes, and putting down cardboard and wood chips did NOT work and made it even more obnoxious to pull out. However, if you really dig down and eliminate it, like I’ve done in parts of my home garden, then wood chips make a great pathway. I’m guessing this would apply to a lot of other perennial weeds... For this job, I recommend a crew of detail-oriented, motivated high school students that need service learning hours :) 

And then I would second what’s been said before about wood chips being able to be sourced from tree/utility companies (as long as you have an easy place for them to dump), and weeds whose seeds blow/get dropped in being a lot easier to pull out from wood chips than compacted ground! 

Good luck!! I too feel like I spend more time weeding the pathways than the beds, and I’ve come close to just giving up and letting the pathways be mowed grass. But with rhizomatous grasses, I would still have to deal with them getting into the beds - no fun!

.emma.

(Chapel Hill, NC)

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[Leann Barber]

We define the paths with logs, stones, or coconut shells and use tree mulch as the pathway and in the beds. We get it free from local tree trimming companies and replenish every couple of months. Builds great soil. We used to use pebbles but they eventually work onto the ground. The weeds that do grow are easier to pull out of mulch vs stone. We also don’t mind if there are a few weeds growing around the parameter of the path...it adds to the natural look. 

Kind regards,

Leann Barber

Made in Broward

The Cottage in Flagler Village

500 NE 1st Avenue

Fort Lauderdale FL 33301

954-303-6750

On Feb 17, 2021, at 18:58, Ben <ben...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Pamela Schwingl]

I learned this past year that using a good cultivating tool and keeping up with smaller bare paths is almost easier than all the other options. the key is keeping up and having a good tool like Johnny's oscillating hoe (https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/weed-control/hoes-cultivators/oscillating-stirrup/omega-oscillating-hoe-2.3%22-6996.html)...this has made my life a lot easier.

Pam

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[Colby Craige]

We have a variety of different paths at Global Gardens in Tulsa, Ok. We scuffle how our paths, rake up weeds and spray with a vinegar solution. We also tarp areas tin the summer to help fight back problem areas 

Colby Craige

Garden Manager

PO Box 52034 

Tulsa, OK 74152

(c) 918-219-3494

www.global-gardens.org  

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[Pamela Flory]

I second Pam.  I have tried just about everything and the easiest and most aesthetic has been wood chips and weeding with the stirrup/oscillating hoe.  Once you get the hang of the tool, you can be very efficient....Pam

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Pam Flory

609 480-8902

Garden Coordinator and Educator

Princeton Day School

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[Laurie Taylor]

Hello everyone! We were able to get a pallet of appliance boxes donated to use in the paths of our "big garden". We laid a double layer of cardboard down, making sure to overlap the edges. We then wetted down the cardboard and added a deep layer of wood chips on top of the cardboard. The wood chips are donated by local tree companies. The cardboard and wood chips break down in 2-3 seasons and the process will need to be repeated. We also add wood chips as needed to areas which wear thin to keep weeds at bay as much as possible.

Laurie Taylor

Siouxland Harvest, Inc.

Sioux City, Iowa

siouxlan...@gmail.com

712-898-8006

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[CM Clavin]

We are also looking for paths on our farm school inclusive garden farm area. 

 Anyone have a sustainable path covering that allows access to wheelchairs, those with special abilities and walkers?

Thank you and stay healthy and safe.

- Candace

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” — May Sarton

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[Benjamin Gormley]

take up the rock, place a layer or two of cardboard then the stone. works well.

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Benjamin Gormley

CTE Biomedical

William B Cooley Health Science and Technology Academy

182 Thurbers Avenue

Providence, RI,02905

[Mindysue Swanson]

chip drop

On Wed, Feb 17, 2021 at 2:29 PM Heidi Auel <ha...@discoverywoods.com> wrote:

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Dig Down Deep Garden Educators

Mindy Swanson

she/her/hers
d3gar...@gmail.com
510.918.0831

[Tamara Helfer]

We are looking at building an ADA pathway similar to a bike trail construction for one of our large (2 acre) school gardens. My team priced this out at about $5/square foot so it’s not cheap but we are hoping for grant support to proceed. 

Tamara

Mt. Diablo USD Garden Education Program

______________________________

  Tamara Helfer

  tthe...@gmail.com

  925-930-7336

  925-818-3131 c 

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[Laurie Taylor]

Maybe check into decomposed granite for ADA pathways.

Laurie Taylor

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[Denise Rowcroft]

In our Learning Garden, we prepped the entire area with geotextile (like a landscape fabric) underneath the wood chips before building up the garden to keep the original (potentially contaminated) soil in place. Although expensive up front, a side benefit is that after 10 years there is still very little weeding needed to be done outside of the raised garden beds. 

Denise Rowcroft
The Environmental Center

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Denise Rowcroft

she/her/hers (learn more)

Program Manager

GARDEN FOR EVERY SCHOOL 

a project of the environmental center

den...@envirocenter.org  l  541.385.6908 x 14
16 NW Kansas Ave. Bend, OR 97703  l  envirocenter.org

Please note, I am working irregular hours part-time from home M-F during this time, and can be reached via cell phone at 541-312-8700.

[School Sprouts]

For ADA paths we’ve used crushed stone or “screenings” which is of a variety of sizes so it will compact together and become firm.  Beware products like TRG that are all the same size and will never pack and are impossible for chairs to roll on.   We’ve also been looking into GrassMat 

which you can find at www.accessrec.com. 

Hope

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[CM Clavin]

Our farm garden is looking for a wheelchair friendly garden path as well.
Something that allows a chair to push through yet is environmentally friendly and porous.
To find all three of these in a surface would be a miracle!
- Candace

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[Shannon Murphy]

Hi Candace!
I just learned about this substance called Chapel Hill Grit from a fellow service member. She used it in her garden for the paths. It is wheel chair accessible, looks like sand, is the consistency of sand, yet is much heavier! It fits all of your criteria since I imagine it to be porous and environmentally friendly! The truck she ordered had 3 tons of of it in its bed. It’s called Chapel Hill Grit because it’s from a kind of rock that’s specific to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It’s about $40 per ton. Depending on your location I am not sure if you can find it outside North Carolina but it doesn’t hurt to ask! Hope this helps.
Shannon

> On Mar 12, 2021, at 8:28 AM, 'CM Clavin' via School Garden Support Organization Network <school-gar...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> Our farm garden is looking for a wheelchair friendly garden path as well.

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[Linda Sternin]

An update on finding a solution to the weed vs. path problem- 

Thank you for the many responses sent our way.  It seems that many gardens are using cardboard with a thick layer of wood chips. As we are also hoping to make our paths ADA accessible, a colleague has found something called "Organic Lock" - a self sealing, permeable, stabilized decomposed granite.  We think it is worth looking into.  Spring is almost here in the Northeast! Looking forward to getting our garden going again! 

--

Linda M. Sternin M.S. CCC-SLP

Speech- Language Pathologist

Kenmore -Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District

Edison Elementary School

Email:  lste...@ktufsd.org

Voicemail: 874-8416 Mailbox number:39486

 

 

 

[Jezra Thompson]

Lots of ideas and lessons to be learned here. We used decomposed granite at a site with the interest of ADA accessibility and found that it didn't drain well, puddled water, and was not a great weed control. 

Jezra Thompson, MS

Supervisor, Districtwide Gardening & Cooking Programs 

Berkeley Unified School District 

Pronouns (she/her)

We teach garden-based and nutrition education at all schools 

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[Shital Parikh]

Thx for sharing. Good to know. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 12, 2021, at 1:28 PM, Jezra Thompson <jezrat...@berkeley.net> wrote:



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