With the paths in the garden, everything is clear - they complement the overall composition, it is convenient to walk along them, they reduce the amount of dirt ... Are paths needed in the garden? And what functions do they perform? Well, let's look for answers together!
Whether in the garden, in the garden - the practicality of garden paths
The paths in the garden are not an idea of today, moreover, on a subconscious level, everyone dreams of a solid support under their feet when they have to go out into the garden after a good rain. There is absolutely no pleasure in the fact that dirt sticks on floors! But if there were paths ... But if our man thinks that, God forbid, he will have to spend money on this - well, no, we'd better collect dirt.
But what will be your surprise if you find out that you don’t need a penny to build a “sidewalk” between the beds? Imagine, and such an option is possible. It is worth thinking about it, and you will understand that in addition to a solid foundation under our feet, the paths also perform other functions that can make our lives easier. Firstly, when caring for plants, you can go out into the garden practically in slippers. Secondly, stop carrying dirt into the yard, and even into the house. Thirdly, harvesting will be much easier!
And, fourthly, weed control will remain, if not in the past, then in a very truncated form - after all, most of the grass grows in the aisles.
The main rule for arranging tracks is that they must be straight.. Since school, we know that the shortest distance between point A and point B is a straight line, and in life this rule is by no means canceled. Winding paths will be appropriate in the garden, where they will fit into the landscape, and for the mood - it's the very thing. The garden requires practicality.
The width of the tracks - another lot important point. There should be several main paths in the garden that are subject to the greatest load, and additional ones will depart from them, leading to individual beds. For the main ones, it will be enough to take 60 centimeters wide, and the auxiliary ones should be exactly such that you can walk without hooking the soil and plants - 30 centimeters will be enough.
2 Paths in the garden - what to do?
The most popular way out is, willy-nilly, to tread a path between the beds, as they say, with your own feet. The soil is of little use, and you yourself will probably suffer the next year, breaking stone breasts. But not a single summer resident has yet learned to fly around the garden.
A fairly common solution in those regions where there are no problems with wood is to equip wooden decks. It would seem that this is not an option. The advantages of such paths are in the simplicity of their installation and mobility, the next year, if desired, a garden bed can be planted in place of the paths, and the boards can be moved to another place. However, there is a significant disadvantage of wooden flooring - wet wood attracts whole colonies of snails and aphids! In addition, the boards themselves will quickly become unusable from prolonged exposure to wet soil.
Wooden boards are a convenient temporary option, for example, when planting seedlings or during harvest. But on a permanent basis to determine them in the garden is not worth it. Well, if after construction works some concrete slabs or tiles of small sizes remained - it is quite possible to build paths of the sizes we need from them, but it is unlikely that there will be enough material for the entire garden.
Another way out is to fill up the aisles or rubble, the main thing is to fence off the beds with boards or strips of slate so that over time the pebbles do not spread throughout the garden. Again, it’s good if the material remains after construction - don’t buy it on purpose! But gravel has a number of significant drawbacks - a small layer of weeds will not stop, and then try to remove it from the soil if you want to move the bed. Unless, with all confidence, you can strew the edges of the garden or the places you used to walk with gravel.
But in order to also benefit the garden, you need to pay attention to mulching from sawdust or tree bark. Mulch in itself is important in the garden - it easily allows moisture to pass into the soil and does not let it out back, does not allow the soil to weather, take on a crust after rain. Many gardeners underestimate this technique, and once they try it, they are surprised - how they didn’t think of it before. Sawdust can be scattered along the aisle in a fairly thick layer - this will surely stop most weeds, and you can easily pull out those that break through. Thanks to the mulch, weeding and loosening are practically not required, and the frequency of watering is reduced significantly.
Wood waste - the material is free or almost free, at the sawmills they will only say thank you when you take them out yourself. But there is one caveat - sawdust, shavings and crushed bark have a slightly acidic reaction, especially when it comes to coniferous waste. Fresh sawdust will acidify the soil, which is undesirable. The reaction is neutralized if they are thrown into a pile and left like that for a year. After they rot a little, you can use them for paths, and in their place you will bring new waste from the wood industry.
The double role - mulch and flooring in the aisles - will be played by hay or straw. If you don't have any, don't be afraid to mow fresh grass (that hasn't produced seeds yet) and cover the paths with it. After a few days under the scorching sun, it will dry out and make a great mulch. The advantage of straw, hay and grass is that they can be left in the garden, however, like sawdust - only sawdust can still be raked into a pile and used next year, and the straw will almost completely decompose in a year and fertilize the soil. That's only if you scattered the straw in the aisles, next year it does not hurt to apply a little nitrogen fertilizer.
3 Garden paths - original solutions
In the aisles, you can plant the so-called green manure - plants that enrich the soil with useful elements. Among them are mustard, rapeseed, oilseed radish, rye, oats - if green manure has grown noticeably and began to obscure the main crop, they are simply mowed, leaving right there, in the aisles. Here's your hay! Siderates, moreover, drown out weeds and create favorable microclimate For cultivated plants.
Some gardeners experiment with seeding the lawn, but this option is only suitable if the paths do not move. A well-grown lawn is not at all afraid of loads - it is not in vain that it is sown in football stadiums, but it is not so easy to get rid of it. In this case, you simply have to remove the layer of soil along with the lawn.
However, there is another way that many experienced gardeners will like - to cover the garden with carpets and rugs! It is clear that they are not new - everyone has a lot of old carpets in the attic, which are a pity to throw away and have nowhere to use. So give them a second life! Cut them into the desired strips and spread in the aisle. Through such a barrier, no weed will break through, but the carpets will let moisture through with ease. Such a flooring can last more than one year - in the fall it was wound into a roll, and until spring in a barn. Free agrofibre!
As an option - make a step track! In this case, the material that we choose (stone, wood) will not cover the entire path, but only those places where we land with our feet, completing the step. That is, the distance between them should be just one step. If there are no flat stones, you can cut a lot of flat ones from a log, which are slightly dug into the soil, and plant the same green manure or fill sawdust between them. Durable, cheap and by no means angry!
The blooming green garden is an excellent place for rest and relaxation. But before enjoying the fresh air in the shade of neat fruit trees, summer residents need to work hard on drafting a garden and putting their ideas into practice.
Each owner of a summer cottage can independently build a garden of his dreams, because this requires quite a bit - enthusiasm, inspiration and a desire to work in the fresh air. These are the qualities that professional gardeners have, who do not spare free time for the aesthetic design of the site and the search for new creative ideas. They manage to achieve excellent fruit yields and excellent seedlings. vegetable crops, as well as transform your garden beyond recognition and make it look like a work of landscape gardening art.
An important role in the design of the garden is played by the paths between the beds, the methods of laying which will be covered later. Properly designed paths can be a good addition to the landscape architecture of the site and emphasize the integrity and harmony of the garden. The practical side of the issue is also important - country beds (from the simplest rectangular to round, longline) with solid paths between the rows are much easier to water and process, so the time for caring for the garden can be reduced to a minimum.
The positive aspects of the aesthetic design of the paths between the beds are obvious, because immediately after the completion of the work, the site acquires a well-groomed harmonious appearance. It is also worth noting the fact that dachas with well-placed paths between the beds are less overgrown with weeds, and caring for crops becomes easier and more convenient, because the gardener can thin out seedlings and process plants at any time. Even after heavy rain, you can approach the beds without rubber boots, because the paved paths will provide stability and safety.
Among other positive aspects of using tracks, it is worth pointing out the following factors:
- the opportunity to work in the garden, regardless of the whims of the weather;
- soil from the garden will not be washed out and transferred outside the site;
- reduction in the area of weeded territories.
The negative points are that for the implementation of the garden path project, a certain amount of financial resources for hiring specialists or having basic knowledge in the field of landscape design for independent implementation of ideas. Negative sides can be smoothed out if you approach the issue of arranging garden paths creatively and choose the most simple ideas involving the use of inexpensive and common materials. Ideas for arranging country landings can be found in the article.
The choice of material for the tracks between the beds
Having made original beds for giving with their own hands, gardeners begin to choose material for decorating row spacing. It can be bulk materials such as crushed stone, sand, gravel, chips, as well as traditional monolithic elements - concrete tiles, natural stone and wooden beams. The choice of material is made on an individual basis, however, before making a final decision, the gardener should study the features of use. various types decking in the garden.
Stationary paths made of concrete, tiles and stone are characterized by durability and aesthetic appearance.
However, the gardener must understand that in the future he will not be able to change the configuration of the beds, because the annual installation and dismantling of paths is not a justified and expedient exercise. Certain nuances are also present in the use of garden paths made of bulk building materials. During the cultivation of the land, such paths must not be violated, because, by allowing crushed stone and stone chips to enter the soil, the gardener will provoke a deterioration in its fertile qualities, which will certainly affect the quality of the crop next season.
Stationary paths and monolithic beds made of stone with your own hands in the garden are quite simple to make. However, they require constant care, and gardeners will have to spend a lot of money to implement them, because natural stone and concrete tiles are not affordable.
Asking the question of what you can make beds with your own hands and how to arrange garden paths, gardeners often decide to use pallets and leftover building materials.
However, the decision to use bituminous roofing material in the garden should be taken with extreme caution.
The fact is that paths made of this material can cause an irreversible change in the chemical composition of the soil, and gardeners will have to say goodbye forever to the dream of growing organic vegetables and fruits in their garden. As for the use of natural timber, wooden paths, like do-it-yourself wooden beds in the garden, 
can be installed only after the treatment of consumables with antiseptics. The fact is that natural wood is prone to decay. To prevent its damage, gardeners will need to purchase copper-containing preparations and treat the surface of the boards with them.
The most practical are paths made of degradable materials, which in the best way complement the organic beds and flower beds in the garden. The list of materials for arranging such paths is presented below:
- sawdust;
- bark;
- straw.
The benefits of using organic paving materials for row spacing are obvious - at the end of the season, the paths can simply be dug up and the soil quality improved. Also, the materials listed above absorb moisture well and do not rot. The affordable cost of materials and the ease of installation work can also be attributed to the pluses. When choosing organic paths, the summer resident will be able to easily adapt the garden for the upcoming season and sow the beds for the winter with cold-resistant crops in September.
Efficiency is different sowing in the aisles of green manure. Paths from them help to improve the fertility of the land and prevent the spread of weeds around the site. The choice of crops used for soil manure is quite extensive. The grower can choose best option among the following cultures: 
- sorghum;
- peas;
- sainfoin;
- alfalfa;
- ryegrass;
- fescue, etc.
Features of the construction of tracks
Making beds for the first time, new summer residents are wondering about the correctness of the construction of garden paths. With a proper approach to this task, they manage to implement projects of any complexity with minimal effort and time. Regardless of the choice of material and track format, the beginning of work will consist in removing the top layer of black soil from the surface.
The path between the beds with their own hands
During this process, the height of the bed and the growth characteristics of the plants sown on it are taken into account. So, for paving a path made of gravel or natural stone, it is necessary to remove about ten centimeters of soil. The height of the removed soil layer should be calculated in such a way that the band for the beds or the galvanized steel sides that enclose the crops do not lose their stability. After carrying out the preparatory work, the resulting trench is filled with the selected building material and thoroughly compacted with the help of special tools.
Knowing how to do it right in accordance with the principles of organic farming, the gardener will pay attention to environmentally friendly materials for decorating paths. The use of sawdust and straw for row spacing is simple and effective. Depending on the shape and size of the paths, the summer resident must prepare the required amount of consumables, and then lay them directly on the topsoil.
Choosing the size and shape of the tracks
With the help of paths, vegetable crops, flower beds and decorative beds with your own hands can be transformed in a few moments. For this, it is necessary to carry out right choice the size and shape of the track located in the aisle of the beds. Special publications for gardeners, including the magazine Magic Garden, provide general recommendations for choosing the standard sizes of garden paths.
Optimal garden paths should be as stable as possible, have sufficient width and a practical shape that will not create obstacles when the owners move around the site. It should be understood that a too narrow winding path looks beautiful only in the park area of the garden. In the garden, such a solution will not be practical, because the gardener will not be able to drive a garden cart or wheelbarrow along it.
When breaking the beds on the slope with your own hands, it is worthwhile to understand that the path on the site with similar landscape irregularities should have increased strength. In this case, it is better to give preference to wide paths paved with wooden flooring or natural stone. It is better to refuse the idea of using bulk materials on a slope, since during rain the paths can be washed out by the water flow.
If a summer resident practices growing ampelous crops, and in his garden there is a hanging or multi-tiered strawberry bed, which can also be planted according to Finnish technology, then he can use straw flooring as paths. This solution allows you to collect a clean harvest from berry crops even after heavy rains. Such paths will also appeal to gardeners who have installed Radost high beds made of galvanized steel on the site and optimized them for growing tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. If at the dacha the gardener uses Greenbox or Dayas polymer beds, then the size and shape of the paths should ensure the easiest possible watering and care of the plants planted on them. In this case, you can pay attention to the bulk paths of gravel and crushed chips, the width of which is about half a meter.
Having chosen the optimal design for paths between flower beds and beds, summer residents will achieve the similarity of their estate with modern designer gardens that delight the eye from the profile gloss pages, as well as increase the practicality and functionality of their site. By adopting the ideas of landscape architects, a garden of any size and format can be transformed beyond recognition. In their work, gardeners can use a variety of building materials - stone, tiles, gravel, etc. Having completed the paving of the paths, the owners of summer cottages will achieve an excellent result if they decorate the finished paths with elements of garden architecture to their liking - decorative sculptures, benches or neat lamps. And how to properly plan plantings and make beds in the garden can be read.
I hope that someday I will plant ornamental plants instead of vegetables on my site and make beautiful paths, but for today the main thing for me is to create optimal conditions vegetable plants. I don't think I'm alone in this endeavor. Based on my priorities, I chose for myself the option of maintaining paths, somewhat unusual among gardeners - under mulch.
On my site, the entire area is divided into beds and passages of approximately the same width - a bed plus a passage - 1 meter.
Such a permanent marking allows you to include in the crop rotation (bed rotation) all crops grown on the site, including potatoes.
In defense of such a scheme, I will give a simple example. For two years in a row, he counted beans on bushes of bush beans planted in meter-wide beds. Beans were planted in 5 rows. On the bushes growing along the edges of the beds, an average of 10 beans (each), but on the rows that were in the center - an average of 3 beans. It can be seen that the difference is huge.
On half-meter beds I plant beans in 3 rows, and the harvest on all rows is approximately the same - all the same 10 beans from a bush.
With such a layout of the garden, the roots of the vast majority of cultivated plants use the entire area of the passages for food. Especially strong - the extreme rows.
Creating conditions for the roots that contribute to a better supply of moisture and nutrition.
As far as possible, I try to close all the paths with various organic matter: straw, foliage, bedding from the forest, weeds, mowed grass. Of course, it sounds very strange - to fertilize or mulch the paths, and, nevertheless, it makes sense.
In the spring, while the neighbors are waiting for when it will be possible to enter the garden and not fall through, I calmly walk along my paths sent by organic matter, and without boots - there is no dirt. A very striking effect was current year. Groundwater rose abnormally high, and it was impossible to step in the gardens - you would fail. The sowing company in my garden, thanks to permanent sheltered paths, began in April, at the neighbors - at the end of May-June.
To quickly warm the beds with a gentle spring sun, you need to open them from the mulch. But at the same time, the soil loses the most important spring moisture. Of course, you can cover the beds with a film, but if the area is large, then it is a little expensive, and bare passages evaporate water very much.
In my case, the passages, on the contrary, are reservoirs of spring moisture and rainwater.
Even with prolonged drought, the soil under the paths is always wet, the roots of cultivated plants are comfortable there.
The question may arise how the tender roots of cultivated plants will penetrate the years-trodden ground of the paths. The answer is easy! And there is nothing strange here. Under the cover of mulch, worms abound even in the paths. Through their efforts, the trampled, dense earth becomes permeated with passages through which atmospheric air enters the earth, and the roots of vegetables easily pass through.
Such moisture reservoirs allow you to manage with a minimum amount of watering, or without them at all. It is very important for me. On my site, irrigation water (from a well), according to chemical composition far from ideal - too hard. I try to use it to a minimum so as not to salt the soil. Therefore, I grow most crops using non-irrigated technology, even if the yield is somewhat reduced compared to irrigated beds.
July 2007 Compost paths + mulched beds - the plants feel great. It is hard to believe that these beds have never been watered.
In addition to storing moisture, my paths play another important role - organic matter decomposes on them.
In a constantly moist, well-aerated layer of organic matter, beneficial microorganisms multiply rapidly. Souring does not occur due to the moves of the worms - they play the role of drainage.
In this sense, the passages become like compost containers. At first glance, it seems that the volume of these containers is negligible, but let's calculate. The area of \u200b\u200bthe tracks in my garden is 50 square meters per hundred square meters. If the organic layer is 10 cm, then the volume of composted material on 5 acres is 25 cubic meters V! And it does not require a special place at all.
The organic layer on the tracks is preferably thicker.
Supporters organic fertilizers very often they do not take into account one important point: when composting organic matter in compost heaps, carbon dioxide is wasted, which is released by bacteria during respiration. But it is very important for the development of plants. There is a direct relationship - the more carbon dioxide, the greater the crop. Every student who carefully read a biology textbook knows this.
When composting on paths, carbon dioxide is released in close proximity to plants, which increases the yield of vegetables.
Unlike a compost heap, worms live in the paths all the time.
All processes here proceed without temperature increase. This process is closer to vermicomposting, which produces higher quality humus.
In our case, there is no need to start special technological worms (California reds or "Prospectors"). All processes happen by themselves. Worms only need to create suitable conditions, and they will gather on your site on their own and in great numbers. How they find a comfortable place to live is completely incomprehensible to me. But the fact remains that there are a lot of them from somewhere.
Ideally, the paths only need to be layered with new portions of organics annually. This is what happens in nature. Under these conditions, an ideal community of fungi, microbes, worms and other soil inhabitants is created. Each representative of the "waste-processing" soil brethren is placed in his own organic horizon, the most favorable for him, and does his job.
It is impossible to create such ideal (natural) conditions in the garden - when planting, harvesting, the structure of the natural “layer cake” is necessarily violated. But on the tracks - please.
One problem - you need a lot of organic matter.
For a small area, this issue can be solved, but what about a large one? We have to look for some tricks that contribute to the accumulation of mulch. For example, straw decomposes much faster than leaf litter or needles from the forest. Therefore, I try to prepare more of these materials. Sawdust overheats even longer. I do not use them for a simple reason - in our area it is an expensive pleasure.
Pine bedding
along with small twigs
and cones - a good mulch.
Mulch can and should be grown on your site - use green manure crops.
Often in conversations with the owners of 6 acres, one can hear lamentation: "I would plant green manure, and even so there is not enough space." And who forbade growing green fertilizers in places not occupied by vegetables - in the aisles? Moreover, this can be done simultaneously with the cultivation of cultivated plants.
He sowed crops, and scattered the seeds of green manure along the paths. Crops are growing, green manure is growing. At the initial stage of development of vegetables, while they are still small, grown siderates are beneficial - they serve as a kind of backstage, create a favorable microclimate.
The main thing here is not to run green fertilizers so that the crops do not shade and become coarse. Cutting green manure at the right time in the loose substrate of the tracks is not difficult - plants are often not even cut with a flat cutter, but pulled out with roots. Those who had to weed a compost heap will understand what the conversation is about - the roots of plants in such conditions are superficial, poorly developed - there is enough food.
There is no need to remove the cut green manure anywhere, let them remain in place. Tops will build up a layer of mulch, albeit slightly. The roots will be digested very quickly by the soil inhabitants and will become food for both microbes and fungi, and our plants. If possible better greens do not cut off on the paths, but simply sprinkle with a layer of coarse organic matter.
Phacelia blooms.
Do not be afraid that the plants will break when you walk between the beds, most green manure is not afraid of this. The exception is phacelia, it has fragile stems. But that's not a problem for me either.
For movement, I use paths through one: I walk along one, phacelia grows on the next one. The beds are narrow (50 cm) and in any operation you can easily reach the opposite (from the path) edge of the bed. From one track I process two adjacent beds. That's all wisdom.
Sowing the next batch of green manure does not require additional time and effort. Before pruning grown plants, simply scatter the seeds. During pruning, the seeds are embedded in the mulch, they germinate there.
Maintaining green manure crops on paths has a drawback - green manure crops have to be cut more often so as not to interfere with crops in the beds, and accordingly, a lot of seeds are needed, they need to be bought or allocated a place for growing.
Use of weeds on paths.
Let us recall the experience of V. V. Fokin (the inventor of the flat cutter of the same name) - to use the seeds of annual weeds. According to studies, when 90% of all weeds are removed from the site, the yield of their seeds is reduced by only 10%.
From such numbers, a neat gardener simply drops his hands. It turns out that it is impossible to reduce the number of weed seeds. Even if you do not allow a single weed to be seeded on your territory, seeds will fly in abundance from a neighboring plot or wastelands. They fly in, but on the paths they only make me happy - a source of mulch and fertilizer.
Everything that is said about green manure on the paths can also be attributed to weeds, except for the drawback - there are no problems in the seeds and they do not need to be planted. But not everything is smooth here either. Unfortunately, the composition of self-propagating weed seeds cannot be controlled.
It is desirable that weeds appear at the most early dates as soon as the snow melts. So before everyone else in our area, colza, chamomile, and spurge sprout. These plants germinate 2-3 weeks earlier than spring green manure. It takes time to collect the seeds of these earliest weeds, and not to miss them so that they do not scatter. The solution is simple.
Flowering weeds in wastelands are mowed and laid out on the paths.
Believe me, the seeds will ripen on cut plants. In early spring, the seeds germinate at several times. In June, amaranth generously appears. At each specific site, you can pick up your own set of cultural and "non-cultural" green manure. It is only important to prevent malicious perennial weeds - rhizomatous and root shoots - from entering the paths. For example, I use only one type of euphorbia, an annual one that reproduces only by seeds.
There is rye on the ridges - it is too early to plant seedlings.
In the aisles "uncultivated green manure" - weeds.
Surely, some plants on the paths will be incompatible with crops growing on the beds. The issue of compatibility has not been thoroughly studied. You will have to observe and draw your own conclusions. There's nothing you can do about it, crop production is a creative process.
In any area there are hard-to-decompose, coarse organic remains: stems of Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower, raspberry, etc.
All this stuff can also be used in compost paths. Just keep in mind that if you just throw the stems on the paths, you will have problems - they greatly interfere with cutting weeds.
If it is not possible to grind this valuable material, you can use my method.
I just lay everything in a thick layer between the fenced beds, add some finer material on top. A thick dense layer does not allow weeds to germinate - the light does not pass. During the summer, all this wealth is trampled into crumbs, scorching. Grinding takes place without spending our time and effort.
The hassle of creating mulch on the paths will probably seem superfluous to many. Well, that's everyone's business.
But the fertility of the earth is restored and grows when we return as much organic matter to the earth as we took from it.
It would be better if we add more. There are many examples of this.
An experimenter from the Krasnoyarsk Territory I.P. Zamyatkin receives up to two tons of potato tubers per hundred square meters (up to 8 kg per bush) without introducing any organic or mineral fertilizers. A member of the Omsk Club of Potato Growers, R. M. Chintsov, receives 400 kg of early ripening potatoes from one hundred square meters at the end of June (!) And by autumn, from the same weave, he takes another 200 kg of tubers.
For those who decide to keep paths under the mulch, advice: if there is not enough organic matter, then it is better to make one “compost path” with a mulch thickness of 10 cm than 10 paths with a 1 cm thick organic matter. A very thin layer of mulch will not give an effect.
If there is very little organic matter at the moment, then the “walking heaps method” can be applied.
It consists in the following. From the cut weeds, I form heaps 10-15 cm high and leave them on the path. Weeds are growing on the rest of the path. When they grow to a critical size, I trample down some of them and move piles on them. In the place where there was a bunch, there is a spot clean from weeds. I cut the remaining weeds that are not covered and increase the heaps due to them. Then everything repeats.
Ideal for this method, when the piles cover half the area of the tracks. Then the grown plants are completely covered with heaps and quickly decompose under them. In clean areas left after moving the piles, weeds sprout again. In this case, you do not need to cut anything, just move the heaps. At the same time, the overheating of organic matter (and, accordingly, the release of carbon dioxide, which is important for us) takes place, and the sun's energy is used to accumulate mulch and weed control is minimized.
Part of the ground near the rhubarb bushes is covered with a layer of potato tops as mulch, weeds grow on the rest. Nothing should be thrown away. Potato tops will come in handy in the "lazy corner" - in a plot with perennials.
Kucha moved to weeds. Where there was a pile - a clean place and the ability to grow weeds or green manure, accumulating organic matter.
But weeding weeds and trimmed green manure cannot be dispensed with, you will still have to add organics “aged”. The fact is that young plants decompose very quickly, and, when dried, they lose a lot in volume.
For example: he closed the garden bed with a continuous layer of phacelia (cut off at a height of 15 cm) 10 cm thick, and after 2 weeks, miserable blades of grass remained from this layer, unable to cover the ground at least a little. The same layer of mulch, but consisting of rye stalks at the beginning of earing, decreased only by half. But the forest litter decreased in volume by about 20%, and even then only due to compaction.
It should be noted that it makes sense to use "walking heaps" only as a compromise. In the future, you need to find a way to mulch the entire surface.
Sincerely, Oleg Telepov,
Omsk club of potato growers
A lot depends on which area.
If the plot is large, then you can not skimp on the paths, but if the garden has a small area, then it is worth making the paths between the beds narrow and compact.
As for the material, each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, if you plant seedlings every year and at the same time change places for sowing vegetables, then it is better to make paths so that you can remove them from the fall and then cultivate the land.
But if you change the land for your garden every year, feed it, then you can make paths that will last a long time.
Paths should be not only beautiful, but also practical.
The paths between the beds are best done straight.
An excellent option would be to make paths between the beds, this is to use a board. Between the beds you need to lay out a path from the board, preferably not wide. Such a path is great for those people who often change places for their garden, as it can be easily removed and put in the second year. Previously, the board must be treated with a special anti-rot agent.
Very often for paths and use mulch, hay, straw. Such a track is one of the cheapest, as it does not require any costs and time for its construction. But the disadvantages include the fact that such a path can oxidize the soil, and the pluses include the fact that weeds do not like such paths and will not grow.
One of the best options for making paths is to use materials such as: brick, pebbles, stone, crushed stone. Such paths look very nice on the site, give a beautiful and unusual look.
If you decide to use a whole brick, then you can simply lay it, crushed stone and pebbles are simply covered in those places where the path should be, but before that it is worth fixing the edges of the path with special sides so that the crushed stone and pebbles do not crumble. A cemented path is poured from broken fragments.
The most practical include concrete paths, which are popular. Concrete paths have a number of advantages, the very first is that it is easy and convenient to take care of such paths.
You can forget about weeds, just take care of the beds.
The paths made from tree cuts look beautiful and unusual, such paths also have a number of advantages, they will decorate the site, make it elegant and beautiful. The advantage is that such tracks can be easily moved to another place.
Also, the tracks can be made from bars, from plastic bottles, from plates, concrete, rubber.
What material to choose for your tracks, you need to decide on your own, given cash, time and area of beds.
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