Cardboard

I have amassed loads of cardboard which I planned to cover my paths with then add wood chippings. Because of time limitations I won't be able to take delivery of a load of wood chippings and do as I first thought...........not for now anyway as I have other commitments.

I know from various experiments with paths in the past that the wind plays a big part in what you can and can't do. I once laid carpet paths and even though it was pegged down, it still landed in next doors allotment.

My latest idea is to lay the cardboard anyway and put sand on it to hold it down until I get the time to do a better job with wood chippings. Sand is fairly cheap to buy and should hold cardboard down and help to drown out weeds?

Or should I just store the cardboard in the shed and keep on hoe-ing the weeds on the paths. I have a lot of narrow paths so am wondering whether hoe-ing is feasible once weeds start into full growth?

The wide damp proof course I originally anticipated isn't really satisfactory and would work out quite expensive to do all paths.  will use what I have , but buy no more.

What happened to all those rocks you found? Put them in bags/buckets and weight the cardboard down?

What happened to all those rocks you found? Put them in bags/buckets and weight the cardboard down?

Trip hazzard??

Only if you don't look where you're going.

Good news! I went to allotment earlier to take the glass off my three small beds to allow the rain to soak through to the cardboard which has a compost covering.
My allotment neighbour was the one who pillaged all the free woodchip and bagged it up into 17 bags. They only need about six bags so said I could have the rest.
Initially there are six bags they have dropped off at allotment and I said I will utilise them once I get cardboard laid on paths. I don't know how far it will go, but its a start.

Now all I need is the time to do it as I have so many projects on the go at the moment.

Watch you don't trip over the bags!

Vinny, I would get all the bags over into your plot as soon as possible,even if you only partially get the cardboard down and heap all the woodchip on top of what you have in place, that way you have what you need, apart from time I think it is always safer to cut a stick when you see it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57568239

Ahem, mine ain't in the garage its on the plot.

Don't tell anyone in case I get the blame for the national shortage.

Just laid a load more this evening. I had weeds coming up in my aluminium cold frame. Easily solved, shifted cold frame, laid down cardboard, replaced cold frame.

I thought of you when I read it earlier.

Ruth Stout used to give lectures on her no-dig system of using hay as a mulch. Her answer to most questions was "Add more mulch"

Asked what about weeds coming through mulch she replied "Add more mulch" My answer to weeds coming through the cardboard is now "Add more cardboard"