Dear All,
I have found that about 2" over cardboard suppresses the weeds, is nice to
walk on, and when it deteriorates by composting, I just add another layer
over the top of it. Eventually it's this lovely loamy walkway.
Gravel on the other hand doesn't deteriorate. But it will sink in eventually
and have to have more added to it.
You can put in crushed granite which makes a lovely and neat looking bed
which hardens.
But I think a mixture of mulch/gravel/granite in different areas also looks
nice. I think it's what you can get for free because it's better to put the
money into events, education, infrastructure, outreach, etc.
Best,
Diann Dirks
Director, Auburn CG
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: "Magali Regis" <[email protected]>;
<[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 9:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Mulch vs gravel paths
At 6:17 PM -0400 6/30/09, Magali Regis wrote:
...>1. Mulch vs. gravel path: We have a lovely community garden on East
6th Street in the East Village in NYC with a gravel path and some of the
gardeners would like to see it replaced with mulch (wood chips). I happen
to like the gravel path a lot and would be sorry to see it go. There is
something very 'zen' about it. They say the mulch will be softer, easier
to maintain, smell really good etc...It is a lot of work to make that
change. I was wondering if you anyone out there has experience with mulch
and has an opinion, one way or another, about it? Or if there is any place
I could go for advice. I want to make sure we do the right thing.
Who will do the work? Mulch is easier to work with than gravel. It does
need to be renewed every so often -- I think it's best to replace it
totally every 3 years or so, because it creates compost eventually. I use
aged path mulch between my plants, or to cover kitchen compost in the bin.
Do some gardeners mulch their gardens or make compost? If not, what will
happen to the composted mulch when it's time to replace it with new mulch?
On the other hand, logistics may be easier with gravel. Depending on the
size of your garden and paths, a gravel delivery will be smaller than a
mulch delivery. So if you don't have space to set aside a big pile of
mulch, or people to spread it out immediately, it may be in the way.
Who will pay for the gravel or mulch? Can you get mulch for free?
For aesthetics, it's easier to see what's out of place on a gravel path,
and probably easier to pick up garbage, if that's a problem. But some
gravel paths look better if they're raked. And at least around here, when
the mulch gets wet, we get some dog-vomit slime molds (yes, that's the
official name) -- though more likely in garden plots, not usually on the
paths. Mulch can also be slippery, and if you get free mulch, you never
know what you'll get. Lately, we've been getting a lot of twiggy mulch,
where every shovelful needs to have the larger, spikier materials sorted
out, lest people trip on them in the paths.
The mulch will smell good only if you get something like pine (the most
fragrant we've had), and the smell doesn't last more than a month or so,
iirc. Mulch is softer than gravel, but only if you have a really thick
layer -- at least 4-6 inches -- and it will get harder within a few weeks
or months. On the main path in my garden that started out with a couple
inches of mulch, it's down to bare rock-hard adobe soil in some places
because the hoses drag the mulch around, so the mulch gets piled against
the garden beds, or dragged to one end of the path.
If the gravel is thick enough, you can hear someone walking on it, which
could be a good thing. I've known people who install gravel driveways for
that reason. In my garden, I'm often startled by people standing nearby
because I don't hear them coming on the mulched paths.
How are the garden plots separated from the paths? If they're not raised
beds or don't have definite borders, then with mulched paths, you can
expect the garden plots to gradually encroach on the paths. Gravel paths
define the edges better.
Also, if you have gardeners who aren't diligent about weeding, mulched
paths can create a bigger weed problem as the weeds encroach onto the
paths more, and grow bigger root systems. But in my garden, I always put
cardboard or newspaper down first, then add 4-8 inches of mulch on top.
That light-blocking layer is essential here because we have tons of
bermuda grass and bindweed in the soil seed bank (plus roots).
If I were in a garden with one or the other, I'd probably keep it. If the
gravel does not need replacing yet, I especially wouldn't change it. Or
when it's time to replace the gravel, you could allow the gardeners who
want to do the work to make mulch paths, with the understanding that when
it's time to replace the mulch, or in 2 years, the decision would be
reevaluated. Or if you have a main path and side paths, keep the gravel on
the main path and use mulch on the side paths.
I see ants wherever the soil dries out -- in containers, along the edges
of raised beds, etc., not so much in the mulch itself. But I think it's a
general rule that more organic matter will support more fauna.
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_______________________________________________
The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's
services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out
how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org
To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected]
To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:
http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
