From what to make paths between the beds: what is cheap to lay with your own hands

Paths between the beds on the garden plot are not only a decorative element of garden landscape design, but also a practical necessity. Thanks to the equipped paths, during rainy weather, the gardener can move around the site without getting his feet dirty in the wet ground. Before you decide what you can make paths between the beds, you should find out the advantages and disadvantages of each material and study the step-by-step instructions for work.

Why do we need paths between the beds

Each owner of a personal plot sooner or later thinks about creating paths between the beds.If cultivated plants are constantly grown in the garden in order to collect fruits, then they need constant agrotechnical care, and in any weather. However, after the rains, the ground underfoot parted, and carrying out the usual procedures brings problems.

If you choose the right material for creating paths in the garden, plant care will be possible in any weather, and the process of arranging the paths will not take much time and effort.

According to gardeners, the paths between the beds allow you to solve several problems at once:

Get rid of weeds. Weeds constantly grow on the paths, which scatter seeds on the beds, which is why you have to constantly weed.
If you remove weeds from the paths and leave the soil open, then after the rain passes, the earth will get wet, and it will be difficult to move between the beds. In addition, dirt adhering to shoes will spread throughout the yard and enter utility and residential premises.
Moisture evaporates much faster from open ground, which affects the development of cultivated plants.
The gardener's main workplace is precisely the paths between the beds, along which he moves, performing basic agrotechnical procedures. If you create comfortable paths, the process of caring for plants will be simplified several times.
Paths lined with beautiful material create an attractive view of the site in any weather.

Material selection criteria

Before you start arranging paths in your garden, you should choose the right material. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. If the wrong material is selected, it can harm crops and affect the quality and quantity of the crop.

Garden path pavement must meet the following criteria:

Environmental safety. The material from which it is planned to make the tracks should not contain harmful substances. They will penetrate into the soil at the first precipitation, and, accordingly, to the plants, the fruits of which a person eats.
Moisture and UV resistant. A coating that easily absorbs water will not last long, and after a rainfall it will turn into a shapeless mass underfoot. Also, the material should not let in sunlight.
Since garden paths are usually laid in the spring, the pavement must be resistant to temperature changes and not collapse under the influence of returning frosts.
Strength and durability. If the gardener plans to equip the cover between the beds for more than one season, they acquire high-quality and durable material that does not have to be changed after winter.
Breathable. Many homeowners prefer a floor that allows air to pass through, in which case rot will not appear under it and biochemical decomposition processes will not occur.

Today, various options for materials intended for the construction of paths between beds are on sale, ranging from geotextiles to paving slabs.

How to cover the tracks?

For lining the paths between the beds in the garden, various materials are used, some will last a long time, and some will have to be changed every season.

Boards

One of the most accessible materials for paths are wooden boards, which are used to create flooring in the garden.The advantage of this coating is that at the end of the season they are removed from the site and stored in the utility room, and with the advent of spring they are again placed in the garden.

However, wood is afraid of moisture, under its influence it quickly becomes unusable, so the boards are pre-treated with a special water-repellent impregnation. To extend the life of the coating, it is not laid immediately on the ground, but a pillow is made under it so that the boards do not come into contact with the ground. Another disadvantage of this option is that whole colonies of aphids and snails settle under the boards, which subsequently spoil the crop.

To create a pillow, gravel and sand are used, they are laid out in layers on a pre-laid geotextile and rammed.

Tree cuts

Paths from tree cuts look original and catchy in the garden, however, before laying out the material, it must be properly prepared.Trees such as beech, larch or oak are used for sawing, conifers can also be taken, but such paths will last much less, even despite the presence of resin in the material.

Work on creating tracks from cuts consists of several stages:

Preparation of materials. Each saw cut is cleaned of bark and the upper part is impregnated, which prevents rotting. The lower cut, which will be in the ground, is treated with bitumen.
Trench preparation. They dig a trench that is 15 cm deeper than the height of the wooden cuts. A waterproofing film is laid on the bottom and a layer of gravel is poured.
Installation of cuts. Prepared cuts are placed on a pillow of sand or gravel, and the voids between them are sown with grass or covered with fine gravel.

Rubber tracks

Rubber tracks not only allow you to get rid of weeds, but also have a number of other advantages:

durability and durability - with proper maintenance, the path will last up to 10 years;
non-slippery surface - the material is coated with a special substance, so even after rain, the feet will not slip;
immunity to sunlight and temperature changes;
no puddles - due to the special structure, water does not stagnate on the coating, but seeps into the ground.

On sale there are rubber tracks in rolls and individual tiles, in the first case, the gardener has the opportunity to independently cut the coating into the fragments he needs.

Plastic

Plastic panels are purchased from the store and laid on a pre-arranged bed of gravel. However, some gardeners create paths from plastic bottles between the beds.This method has both pros and cons. The advantage is that you don’t have to spend money on the purchase of material, in addition, a combination of different shades allows you to create an individual design. However, before starting the arrangement of the paths, it is worth considering that the work takes quite a lot of time.

Creating tracks from whole plastic bottles is carried out according to the following instructions:

With the help of a rope and pegs, mark the boundaries of the future path and dig a trench (for two bayonets of a shovel).
They make formwork and cover the bottom of the trench with geotextiles.
Pour a layer of sand, lightly moisten it and tamp.
After that, all the bottles are filled with sand and capped.
The bottles are placed on the pillow in random order, and the voids are filled with cement mortar.

Brick

Material such as brick is characterized by high performance and affordable price, so it is often used by gardeners to build paths in the garden. Brick is used both in whole form and crushed into small pieces. However, in the latter case, this will make it difficult to dig up the garden if the owner of the site decides to make a garden bed instead of the path.

Agricultural fabric

Agrofabric is rarely used by gardeners as an independent material for paths between beds. Firstly, it is quite expensive, so a large amount will have to be allocated for the arrangement, and secondly, even despite the relative strength, the structure of the fabric will be disturbed with constant walking. Agrofabric is used to create a substrate when arranging paths from a more durable material.

Roofing material

This material is also used as flooring under the track, rarely used as an independent option. However, if the gardener needs to facilitate the approach to the beds for a short time, then you can decompose the old sheets of roofing material that remained on the farm.

Paths between gravel beds

One of the easiest ways to create paths in the garden is to use small gravel. It is scattered in those places where it is planned to move around the site, having previously removed a layer of turf.

Paving slabs

If the owner of the site wants to create a durable coating between the beds, you can lay out the paths with paving slabs. It is convenient to move on such a coating in any weather, besides, it does not allow weeds to germinate.However, it is important to properly make a pillow for this material. The bottom of the trench is lined with geotextiles, and sand is poured on top, wetting it with water and tamping.

Lawn Grass

Garden paths sown with lawn grass look aesthetically pleasing, but require constant care, which consists of watering and cutting. The cut grass is used for mulching. If the path is sowed densely, then most weeds will not be able to break through the grass carpet, it is convenient to walk along such paths, and next season, if necessary, beds can be set up in their place.

Concrete

Despite its durability, this material is rarely used in the garden. This is due to the fact that if the gardener wants to re-plan the site, then dismantling the paths will take a lot of time and effort. However, concrete also has advantages over other options - it is low cost, the ability to manufacture any shape and size with the appropriate formwork, strength, durability and resistance to frost.

Recycling waste

If the paths between the beds are created for one season, then it is possible to get by with improvised materials, which will save money.

From sawdust

You can also fill up the paths with sawdust, but it must be remembered that they have the property of acidifying the soil. It is recommended to let the organic material rest for a year, if it is necessary to apply immediately, then the sawdust is treated with urea and ash.

From newspapers and magazines

If it is necessary to make paths between the beds, then work begins with weeding the grass. Newspapers are laid on the ground in several layers so that they do not become limp from the rain; sand, sawdust or small gravel must be poured on top. Such material allows you to get rid of weeds, since they will not germinate through the layers of newspapers. The use of such improvised means makes it possible to equip paths cheaply without purchasing additional materials.

From compost

Such a technique allows not only to equip the paths, but also to nourish the soil with useful components necessary for plants. First, weeds are pulled out, and straw, spruce litter, and mowed grass are laid in layers on the bare ground. Such material is characterized by increased air and water permeability, in addition, worms and beneficial bacteria live in it, which loosen the soil. Even an inexperienced gardener can make paths from compost with his own hands, without the use of special tools.

From lids

If you use multi-colored caps from plastic bottles for paths, you will not have to spend money on purchasing material, in addition, the paths will perform not only a practical, but also a decorative function.

Geotextile is laid at the bottom of the trench, and a layer of sand is placed on it. Covers are installed randomly, and the voids between them are covered with fine gravel. Filling gaps with concrete is not recommended, as it will be difficult to dismantle it later.