Does anyone use old carpet for garden walkways?

[Buttercup Chillin]

We just tore out old carpet and replaced it with hardwood. I know that carpet will keep the weeds from growing. (We once bought a house and they had just tossed the old carpet outside and let their dogs rip it apart, et. Couldn't get a tiller through it. Had to spade to find it then pull it out piece by piece).

But I am concerned, that carpet might be a bother when dirt gets on top, for whatever reason. Is that a problem?

I have 3 4foot x 16 foot beds, that I was considering carpeting the walkways between. This is the Vegetable garden which we use year round.

You'd think that just walking on them year round would keep the weeds down, especially seeing I have a double layer of groundcloth down already. Doesn't work very well here.
I guess I leave a light footprint.

OH, I let my chickens in the garden at times to clean up. Whenever a whole bed is empty.

 

[reinbeau]

The dirt won't be much of a problem, it would be the breakdown of the backing, what it turns into in your garden soil. We use it in front of the hives, to keep the grass/weeds down, it lasts for quite a while.

 

[sufficientforme]

I planned on doing this but decided against it just because of the chemicals that may be present in the carpet now and when it breaks down. Also I was worried about mold spores when it got wet. Maybe others have more information as to if it's a good idea or not.

 

[Wildsky]

interesting, I'd like to hear what others say as well.

I am thinking it might be really handy in places I normally slip on the dang ice in winter!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I have raised beds, so it will only be in permanent walkways. This carpet is more than 30 years old. I'm not to worried about chemical reations. The baking is jute

I hadn't thought about mold though. When it rains it pours and really is gully washers.

I just found white mold in the dirt, (maybe a 16 inch area), in front of the chicken house. 1st time I've ever seen that. Dirt, no water around. But its been raining for a few days, and humid for weeks. I scraped it up and trashed it.

 

[reinbeau]

Jute backing? It's fine. Nothing too nasty there to break down! I've got 30 year old carpeting to rip up myself, it'll go right out into the garden when it comes up.

 

[Farmfresh]

NOOOOOOOO!!

OK Maybe I over reacted to that.

The garden that is down the street (I call it my "allotment") was organically farmed for many years by a little old man who bought 120% into the carpet as mulch theory. Basically it works very well ... at least for a while. Keeping the weeds smothered, while allowing moisture to pass through. His was cut in strips about the width of the garden pathways and around 8 feet long. Much longer and they are killer to move around. Weeds WILL sprout directly on the carpet, but then you just flip it over. The HUGE problem comes with the break down of that jute backing, which only takes a few years with it outside all of the time. As the backing breaks down the carpet pile is released into long twisty muddy strands of fiber that end up mixed with the soil, wrapped around your tiller, strangled around your hoe and EVERYWHERE.

I have been at work eradicating old carpet strings for the last 5 years!!!

If I wanted a permanent path between raised beds I would go with gravel or even bark chips. Better regular mulch break down each year, adding organic matter to my soil as it does, than spend my life digging up long strands of old carpet fiber.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Farmfresh

As the backing breaks down the carpet pile is released into long twisty muddy strands of fiber that end up mixed with the soil, wrapped around your tiller, strangled around your hoe and EVERYWHERE

Yes, that's what I remember. But I think I would still do it, but just for a few years then replace it. Most everyone throws out carpet at some pont. Though that is the last of ours.

But I hadn't thought of the problem of mold here in the humid south. When My son found out I wanted to use it in the walkways, he said NO, it'll stink to high heaven and put it out in the trash. So I have to come up with something different, anyway.

Threatening to use it in the garden does get it moved out fast around here. Might work for you.

I'll probably just tromp the walkway down and wait for the chickens to do their thing later when I empty the beds. I have to wait at least untill the hot peppers are up higher than they can jump for them. The ducks go after the bean leaves, so now I'm done picking the bush beans, I can let them in the garden, just close off the tomatoes bed from them.

 

[patandchickens]

I've never tried it for walkways -- although that is an interesting and appealing idea! -- but I use old carpeting a fair bit for smothering out areas of former lawn for eventual conversion into flower or veg beds (takes a year or two, but works very well and you don't get a lot lower labor than that!)

I put the carpet "fuzzy side down", backing side up, because it seems to last longer that way and is less apt to have weeds seeding themselves into it. Never any signs of mold or stink or anything. Sometimes voles take up residence underneath, is the worst I can say.

Sounds like a good idea, I think you should do it!

As Farmfresh says, you DO have to be very careful to REMOVE the carpeting while it is still in one piece!!!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Farmfresh]

I actually prefer a LIVING walkway. Between my berry rows, around my fruit trees and all around my garden I have seeded heavily with white Dutch clover! It only grows a few inches tall, fixes nitrogen into the soil, can be mowed and walked on like lawn grass AND provides food for bees! I love the stuff.