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I'm with those who say wood chips. It's pretty much the standard around the country for semi-maintained pathways as in parks. Yes, it has to be replenished every couple of years but is a lot easier to handle and will work better than trying to level slabs of tree into the ground.
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JMO but I would save myself some work and just use wood chips for the path. Even if you manage to get your pavers set flat it wont be long before they start to shift and disintegrate. And if there any shade they will get slick and green slime. Not to mention weeds will grow between and over them.
What I would do is lay down a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick layer of cardboard. The thicker the better. Then cover this with a thick layer of wood chips. Use those logs for the edges to contain the wood chips so they dont shift around. You could use weed block but personally I prefer cardboard. IMO weed block is a PITA. In a couple years it will be easy to repeat the process. The cardboard and woodchips will just meld into the soil.
Also not sure about your area but around here wood chips can be acquired by asking local tree trimmers to drop off their loads to you instead of transporting them.
This is the vegetation I am dealing with. It's a mixed of grass and other plants. Some are woody bushes with stem about 1" thick. I will take the effort to trim them down, but I hope to be able to stop them from growing at least within the trail's 3' width. Most aggressive are the grass and the blackberry vines.
Separately, a few questions on specific plants.
This is cow parsnip. I read that they have toxins. Are they OK to touch? Or are they like poison oak which you cannot touch? I need to clear a few of these plants.
This supposedly is blackberry vine. They are a real nuisance as they are tripping hazard. If they bear fruits for me maybe I can live with them. But I don't seem to ever see any berry on them. Any idea?
This is a new vine that popped up this season. They are all over the place. It has big leaves and little white flowers. Any idea what this is?
Cow parsnip sap contains an irritating organic chemical furanocoumarin. It tends to be activated by UV radiation (sunlight) and causes extreme skin photosensitivity. It can cause a rash, even blisters, burns, and scarring. Like many of its relatives, cow parsnip is toxic to ingest. Wash exposed skin, clothing and gloves after handling or working in cow parsnip, especially if you know you might need to be in full sun. Cow parsnip is ubiquitous all over AK. I have handled or brushed against head high thickets of cow parsnip on rainy days without any subsequent reaction.
As for IDing those other plants, try taking the photos to a garden center, ag extension office, or posting the pics in the Garden subforum. There are some very knowledgeable plant sleuths there! The last one might be an invasive cucurbit/gourd.
Last edited by Parnassia; 06-01-2023 at 03:06 PM..
I'm not sure that looks like Blackberry. If you do have Blackberry it is extremely flammable and provides huge amounts of fuel for wildfires. If you were in wildfire country (which is the entire West) I would take it off my property.
JMO but I would save myself some work and just use wood chips for the path. Even if you manage to get your pavers set flat it wont be long before they start to shift and disintegrate. And if there any shade they will get slick and green slime. Not to mention weeds will grow between and over them.
What I would do is lay down a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick layer of cardboard. The thicker the better. Then cover this with a thick layer of wood chips. Use those logs for the edges to contain the wood chips so they dont shift around. You could use weed block but personally I prefer cardboard. IMO weed block is a PITA. In a couple years it will be easy to repeat the process. The cardboard and woodchips will just meld into the soil.
Also not sure about your area but around here wood chips can be acquired by asking local tree trimmers to drop off their loads to you instead of transporting them.
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