I think another for the killfile!

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Ed wrote:
I have an allotment plot with pathway down the middle - about 100 ft in
length and 2.5ft wide. At the moment it is just bear compacted earth

No shit Sherlock?

Have you contact Sarah Palin. I am sure she will come and shoot of for
you.

with containing gravel boards running along the length on either side. I
am thinking of grassing it over. But then I will need to mow it.

Would a simple light-weight pull/push mower do the job OK; or maybe a
battery-powered machine?


I've don it with shears. At that level of patheticness

I just want to keep the grass neat and tidy without it muddying up or
anything.

Any suggestions/recommendations on what to buy?

A pair of shears.

When you have an acre and a half to mow, then we will talk lawnmowers.

Ed

--
Faith moves mountains. Or you can use a Caterpillar.

In uk.rec.gardening Pete wrote:
and every time you step off the bare earth, especially if it is a bit wet,
you pick up the gravel on your boots/shoes? :-(((

NO NO NO NO NO

It has got to be paving to get the yes yes yes yes - I would suggest.

Or old carpet.
Either of which just harbours slugs and snails. You can't really win.

"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message
...
I have an allotment plot with pathway down the middle - about 100 ft in
length and 2.5ft wide. At the moment it is just bear compacted earth with
containing gravel boards running along the length on either side. I am
thinking of grassing it over. But then I will need to mow it.

Would a simple light-weight pull/push mower do the job OK; or maybe a
battery-powered machine?

I just want to keep the grass neat and tidy without it muddying up or
anything.

Any suggestions/recommendations on what to buy?

Ed

Best to keep allotments quiet, and encourage bees. I would use a
clover/wildflower mix and cut it back now and then with a sickle/grass hook.
As long as you are quite a regular allotment goer, the growth should keep
fairly short anyway.

S

Try about 5 cubes of ready-mix.

On 24/11/2010 18:22, Sacha wrote:

Unless he puts down weed proof membrane he will get grass growing
between the flags and have a bigger problem than he has now in getting
it out. If the soil under the weed proof membrane becomes uneven as
water runs into it from the surrounding beds, the paving stones will
rock about accordingly, membrane or not. Without pointing between the
flags, they'll be a trip hazard. Gravel, will accommodate itself to the
shape of the ground, flagstones won't, except unevenly.

You could bury isolated flags flush with the ground to provide a walking
surface and possibly some continuity for a wheelbarrow and grass the
remainder. If you intend to use your path in the wet grass or earth will
quickly turn to mud unless you have something hard to walk on.

You can mow over stepping stones set flush without any problem and my
experience is that if they are like mine and you take a bit of care
laying them they won't move. But mine are odd bits of sandstone flags a
couple of square feet or more and 2 - 3" thick. Small stones might be a
bit more prone to tilt or sink.

In article ,
Ed ex@directory wrote:

I have an allotment plot with pathway down the middle - about 100 ft in
length and 2.5ft wide. At the moment it is just bear compacted earth
with containing gravel boards running along the length on either side.
I am thinking of grassing it over. But then I will need to mow it.

Would a simple light-weight pull/push mower do the job OK; or maybe a
battery-powered machine?

The little push/pull ones are great -- you can buy them new in B&Q. 35
quid for a "Tertiary", though I've never used one of them -- I've used
the Qualcast equivalent for years on our back lawn, 25' x 50'. Only
trouble is, as someone else has said, the side wheels: you have to hold
the mower on one wheel when you do an edge (and yours is mainly edge!).

So... I'd look out for the back-roller variety, 2nd hand in the local
paper. Problem: few people selling mowers this time of year ....
except for the big sheds who are getting rid of stock, so you might get
one new, and cheap.

I WOULD grass the strip, and I WOULD use a manual mower.

John

P.S.: the extremely rude answers from The Natural Philosopher are sadly
uncharacteristic, so (1) he was drunk (2) he hadn't "taken his meds" or
(3) it wasn't actually him.

In article ,
Roger Chapman wrote:

You could bury isolated flags flush with the ground to provide a walking
surface and possibly some continuity for a wheelbarrow and grass the
remainder. If you intend to use your path in the wet grass or earth will
quickly turn to mud unless you have something hard to walk on.

You can mow over stepping stones set flush without any problem and my
experience is that if they are like mine and you take a bit of care
laying them they won't move. But mine are odd bits of sandstone flags a
couple of square feet or more and 2 - 3" thick. Small stones might be a
bit more prone to tilt or sink.

*Good* points -- I've just said that I'd grass it, and use a manual ...
I'd forgotten that this is probably the main thoroughfare up the
allotment. So I'd insert flags a few inches apart down the middle -- I
used scrap "natural stone" off cuts for a similar bit in our garden, and
they sink naturally into the turf after you've cut 'em an inch or so's
worth of bedding. And I use a Flymo Mini-Mower to cut that bit ... but
you won't have mains power, will you? Can you get a battery hover? It
will be a lot less bovver.

"Rustic" flags set into turf give you the best of both worlds.

John

In uk.rec.gardening Sacha wrote:
It has got to be paving to get the yes yes yes yes - I would suggest.

Or old carpet.
Either of which just harbours slugs and snails. You can't really win.

Given the area involved, I'd leave it alone and wear wellies.

Can make it tricky to wheelbarrow over.

"Ed" ex@directory wrote in message
...
I have an allotment plot with pathway down the middle - about 100 ft in
length and 2.5ft wide. At the moment it is just bear compacted earth with
containing gravel boards running along the length on either side. I am
thinking of grassing it over. But then I will need to mow it.

Would a simple light-weight pull/push mower do the job OK; or maybe a
battery-powered machine?

I just want to keep the grass neat and tidy without it muddying up or
anything.

Any suggestions/recommendations on what to buy?


Paving slabs.
You know it makes sense ;-)

If you are looking for a battery powered mower that is capable of cutting very neatly along the boarding on either side of your path, you may want to take a look at the Bosch Rotak Li-Ion cordless lawnmowers.They are proving to be very popular now and one of their great advantages is the fins on either side of the mowing deck, acting to 'gather' the grass alongside fences and borders, before it is cut by the blade. The lithium ion batteries are also excellent and should give you several cuts before recharging is necessary. However, they are on the expensive side if you are only using them to mow a pathway...

I have an allotment plot with pathway down the middle - about 100 ft in
length and 2.5ft wide. At the moment it is just bear compacted earth with
containing gravel boards running along the length on either side. I am
thinking of grassing it over. But then I will need to mow it.