Pathway Management

Pathway Management

Pathways in the garden are often overlooked and the soil in these areas can be lacking in health because of cultivation and the issues that this causes. Compaction, water infiltration and general soil health are all things to consider when evaluating your pathway management. If the soil in the paths between your growing beds is healthier your overall garden will benefit. Here are a few things to consider when planning the management of your pathways.

• Stop disturbing the soil in the pathways. Use weed control methods like mulching, mowing, planting perennial species or cover crops instead.
• Lay cardboard or thick newspaper on the pathway and cover with woodchips or other mulch. This will suppress weed growth and improve soil health.
• Instead of tilling the pathway, mow any vegetation that grows and pull any unwanted weeds that encroach into the growing beds.
• Plant the pathways to perennials like low growing clover and mow occasionally.
• Plant the pathways to annual species like teff grass or crimson clover and mow as high as possible on occasion.

If you keep the soil in your pathways covered it will reduce mud after rainfall and improve your ability to harvest the garden. Water will infiltrate into the soil rather than pond on the surface.

Soil Health School

The 2026 Soil Health School is set for September 15-17 near Twin Brooks and Marvin, SD.

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