Making Compost in Pathways for Amazing Results!!

After seeing a Huw Richards video on making compost directly in the garden path I thought that's a great idea! Lets try it out. A year ago I layered compost ingredients in a pathway. In today's video I show what I've done to build that compost pathway. I then have a look at the path and surrounding garden in the middle of summer and finally come back to harvest the compost.
Check out the amazing growth this path has contributed to and also see what the path has created a year after it was built!
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[@LittleGardenBigDreams]

Yes!! We do this too Linda… and if you’re desperate for room, you can plant in the path too🤣 or rotate where you plant 🌱 Hope you’re enjoying the cooler weather now xx Cathi xx 😘

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

My paths just plant themselves with no help from me - as you've often seen I'm also stepping over the volunteers in my paths😆

[@vickijenkins1266]

This video was the first I've seen from you. I enjoyed it so much!!! I had put a wood chip layer about a foot deep in between my rows. Now I know it will take 2-3 years to decompose. Your content was so worth watching, thank you for your time and efforts! New England, USA

[@alexvalle6771]

Same here ❤ dido

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Hi Vicki - pleased you enjoyed it. Yes before this I only used piles of woodchips. Ill be doing this each year I think just to use up resources I have and stretch those I have to buy and bring in! Good luck as your growing season kicks in!!

[@vickiwood9192]

You work so hard at improving the soil in your garden. Your hard work is showing positive results!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

It's really rewarding to see it all coming together

[@lorrainerichardson3280]

I found this out last year in one path and now going to do it around all the paths then I'll just turn it on to the garden after a year. Such a natural way of using the wood chips and cut back plant material. I was contemplating moving the garden on to the path alternate years but too much of a hassle. Take care =-)

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Lorraine - it's a fantastic system and so easy! Pleased it's also working for you xx

[@stephaniepacheco5871]

I saw on another channel, Anne of all Trades, she just rakes the compost from the aisles into her garden and then puts more wood chips in her pathways. That might be less work than doing rotation each season.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

@stephaniepacheco5871 that sounds easy but I find just woodchips takes awhile to break down and I have to pay for them. I’m trying to use as much free stuff from around the place and I have to deal with the old plants anyway so thought I’d try this. I kinda like it. Maybe she gets her woodchips for free and you still take to bring them in from somewhere else so no escaping a bit of work I think! Thanks for watching 😊

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

Great idea and execution Linda. The compost path ticks one of the permaculture principals of conserve energy eg make your compost where you need it not 20 meters away. Could not be any closer by being between two beds!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

It does indeed Charles - frees up time and energy for all the other projects around the place!!

[@wildlifegardenssydney7492]

Linda, I am loving the seasonal updates in your video. Very good idea, space saving using every bit. Using many free and nutrient dense resources you already have. The fact that it keeps moisture and fertility for the plants to reach even during the height of summer means you would have to do very little watering. It buffers the earth from compaction. Yet when you walk on it, It helps to break it down. Deep in situ composting with resources on hand is incredible. That’s the basis of tropical rainforests too. I do compost paths and areas covering the earth/rock here on a steeply sloped sandstone cliff site (except some weedy plants from neighbours which I make weed tea with). It holds the earth, creates path swales and berms on contour eventually turning to compost and keeps the mud out of the house from the dog’s paws. Be aware to keep it well away from your house and structures containing wood because of termites though….which have underground nests as big as football fields. Cardboard is used by termite eradication companies as a bait too, so keep that away from your house and damp spots too.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Sounds like you've got an incredible garden happening! Great advice in respect to the termites - hadn't thought about that. They are certainly an issue in the big eucalypts around here but hadn't thought of them in my garden. I do have gardens away from the house so all good there. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@findolinfly]

Thanks for your time and dedication. I love before and after shots. Very necessary for gardening videos. And you even made a middle :D

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The middle was the 'amazing' part - so much growth but really productive too with little effort other than the path build and some planting!! Thanks for watching 😊

[@anikac8380]

Once mulch is first laid, it’s advisable to wet it thoroughly. Mulch will retain soil moisture, but only after rainfall has penetrated. I don’t know what you’re precipitation is like, but if you don’t get many drenching rains, they may not be sufficient to penetrate a compacted layer of sawdust. I’m thinking that’s why you still found it sitting under there virtually unperturbed. If the dance sandwich of notes layers you put in your path had more moisture to start, I suspect you’ve had a more thorough decomposition. You use some water, but sawdust can be pretty resistant. Are used to use pine sawdust as cat litter. It takes a lot for it to get soggy. I envy you having an easy source of clean sawdust.😊

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I wasn't concerned about the sawdust getting enough moisture to it as we have very wet winters and spring season here - 1200mm mostly in that half of the year. The two months prior to harvesting the compost were extremely dry - barely a drop so I think the surrounding gardens stripped the path of it's moisture. I do think perhaps mising it a little more perhaps with grass clippings as someone else suggested may help with the break down. Thanks so much for all of your suggestions - I love all the ideas that come from comments!! Yes free resources are a blessing!! Thanks for watching 😊

[@marking-time-gardens]

Thank you so much for sharing this "trial and outcome" compost path experiment with us! Really appreciate the detail information as well! Definitely will be trying this! (Also new to your channel) Blessings on your winter break as we are now just getting started! 🌻🐛Carolyn in Ohio 🌿 (US)

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Hi Carolyn- thanks for watching!! It's great sharing these trials as I get so much input from people - a lot I may not thought of and ideas for next time! Good luck if you give this a go and good luck of course for your growing season as it kicks in!!

[@shrimuyopa8117]

The Cedar that you picked up from the sawmill has almost no nitrogen in it, due to the drying process that lumber goes through. To add to that Cedar takes a very long time to breakdown. I would add some urine to that cedar and it will accelerate the process of it completing the compost process.

[@alexvalle6771]

Ohhh so it looks fresh but is probably dyed, thanks for sharing! I wander if the bark chips or all the green foliage will balance it out anyways. I'll keep that in mind if I do similar I'll just tell people to stop peeing on the trees and use the pathways! 😂

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The cypress woodchips are definitely straight from the mill and not dyed - wouldn't use those. It is a fairly resistant wood but my friends have had success using it with their humanure system. Probably needed that urine to help break it down - love the peeing in paths idea haha!!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

It is actually cypress sawdust which is fairly resistant to break down but was all I had free access to. Urine would help amazingly -might have to get any guests to go on the paths as Alex has suggested to get enough however 🤣

[@christasflowersandveggies]

I love that idea Linda and thanks for a great video. 💚👒

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Christa - works well and easy to do! Martina in Germany has success with her paths with plenty of organics and doesn't find manures essential so thats good to know too!

[@MartinaSchoppe]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture yes, I mostlly use woody stuff in the paths like wood chips, wood chavings and sawdust and chop and drop weeds (the horrible singingnettle and bindweeds) and grass clippings and comfrey on the beds. After your first video on the topic I thought about digging a path out and putting it on the beds "next door" but then I got loads od sawdust for (almost) free and then just put that on top of the paths whenever it stopped raining. And it rained ALL YEAR LONG last year...

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Rain all year - how horrible - hopefully this year is panning out better!

[@joannabrown4238]

What a great idea! Using what we have in the spaces closest to our plants, awsome, thanks so much for sharing, will definitely give this a go. 🌻

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Definitely worth doing - the plants loved it!!

[@carybradley3968]

Love you showing Huw’s ideas used in real life in a much different climate! Thank you. I’m very impressed with that scythe-like weeding tool you use just before the 3-minute mark. Please tell me what it is. Thanks!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Cary - it's called a large grass sickle - I get them from Japanese Tools! They are great!!

[@jungletearaway]

Thanks for taking the time and showing us this Linda That was very interesring and enjoyable. I will be giving it a go for sure.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I learn as much as you all do from doing things like this - and it's fun to share 😄

[@hoangthidinh96]

Khu vườn của bạn rất tuyệt vời Chúc bạn thật nhiều sức khỏe 😊

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

😊

[@TheHomemakingHaven]

I’ve started doing this once you showed it in a past video, I love it!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yeah it seem d like a good idea at the start & at follow up!! Pleased it’s working for you 😊

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

sometimes i found wood chips in the community containers for an optimal mix w/ grass cuts which a neighbor uses to give me.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Grass clippings mixed in with the sawdust sould move it along much better - yes!!

[@simonem.3092]

What a fantastic video! So well done and I so appreciate the completeness of it showing the process and end result. Thank you for your effort and time making it seamless. Loved it.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks so much for the feedback - I always love a complete video too. Had fun making it and great to share as I get really helpful wonderful feedback from people like yourself!!

[@emmetoleary1067]

So nice to see your enthusiasm! Love love love

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I've always loved a bit of chemistry and this is natures chemistry at play. Love the magic of it and can't help but be enthusiastic 😆

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

i use to shred & mix it up such big chunks to get compost earlier

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yeah shredding would certainly move it along but being in the path I needed it to last a little while. The larger greens did decompose well it was just the cypress that was resistant. Learning all the time haha!!

[@wolfgangwunschel-b4p]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture Hawaian homestead, yt uses mulch even for recycling urine w/o odors, i just can guess due to the terpentenes in the wood chips soaking it up ? its change of pH also causes of smell of ammoniak after oxidation= alkalinization which can be prevented keeping it acidic (& anaerobic?) adding citric acid & EM i.e. which could be an invention for cat toilets' sand (& cypress dust?) i.e.!

[@mauimago5023]

I like that , the plants benefit right through. I did enjoy vid, thank you.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Hey Brenda - thanks for watching!! I enjoyed making this video and the results even surprised me 😊

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

I am going to try this. I realised I have a 200mm trench between my two most productive beds. This trench is lined with sleepers. So I can use the sleepers to make more beds and fill the space between with compost materials. Winning all round.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Winner!! 😄

[@Acts-1322]

You measure in millimeters? Must be a small space.

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

@@Acts-1322 LoL should be 200 X 500 trench

[@tonycortese2165]

Awesome Linda, i also compost in paths not as good as you did but, then i sift it and put the stubborn materials which are usually larger back on top of the paths which lets the water through the paths and into the beds like a gutter. My friend sells cypress for gates flooring fences outdoor uses because of its resistance to rot so maybe not the best for compost, i could be wrong about that. Thanks for another great video

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes I had heard that cypress in compost bins wasn't great but I thought I'd put a thin enough layer that it would decompose - wrong!! Anyway it blended into the rest of the materials well and the compost/mulch material for the top of the garden bed actually looks great!!

[@onetrick.pony1]

Fun, efficient, and lovely!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thank you 😊

[@countrymousesfarmhouse497]

That looks great and not too mention , time and energy saving . We had a lively discussion yesterday on the merits of both composting right next to garden beds or even in them ir creating a compost pile. Im going to create mini terracing in my garden to better harvest and store its own water. After watching this , I'll also do this between those beds . I love that the fruiting of the plants was goid as well as all their lush leaves . Thank you for sharing lovely ❤❤

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

You learn a lot with lively discussions - sounds fantastic!! Good luck with your mini terracing and the in between compost build!! Thanks Naomi 😊

[@MartinaSchoppe]

Morag Gamble has a video about composting in situ - it's ab bit older, maybe four or five years, but she had several great methods - worm towers in the beds, for example. Should be easy to find :)

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Martina - they should be interesting!!

[@willphelps6715]

Great video! And you took the time to save all the related videos for a whole year. I questioned your use of the cypress sawdust. I looked it up and I read cypress wood contains oils that help it resist rot. That makes it a good option for outdoor furniture, but I'm not sure it's a good option for compost. Your dig seemed to confirm that, since much of the other material showed signs of decay, but the cypress sawdust didn't. I will definitely try your method, though. Thank you.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes it was not the best option but is what I had - may try to source other sawdust materials for future use. Good luck with your compost path & thanks for watching 😊

[@snippetsofinconvenienttruth]

Awesome got me motivated thanks

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

That's the way - go for it!!😄

[@TheTamrock2007]

A brilliant idea. Thank you for posting. Liked and subscribed 👍

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Welcome!! The compost path works really well - worth giving a try!!

[@123WorryFreeGardening]

Very nice. We use wood mulch which does an amazing job of improving our soil but it's over quite a bit of time. I'm gonna try this for a season results. Thanks for the video and how to!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks Jill and good luck with it!

[@Soilfoodwebwarrior]

I wonder if you had more rain it would have broken down more completely. Looks like a great ingredient to go onto the top of your beds.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes two extremely dry months did impact it I think but having said that the path did help keep the adjacent gardens watered - I may having watered them only once during this time! I have heard that cypress sawdust is slow to break down and it really was evident in this process - but as you say it mixed in well with the rest of the materials for a great garden bed topping!!

[@Gnolomweb]

Must be nice to have sunshine

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yes it's nice - thanks for watching 😊

[@pencintaalpokat9929]

Thank you for sharing...👍👍

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks for watching!!😊

[@vicenteesler3439]

I like the accent of down under

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Haha thanks - other accents always sound a lot more exotic than your own!

[@thereseboogades8498]

Great video Linda I also love using this method; hey, compost is golden 😊. I use hardwood mulch; Cypress? I hope you don't experience any problems with that when you dig out & use the compost. All the best to you; love your channel! Hello again, from Virginia Beach, Virginia on the east coast of the USA.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The cypress was what was available at the time. My friend uses it a lot in her composts and has never had any issues. Sorry it's taken a little while to reply to your enthusiastic comments - a bit going on here - hope to get a new video out soon explaining!

[@thereseboogades8498]

Oh, good news! I use Cypress on a main walking path; that's all. It's such a pretty light color. So cool that you even add the manure to your paths; I don't have enough manure for that. Thanks again for your replies! Please, never fret over replies - I am happy to support your channel, as comments really help you. Your content is great & your videos are so enjoyable. It's my fun break during my gardening day. 😅

[@bibleaday154]

You might consider using a tiller in the pathway and then walking on it as a pathway.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Thanks for the suggestion!!

[@patriciasummers8881]

One more thing: if you put the manure on top of the wood chips and make thinner layers of each, might the wood break down quicker? I had a chicken run that was a muddy mess so I dumped wood chips and bark in the run to soak up all the water and keep the chickens out of the mud. It broke down quite quickly and when I closed it off volunteer tomatoes came up everywhere and were delicious! Just sharing my experience. 🙂

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Gotta love tomato plant that grow themselves!! Yes thinner layers would definitely work better - just don't have the time to do it that well. Dump and run was my mode of action. Bang it all down and get on to the next task. My chicken run also loves the big dumping of woodchip - need to find time to clear out that compost too 🤔 Thanks Patricia - one of the things I love most about posting videos is getting to hear of others experiences😊

[@sculpturegrl1]

First time viewer here. Thanks! I love this idea but shouldn’t you be using manure that has heated up for a year to kill pathogens?

[@sculpturegrl1]

Also wouldn’t it be less nitrogen if you did?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Hi welcome and thanks for watching! I’m not too worried about pathogens from cow or sheep manure - I haven’t heard that using it in this way is an issue and I haven’t had any problems.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

If the manure had sat for a year there would certainly be less nitrogen in it. Lots of people make cold composts with manure which is essentially what this path is. It did sit for a year decomposing before adding to my garden beds! Putting fresh manure on top of garden beds is not a great idea as that would be too much nitrogen for planting into - I don’t think the microorganisms present are the problem.

[@sculpturegrl1]

@@huttonsvalleypermaculture Thanks for the reply!

[@TDC7594]

I'm curious, why was your garden set back by double-digging the path soil onto the beds? I can understand it was unnecessary work, but did it actually delay growth? Interesting if that's the case for sure.

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Great question and really got me thinking!! I think with my front yard having been closely and thoroughly mowed to the ground constantly for 20 years before I moved in had left little organic material in the soil. With flipping it I think that exposed the soil to more degradation with lose of the organic material that remained. I did cover with mulch but with the bed being a lot higher that the pathways meant the birds kicked off a lot of this organic material to leave the soil underneath exposed to the elements. I just couldn't keep up with covering it - not enough materials and not the time to do it. So in comparison to the no dig beds that didn't have the soil exposure plants just didn't get going the same. I suppose the soil life, all the microorganisms, were adversely affected as well. Maybe if you did this in areas in which the soil had started in a better condition you may have more success. Perhaps it was just a big fail due to my starting material and not enough diligence keeping up with the organic covering!! Thanks for watching and for your comment - certainly got me thinking!! 😄

[@Farmer10000]

Wow do great im doing this but on 8000m2

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

👍

[@jimdotcom1972]

what do you make with all your pumpkins?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

I give away or sell most of them. Pumpkin soup - different types, roasted pumpkin also great in salads and frittata, curried pumpkin - different types. I freeze it in cubes for roasting or freeze purée for later use also. Never short of things to do with pumpkins!!🎃

[@PuthyvanGarden]

❤❤❤

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

😊

[@MartinaSchoppe]

Great stuff. I'm using saw dust and woodshavings in my walkways, too. So far, without green stuff and manure. And my observation is, that sawdust is rather slow to decompose if the layer is too thick. It can also be dry below that layer. In other areas I used woodchips mixed with horse manure and biochar and that decomposed really well - so maybe mixing manure with the sawdust before putting it on the path - or making more but thinner layers of sawdust will be a way around that? I'm a bit scared to try the compost path method, seeing your monster zucchinis - my trees are already way taller then they where supposed to be growing and I have to prune them really hard to keep them "house garden size" - I'm afraid, if I feed them like that, they will explode 😂 On the other hand - I chop and drop everthing directly on the beds and just put woodchips, sawdust and shavings on the paths. Same stuff, just slightly different arrangement (and almost no manure)

[@MartinaSchoppe]

Another "pro" point is, in my opinion, that that method - much like chop and drop - can save a lot of time and effort, because you are not transporting all that material the compost bins and then back again. And if the sawdust is on top - it is amazing to walk on, even barefoot - but that might not be possible in Australia with the dangerous snakes 😨 in the garden! I also thought, all the walking on the compost might cause compaction, but that seems not to be the case?

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Sounds like you've got it all going well - I suppose the key is heaps of organic material piled up for the win!! What a problem to have though - too much growth haha!!

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Yeah the snakes are an issue so best no barefoot in my garden. Yeah compacting is definitely not an issue - soft and spongy at all times - amazing!! Saving time is so important - it's really what we have the least of!

[@patriciasummers8881]

Hey Linda. How did you start the compost paths? How deep did you have to make them to start with to suppress the weeds? I have virulent grass and weeds and they try to come up through whatever I put on top of them just to spite me. 🫣

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

The path in that video I actually started as a dug path. I thought I'd mentioned that in the video??! I'd seen somewhere about dig out grass and flipping it on to the bed next to it and plant into the flipped soil and fill dug out section with wood chips. It didn't work well at all - garden beds kept drying out quickly and any mulch I put on would fall off into the sinking paths (as woodchips decomposed). But they did leave great path ways to experiment with compost in the path - so ended up a win!

[@lauramascari806]

I admire you for moving a worm out of harms way💛🪱💛

[@huttonsvalleypermaculture]

Haha - yes I can’t help myself! They are such good little workers in the garden - have to look after them ☺️