How do people keep paths totally weed free?

[d000hg]

We have a path through woodland between our house and a public footpath. It's bare earth and on both sides ground elder and other woodland plants are thriving.

But the path has never had so much as a single weed. It is hardly used... Maybe once a week... And we have not treated it since we moved in in April.

No weedkiller I know is this effective, things keep coming back, so what might have been done?

 

[r896neo]

Compacted trafficked earth just doesn't let seed grow.

 

[d000hg]

That's the point, it isn't trafficked. It's a private path and I doubt it was used more than once a day even by the previous owner... By us less than once a week.

Things grow so fast I'm thinking the ground must be treated... Oil, salt, long lasting poison?

 

[London Mike 49]

It probably has more to do with the path being in the shade of the wooded area not allowing enough light through and the leaf mould acting as a mulch to suppress any weeds.

Mike

 

[r896neo]

I don't mean the traffic is stoping weeds, more that the traffic even infrequent over many years has compacted the soil so much it doesn't provide much of a seed bed.

 

[d000hg]

I see. It is shady so maybe that combination is the trick...