Mulch

[Unregistered-margwh]

I see rubber mulch at the garden center. The idea does not seem very “green” to me for the garden. Am I missing something?

[Unregistered-gj]

Seems to me that the idea here is more about recycling an unusable material than what is good for the garden. Do not see that there is any nutrient value for plants or soil. Seems like you would still need to add fertilizer or the like as there can’t be too much available from the rubber. I personally would rather use an organic source for mulch like wood chips or tree bark.

[Bruno1949]

I certainly wouldn’t use it for gardens or flower beds. It was originally used for playgrounds, at least any tires WITHOUT steel belts. It’s soft, doesn’t decompose, and lasts forever, or nearly. For something under a swing set it’s fine but I wouldn’t use it any place else.

Any organic mulch actually pulls nutrients from the soil as it decomposes but eventually it all returns to the soil and helps it.

As the other poster said, they are trying to get rid of an unusable item, old tires. There are places for rubber mulch but not where you plant or grow things. Playgrounds, the area you store your garbage cans, maybe walkways, places like that.

Any organic mulch would work better and be better for the soil.

[Unregistered-green_thumb]

We did our research and opted for rubber mulch for several reasons.

We have to use less bug spray around the house because we no longer have rotting mulch attracting them.

It significantly reduced the concern about termites coming back.

Because the brand we bought lasts 10 years with no fading, we’re not wasting time and money putting down new mulch every year. It also stays looking good year after year.

As for the concern that you’re not getting the nutrients of rotting mulch, we haven’t had that problem. Every year our flowers come back bigger and better than ever. The most they get is a couple of feedings with Miracle Grow each year.

I have to water less because I don’t have wood mulch wicking the water up and out of the soil. The rubber also keeps the ground below nice and cool.

The only negative I’ve found so far is that when it’s really hot outside for those first couple of years, it smells like burning rubber.

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