I work for a national gardening magazine in Canada (Gardening Life) and
recently received a press release about a new product called Rubberific
mulch: it is a brown, shredded mulch made of recycled car tires. I also just
saw an ad promoting hanging basket liners also made of recycled tires.
I know soaker hoses are made of recycled rubber (which I assume comes from
tires, too). I am all in favour of recycling but wonder if these products
are absolutely safe to use in the garden?
Anyone know of any research done on such items, or had any personal
experience?
Thanks!
Karen York
Mississauga, Ontario
Sounds awful! What is wrong with organic mulch?
Carol
Karen York wrote:
Karen
I believe such mulch is sometimes used here for a safe footing
children's play areas, but I have not heard of it getting into NZ
horticulture yet.
Some people have an objection to using whole tyres areound the garden,
claiming that dangerous levels of zinc may leach out of them, but a
posting from Joel about the mulched material certainly does not seem to
bear out this concern.
If it _is_ safe it would certainly make a good weed-suppressing mulch,
being particularly good as a permanent surface for paths I should
think, and I can't see any objection to using it to line hanging
baskets, but I would not be happy myself using it on flower or shrub
beds and would never put it on areas growing vegetables, which depend
ultimetely on the breakdown even of things like bark to maintain the
soil humus.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ. Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
