How You Can Use Recycled Tires in Your Garden
Photo by www.ericcastro.biz
Because they contain different materials (rubber, cloth, metal), rubber tires are one of the most difficult items to recycle. Burning them produces copious, acrid smoke. This is probably why tires end up in creeks and ravines across the country. There are, however, creative ways to use old tires that do not harm the environment. One of the best ways to use old tires is in the garden. Here are some ideas for gardening with tires.
1. Planters
Get an early start on your spring vegetables by starting them in tire planters. Put down some raw compost (such as fresh manure) where you want to put the planter, and lay the tire on top. Then fill the tire with seasoned compost and sow your seeds. As the fresh compost beneath breaks down, it will generate heat that will encourage germination even if it has not warmed to spring temperatures yet. And the black rubber retains heat from the sun and the decomposition. If you stack on an additional tire or two and cover it with plastic sheeting, you can create a miniature greenhouse. This will give you quite a head start on the spring planting season.
Stacked tires can be used as planters for small trees or shrubs. They can be painted or designed to make them look artistic and creative.
Some plants have a tendency to take over a garden. Using a tire planter can help contain its tenacious habits.
Grow your own potatoes using stacks of tires as planters. This is a great option for those who have limited space. Lay the tire down and fill it with soil. Then plant 3-4 potato “eyes” in the tire. When the plants reach about 8 inches in height, add another tire and more soil. Repeat this process until the growth slows down. When the tops dry out, you can harvest your potatoes by removing the tires one by one, digging out the potatoes as you go.
2. Compost bin
The stackable nature of tires makes them perfect for constructing a compost bin. Turn the earth and lay down a tire. When it gets full of compost material, add another tire. Repeat until it’s gotten as high as you want. When it has been allowed to decompose for about two weeks, take off the top tire and lay it on the ground next to your “bin.” Using a garden fork, remove the top layer of compost and put it into the tire on the ground. Repeat this until all the tires are re-stacked. You have essentially turned your compost upside-down, which is a great way to hasten decomposition.
3. Retaining walls and fencing
Tires can be stacked like bricks and filled with gravel or sand to make very solid, stable retaining walls. The same method can be used to make a fence for your garden. They can also be laid on a hillside and filled with gravel or soil to stabilize an eroding slope.
Of course, you can always put up an old-fashioned tire swing in your garden to give it a country, vintage feel.
