I have a neighbor who has sprouted a vegetable garden in old used tires.
Everything appears to be going gang busters. Her daughter said that the heat of the black tires aids in the quick sprouting.
I don't think I would eat anything grown in a tire. I'd imagine the amount of chemicals that is used to make a tire would be down right spooky. I would think all that can leach into the soil and the plants.
Now I could be wrong.
Has anyone out there seen such a practice?
Would you go to a garden party planted with tires?
(I guess I could post this in the container section but I thought I'd start here.)
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Personally I wouldn't eat anything grown in tires.
Here's what Scott, The Helpful Gardener, said about shredded tire mulch:
I am not a fan of tire chip in any form on the garden; while[url=https://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=446_46]some studies[/url]find plant toxicity not to be an isse, even they admit leaching of long term soil pollutants like zinc, cadmium, lead and barium. Other findings like [url=https://www.ehhi.org/reports/turf/health_effects.shtml]these[/url] say rubber chips are degassing as well as leaching, releasing a number of known carcinogens as volatile gasses.
There is a huge industry growing around turning this surplus of toxic waste into a marketable product instead of [url=https://www.energyjustice.net/tires/files/greenpeaceletter.html]burning it[/url]. While Ol' Helpful agrees this is not a good way to get rid of these pollutants, grinding them up and spreading them around seems liek a bad idea too. Go ahead and Google "rubber tire chip" and see where they want to put most of this stuff. These people have no shame and no scruples and they will buy scientists to whitewash this. [url=https://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Rubber%20mulch.pdf]Tire chip leaches toxins[/url] like arsenic, fer cryin out loud! Among a BUNCH of other things and THIS is what we are going to put in playgrounds?
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=105127&highlight=arsenic#105127
The mulch is worse than just a whole tire, because the tire is shredded, allowing it to release all the chemicals, but the principle is basically the same.
Here's what Scott, The Helpful Gardener, said about shredded tire mulch:
I am not a fan of tire chip in any form on the garden; while[url=https://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=446_46]some studies[/url]find plant toxicity not to be an isse, even they admit leaching of long term soil pollutants like zinc, cadmium, lead and barium. Other findings like [url=https://www.ehhi.org/reports/turf/health_effects.shtml]these[/url] say rubber chips are degassing as well as leaching, releasing a number of known carcinogens as volatile gasses.
There is a huge industry growing around turning this surplus of toxic waste into a marketable product instead of [url=https://www.energyjustice.net/tires/files/greenpeaceletter.html]burning it[/url]. While Ol' Helpful agrees this is not a good way to get rid of these pollutants, grinding them up and spreading them around seems liek a bad idea too. Go ahead and Google "rubber tire chip" and see where they want to put most of this stuff. These people have no shame and no scruples and they will buy scientists to whitewash this. [url=https://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Rubber%20mulch.pdf]Tire chip leaches toxins[/url] like arsenic, fer cryin out loud! Among a BUNCH of other things and THIS is what we are going to put in playgrounds?
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=105127&highlight=arsenic#105127
The mulch is worse than just a whole tire, because the tire is shredded, allowing it to release all the chemicals, but the principle is basically the same.
Well, there's not much I can add to what RG has said, except that it also poses water problems. What if water settles into the "inner part" of the tire? Unless they put drain holes in it, there's a chance it will become water-logged. Now, if they do put drain holes in it, the water will wash the chemicals into the ground, polluting the soil.
Great job supplying information, RG.
Great job supplying information, RG.
The original question was whether one can grow vegetables in WHOLE tires, not whether one should heat, shred, etc. tires and thereby release the entrapped gases and chemicals in them to the atmosphere.
Related example: Asbestos inspectors recommend leaving non-friable asbestos in place rather than removing it, b/c by removing it, friable asbestos dust and fibers are generated. Asbestos dust/fibers are inhalable and can cause a devastating, ultimately fatal, respiratory disease.
Given my severely limited space (96 sq.ft. for veggie growing, and about one-third of that next to the street and not protected), the idea of a tire stack or maybe even two stacks, of perhaps three tires apiece has some merit, esp. for heat-loving plants.
But I'd have to convince the dogs that the tires weren't an agility/obstacle course....
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Related example: Asbestos inspectors recommend leaving non-friable asbestos in place rather than removing it, b/c by removing it, friable asbestos dust and fibers are generated. Asbestos dust/fibers are inhalable and can cause a devastating, ultimately fatal, respiratory disease.
Given my severely limited space (96 sq.ft. for veggie growing, and about one-third of that next to the street and not protected), the idea of a tire stack or maybe even two stacks, of perhaps three tires apiece has some merit, esp. for heat-loving plants.
But I'd have to convince the dogs that the tires weren't an agility/obstacle course....
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9