Re: Tire Shreds for the Garden?

I absolutely hate this stuff. Old tires are a petroleum product that has (have?) been exposed to pretty much every known chemical when that rubber hit the road--at high temps to boot. If NOTHING else, shredded tires have been shown to contain--and leach--high amounts of zinc. Plant-killing levels.
    I get calls and emails from homeowners wanting to use the stuff all the time (because they saw an ad; the name Pavlov ring a bell?). My response to them:
    "Why is it that anytime somebody has a toxic waste disposal problem, the first thing they think of is gardens?"
    Get it outta there! And have those kids collect leaves this Fall for next year.
                                ----Mike McG 
  
----- Original Message -----
From: b*@WoodRodgers.com
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 8:19 PM
Subject: [cg] Tire Shreds for the Garden?

I visited a elementary school garden today and was shocked to see them trying to use fine tire shreds to control weeds in the pathways around their raised beds.  They had just moved about 5 yards into the garden site with another 35 yards waiting to be moved in.  It was originally donated for under the playground equipment to replace old wood chips?as the cost of these tires shreds is high to replace .. the school decided not to put it in? so what to do with it? Put it in the garden to try to control the grasses in the pathways about 4-6? think!

 

My questions are:

has anyone used this product before for this purpose?

Has there been any studies on leaching of toxins from the shredded tires?  ...also in the process of moving the shreds much was spilled into the corn planting area and now the plants will grow in it?and as an extra feature it has that pleasant rubber smell to it  L

I cant imagine when the temperature gets up to 107 what it will be like for this year round school?

 

School officials say that it is approved for playground use?.i cant imagine that is approve for around edibles..i know what my gut feelings are on this? but need some more info on this before the school will have to pay to have it removed.

 

Thanks for the feed back

 

Bill Maynard

 

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