Mulch

[Wayne]

What do you guys think about recycled rubber mulch ? I just saw that. Mainly for decoritive purposes. But if I wanted flowers, would I put down plastic, then soil on top, then mulch ? I'm afraid of real mulch around the house, because I've had termite trouble before.

 

[sissy]

I saw on the news how a whole playground for kids burnt to the ground when the rubber mulch was set on fire it went up in a matter of minutes .Have you ever smelled it on a hot day stinky is a nice word for the smell

 

[Addy]

Make it a rock garden, crushed granite, pea gravel stones etc. Then put plants in among the rocks. My arizona yard was all rocks, boulders and plants, it can look really nice.

 

[Tmann]

I am not a fan of rubber mulch. It is too permanent as it won't break down and if you ever want to change the color you would have to rake it all up.

 

[Addy]

That is the one problem with a rock garden it is sort of there hard to change if you change your mind. But they can look great, less termite issues along a house.

 

[sissy]

very true and you won't have to worry about termites or fire danger

 

[j.w]

I did that w/ rocks up against our last home and it really looked nice and it was easy to just squirt the weeds w/ vinegar or weed killer in between the rocks. We did lay down weed cloth there also under the rocks. I'm not a big fan of weed cloth but it helped w/ that situation.

 

[sissy]

I wish I could do more rock in my gardens but it is not cheap to get them here and with fuel costs going up it is not likely to get cheaper anytime soon .I try to keep mulch at least a foot away from the house .I would rather have rock there

 

[Wayne]

I am not a fan of rubber mulch. It is too permanent as it won't break down and if you ever want to change the color you would have to rake it all up.

But isn't that better than replacing mulch every year ??

 

[sissy]

It can be but rubber mulch can sometimes be a eyesore after awhile .i changed all my red mulch to brown but was lucky as some of it had already went to dust .Rubber mulch some home inspectors frown on it when you are selling your house .My son is a home inspector and thinks it should be classified as a hazard ,fire and smell and toxic .He does not like it but no state bans it yet ,but in the future you never know .If you have actual tires on your property most home inspectors well red flag them and suggest they be removed

 

[j.w]

I love the smell of new tires and gasoline! Whenever we go to Costco I have to swerve towards the tire center when walking on the way out to get a whiff

 

[sissy]

good gosh what next tire and gas junky now LOL

 

[j.w]

You ever watch that show on tv where people eat/drink and do weird things. Well this one girl drinks gasoline! Think it's called Strange Obsessions or something.

 

[Tmann]

But isn't that better than replacing mulch every year ??

That one positive does not out weigh the negatives IMO.

 

[sissy]

For pets and children they are finding it is not as safe as first thought

 

[Nova]

My school has an area we want to change into a butterfly garden and it has a LOT of weeds and some grass. We are going to lay down several layers of cardboard, water it down then cover it with mulch from other flower beds that are too thick. It will be used as a lessen on reusing recyclables and composting for the students.

 

[Tmann]

How thick is the cardboard you are using? My concern would be if you use cardboard that is too thick it will cause water to run off rather than be absorbed into the ground below.

 

[sissy]

Also have to watch some cardboard they wax it and water does not get absorbed into it .I have used it also ,but it can get a tad bit slimy and slippery when walked on when it gets wet under the mulch .I was told to slit it in spots when i used ,well after it was done ,oh well to late .I did take a shovel and stab down at it to puncture it

 

[j.w]

I've used the cardboard on huge garden beds to kill the grass over the whole fall/winter. I laid it all down and then put lots of compost over the top of it. Took it off in the Spring and it worked great! I also used my left over pond liner and that worked fine also. Didn't cover it w/ compost tho. Just used bricks, rocks,boards and water jugs to hold it in place. Don't like digging if I don't have to and then you keep all that good topsoil also.