Rubber mulch

[peachdejour]

Has anyone used rubber mulch? Does it hold heat next to the house? Does it make the flowers the wilt if it gets too hot? I am finally mulching the front of my house, but I am considering the rubber because I won't have to keep replacing it all the time.

 

[Chuck]

Has anyone used rubber mulch? Does it hold heat next to the house? Does it make the flowers the wilt if it gets too hot? I am finally mulching the front of my house, but I am considering the rubber because I won't have to keep replacing it all the time.

What is rubber made from? Can you imagine if just a little bit of that rubber (oil and who knows what else) were to leach into you soil?

 

[deepestblues]

Yeah, rubber mulch don't cut it. It does eventually break down and who knows what's going to get into the soil. (and beyond)

 

[LIcenter]

I'm not sure "rubber mulch" was ever intended to go into gardens. it was originally designed for playgrounds so the little ones wouldn't hurt themselves playing. Then complaints started coming in, that the kids were eating the stuff. Plus the high breakdown rate in full sun sounded more alarms of it leaching into the ground.
Please do not consider using this product peachdejour. If you put down the recommended 2-3 inches of real mulch, you will get a few years out of it, and what does breaks down is nothing but beneficial, instead of possibly being toxic.

 

[Pat]

Rubber mulch is not for the garden. I have only seen it used for playgrounds and such. If rubber breaksdown I don't think it would be very helpful to the environment, isn't that why we have so many tires in the landfil?

 

[peachdejour]

Yeah, I don't know. I was chatting on a Do It Yourself site and they were talking about it being a very "green" way to go for your garden. The Home Depot is selling it in the garden section too. However, I've never seen it used around in my neighborhood. I'm going wood this year because it's on sale this week! Yay!

 

[marlingardener]

Peach, I was at Home Depot and a lady working there told me with a straight face (and seemed to really believe) that "humus" was made from human bones. I really don't go with anything Home Depot has in the garden section unless I know the plant or that "humus" does not contain some of grandpa.
You will be happy with the wood mulch--it adds to the soil as it breaks down, looks much more natural, and still functions as mulch should in weed suppression.

 

[peachdejour]

Oh my! Yes. We are picking up the wood mulch tomorrow. Human bones... I think the government would have a problem with that. I will start laughing in the garden section tomorrow and Dan will wonder what is wrong with me!

 

[Philphine]

i'm gonna go somewhat the opposite and say i wouldn't use wood mulch near the house. i don't know the negatives of rubber mulch, but i've heard a few times wood mulch near your house is like an appetizer for termites before they get to your house proper.

in the couple spots near my house where i want mulch, i'm going with rock. i'd love glass mulch, but that's way out of the budget.