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 Post subject: Synthetic mulch?!?
PostPosted: Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:28 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2003 3:32 pm
Posts: 9
I wanted to get others opinions on this...

I was in Lowe's last weekend and I found something that they are calling a "synthetic mulch". It is actually recylced tires that have been shredded and bound together. You can lay it around your trees and plants and supposedly water and nutrients pass through but it acts as a barrier to weeds and grass. Does anyone know more about it ?


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 Post subject: synthetic mulch
PostPosted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:52 am 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 5:48 pm
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Location: Weatherford,TX
I wouldn't use it. I don't know if it would hurt anything but my belief is; does it benefit the soil structure, microbes, etc., if not, don't use.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 4:28 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2004 9:46 pm
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Location: florida
tires have OIL in the them,,,,,it seems the oil will slow down weeds and plants!

would oil qualify as an organic?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 9:43 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2003 3:53 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
Basically, mulch does 3 things:

1) it shields the soil from excess heat and excess cold, thereby protecting against excess moisture loss and excessive freezing (depending on climactic zone you live in).
2) by doing #1, allows soil microbes to do their work in a less stressful environment, and allows plants, of any kind, to grow in a more consistant environment.
3) it breaks down itself into organic compounds/compost that in turn feeds the microbes and replenishes the soil.

Shredded tires would obviously do #1, as would pink fiberglass insulation and multiple layers of plastic. Their effect on #2 would be minimal, at best, and as for #3... you would have shredded tires in your garden forever!

FYI: shredded tires are added to asphalt mixes so that new paving lasts longer. They do this because landfills are becoming overrun with tires and they need a way to "recycle" them because they don't decay.

Ultimately, only you can decide if you want them in your back yard. :wink:

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 8:37 pm 
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Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
Other than KWHOZ's excellent point, I don't see a big problem with rubber tire mulch. It takes a lot of microbes a long time to decompose it so don't hold your breath waiting for it to disappear. If it decomposed quickly, we couldn't use them as tires.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 9:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2003 3:53 pm
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Location: Dallas,TX
Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:
Other than KWHOZ's excellent point, I don't see a big problem with rubber tire mulch. It takes a lot of microbes a long time to decompose it so don't hold your breath waiting for it to disappear. If it decomposed quickly, we couldn't use them as tires.


Whaaaaaaa???!!!??? Yup... absolutely organic, that is... and I believe you have missed our points.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:46 am 
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I don't think I missed your earlier points but I missed the point of that last one. What are you getting at?

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