Looks like very thinly disguised STEALTH SPAM!

According to the USDA's Dr Rufus Cheny, rubber mulch leeches sufficient
zinc into the soil to kill all annuals & perennials, & that reason alone
is sufficient to NEVER use it. Vendors liken this perennial & annual
killing guarantee as "weed suppressing," but it kills the entire garden.
So IF it were sensibly used ANYwhere (and it's not, for a host of reasons,
but leaching heavy metals & killing plants is the biggie) it would be only
in areas where now, & for the next century, you know for sure nothing will
ever be planted -- typically around playground equipment, from whence it
migrates into surrounding planted areas & kills the plants, causing one
study to recommend it be mixed with gravel in the hopes that that will
keep it from dispersing.

It is not a "plus" that this crapola never breaks down in the environment,
no more than if you worked any other bits of plastic, rubber, or
miscellaneou7s rubbish into the landscape knowing you're stuck with it for
generations to come. If five years later you want to turn that "nice"
plant-free zone into a garden, forget it. You polluted it for a century.

Further, it stinks to high heaven in summer. You wouldn't want it anywhere
near where people have to breathe. It can't be used in enclosed areas
because the fumes can be toxic, though in the open air it is "merely" an
issue of stench, stench, stench.

http://www.paghat.com/rubbermulch.html

-paghat the ratgirl


In article , Peter wrote:

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product that
seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured out
of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material doesn't
break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of leaves
in the fall plus
those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum trees all year round.
Using a blower
on shredded hardwood, blows the mulch away. The sales literature suggests
that yard cleanup will be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which
stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water
soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the ground. Less
watering, more
water available to the plants, less evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will not
provide a
home for slugs....both of which are a continuing problem. Which in turn
cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in front of the
house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants are 3 China
Girl Hollies,
a full grown yew... rows of established Hostas, a few lillies and daffodils
and a established fern. The bed is pretty well established, I'm not planning
on adding any more plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and
replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn
over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these
circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Looks like very thinly disguised STEALTH SPAM!

According to the USDA's Dr Rufus Cheny, rubber mulch leeches sufficient
zinc into the soil to kill all annuals & perennials, & that reason alone
is sufficient to NEVER use it. Vendors liken this perennial & annual
killing guarantee as "weed suppressing," but it kills the entire garden.
So IF it were sensibly used ANYwhere (and it's not, for a host of reasons,
but leaching heavy metals & killing plants is the biggie) it would be only
in areas where now, & for the next century, you know for sure nothing will
ever be planted -- typically around playground equipment, from whence it
migrates into surrounding planted areas & kills the plants, causing one
study to recommend it be mixed with gravel in the hopes that that will
keep it from dispersing.

It is not a "plus" that this crapola never breaks down in the environment,
no more than if you worked any other bits of plastic, rubber, or
miscellaneou7s rubbish into the landscape knowing you're stuck with it for
generations to come. If five years later you want to turn that "nice"
plant-free zone into a garden, forget it. You polluted it for a century.

Further, it stinks to high heaven in summer. You wouldn't want it anywhere
near where people have to breathe. It can't be used in enclosed areas
because the fumes can be toxic, though in the open air it is "merely" an
issue of stench, stench, stench.

http://www.paghat.com/rubbermulch.html

-paghat the ratgirl


In article , Peter wrote:

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product that
seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured out
of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material doesn't
break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of leaves
in the fall plus
those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum trees all year round.
Using a blower
on shredded hardwood, blows the mulch away. The sales literature suggests
that yard cleanup will be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which
stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water
soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the ground. Less
watering, more
water available to the plants, less evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will not
provide a
home for slugs....both of which are a continuing problem. Which in turn
cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in front of the
house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants are 3 China
Girl Hollies,
a full grown yew... rows of established Hostas, a few lillies and daffodils
and a established fern. The bed is pretty well established, I'm not planning
on adding any more plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and
replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn
over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these
circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Absolutely.

We all had endured this very same debate over using ground up tires as mulch
last year and have cited numerous actual studies that proved that the
disgusting stuff is not only unsightly and smelly but also toxic to plants
and humans. It is something that any sane person would never use in their
garden in any way.

Can the old thread be resurrected for all those newbies that haven't seen
it? Maybe the info can be posted somewhere as a FAQ for quick reference?


"paghat" wrote in message
news
Looks like very thinly disguised STEALTH SPAM!

According to the USDA's Dr Rufus Cheny, rubber mulch leeches sufficient
zinc into the soil to kill all annuals & perennials, & that reason alone
is sufficient to NEVER use it. Vendors liken this perennial & annual
killing guarantee as "weed suppressing," but it kills the entire garden.
So IF it were sensibly used ANYwhere (and it's not, for a host of reasons,
but leaching heavy metals & killing plants is the biggie) it would be only
in areas where now, & for the next century, you know for sure nothing will
ever be planted -- typically around playground equipment, from whence it
migrates into surrounding planted areas & kills the plants, causing one
study to recommend it be mixed with gravel in the hopes that that will
keep it from dispersing.

It is not a "plus" that this crapola never breaks down in the environment,
no more than if you worked any other bits of plastic, rubber, or
miscellaneou7s rubbish into the landscape knowing you're stuck with it for
generations to come. If five years later you want to turn that "nice"
plant-free zone into a garden, forget it. You polluted it for a century.

Further, it stinks to high heaven in summer. You wouldn't want it anywhere
near where people have to breathe. It can't be used in enclosed areas
because the fumes can be toxic, though in the open air it is "merely" an
issue of stench, stench, stench.

http://www.paghat.com/rubbermulch.html

-paghat the ratgirl


In article , Peter wrote:

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product
that
seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured out
of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material doesn't
break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of leaves
in the fall plus
those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum trees all year round.
Using a blower
on shredded hardwood, blows the mulch away. The sales literature
suggests
that yard cleanup will be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which
stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water
soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the ground. Less
watering, more
water available to the plants, less evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will not
provide a
home for slugs....both of which are a continuing problem. Which in
turn
cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in front
of the
house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants are 3 China
Girl Hollies,
a full grown yew... rows of established Hostas, a few lillies and
daffodils
and a established fern. The bed is pretty well established, I'm not
planning
on adding any more plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and
replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn
over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these
circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Absolutely.

We all had endured this very same debate over using ground up tires as mulch
last year and have cited numerous actual studies that proved that the
disgusting stuff is not only unsightly and smelly but also toxic to plants
and humans. It is something that any sane person would never use in their
garden in any way.

Can the old thread be resurrected for all those newbies that haven't seen
it? Maybe the info can be posted somewhere as a FAQ for quick reference?


"paghat" wrote in message
news
Looks like very thinly disguised STEALTH SPAM!

According to the USDA's Dr Rufus Cheny, rubber mulch leeches sufficient
zinc into the soil to kill all annuals & perennials, & that reason alone
is sufficient to NEVER use it. Vendors liken this perennial & annual
killing guarantee as "weed suppressing," but it kills the entire garden.
So IF it were sensibly used ANYwhere (and it's not, for a host of reasons,
but leaching heavy metals & killing plants is the biggie) it would be only
in areas where now, & for the next century, you know for sure nothing will
ever be planted -- typically around playground equipment, from whence it
migrates into surrounding planted areas & kills the plants, causing one
study to recommend it be mixed with gravel in the hopes that that will
keep it from dispersing.

It is not a "plus" that this crapola never breaks down in the environment,
no more than if you worked any other bits of plastic, rubber, or
miscellaneou7s rubbish into the landscape knowing you're stuck with it for
generations to come. If five years later you want to turn that "nice"
plant-free zone into a garden, forget it. You polluted it for a century.

Further, it stinks to high heaven in summer. You wouldn't want it anywhere
near where people have to breathe. It can't be used in enclosed areas
because the fumes can be toxic, though in the open air it is "merely" an
issue of stench, stench, stench.

http://www.paghat.com/rubbermulch.html

-paghat the ratgirl


In article , Peter wrote:

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product
that
seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured out
of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material doesn't
break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of leaves
in the fall plus
those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum trees all year round.
Using a blower
on shredded hardwood, blows the mulch away. The sales literature
suggests
that yard cleanup will be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which
stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water
soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the ground. Less
watering, more
water available to the plants, less evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will not
provide a
home for slugs....both of which are a continuing problem. Which in
turn
cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in front
of the
house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants are 3 China
Girl Hollies,
a full grown yew... rows of established Hostas, a few lillies and
daffodils
and a established fern. The bed is pretty well established, I'm not
planning
on adding any more plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and
replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn
over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these
circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Cereus-validus wrote:
Absolutely.

We all had endured this very same debate over using ground up tires as mulch
last year and have cited numerous actual studies that proved that the
disgusting stuff is not only unsightly and smelly but also toxic to plants
and humans. It is something that any sane person would never use in their
garden in any way.

Can the old thread be resurrected for all those newbies that haven't seen
it? Maybe the info can be posted somewhere as a FAQ for quick reference?


I just did a google newsgroup search and came up with this
link for last year's discussion in this newsgroup about
rubber mulch:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...as_min d%3D1%
26as_minm%3D1%26as_miny%3D2003%26as_maxd%3D1%26as_ maxm%3D4%26as_maxy%3D2004%26lr%3D%26hl%3Den

This link is very long and may be truncrated in some
browsers. If it does you can just go to
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en and
enter "rubber mulch group:rec.gardens" (without the quotes)
in the search box.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Digital Camera: HP PhotoSmart 850

For pictures of my garden flowers visit
http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Cereus-validus wrote:
Absolutely.

We all had endured this very same debate over using ground up tires as mulch
last year and have cited numerous actual studies that proved that the
disgusting stuff is not only unsightly and smelly but also toxic to plants
and humans. It is something that any sane person would never use in their
garden in any way.

Can the old thread be resurrected for all those newbies that haven't seen
it? Maybe the info can be posted somewhere as a FAQ for quick reference?


I just did a google newsgroup search and came up with this
link for last year's discussion in this newsgroup about
rubber mulch:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...as_min d%3D1%
26as_minm%3D1%26as_miny%3D2003%26as_maxd%3D1%26as_ maxm%3D4%26as_maxy%3D2004%26lr%3D%26hl%3Den

This link is very long and may be truncrated in some
browsers. If it does you can just go to
http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search?hl=en and
enter "rubber mulch group:rec.gardens" (without the quotes)
in the search box.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Digital Camera: HP PhotoSmart 850

For pictures of my garden flowers visit
http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

Peter wrote in :

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product
that seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured
out of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material
doesn't break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of
leaves in the fall plus those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum
trees all year round. Using a blower on shredded hardwood, blows
the mulch away. The sales literature suggests that yard cleanup will
be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the
ground. Less watering, more water available to the plants, less
evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will
not provide a home for slugs....both of which are a continuing
problem. Which in turn cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in
front of the house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants
are 3 China Girl Hollies, a full grown yew... rows of established
Hostas, a few lillies and daffodils and a established fern. The bed
is pretty well established, I'm not planning on adding any more
plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will
not be able to turn over this bed again....... Are there any
downsides to using this product under these circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Around summer 2002, despite the exorbitant price, I bought one Perm-a-mulch
"tree mat" [UPC 6 65841 24000 0 www.permamulch.com 100% recycled rubber] to
put around a small tree, primarily to keep grass from growing around it. I
don't remember if there was a smell, probably, but not currently. I had
thought it had blown away during the hurricane, but I checked an it's still
out there, covered with a layer of (dead) thatch! The grass around it is
growing profusely (still waiting to get the push reel mower). In the
installation slit (which they recommend sealing with landscape fabric,
which I keep forgeting to do), "weeds" are growing. The "weeds" have
reddish purple color around the edges, most of the look the same as another
plant 10" away, but one has a leaf that is noticably more sickly (grayish
surface in addition to red/purple edges). If I had to guess, I would say
the "weeds" are wild strawberry. Maybe someone with experience in plant
pathology can say if any of that is symptomatic of zinc toxicity.

For my intended purpose, creating a buffer between tree and lawn, I thought
it worked pretty well. I don't think anything grew through the mat from
below, and the thatch is probably from runners from the adjacent grass and
was able to grow roots in the surface of the mat, but not difficult to pull
off. After 1.5 years, the mat looks a lot scrubbier than I remember it.
In fact, it looks rather like dirt. Not a perfect solution, but seems
better than the alternatives.

The 'tree-mat' is a one piece deal and easy enough to discard if it's out
lived it usefulness. The rubberific website doesn't say, but I'm assuming
their stuff is in pieces. As for downsides, if you live in a high wind
area or your blower is too powerful, you better hope the stuff is heavy
enough to stay in place or you'll be forever picking up little pieces of
rubber that will never decompose. You had better like the color you pick
out, because you're stuck with it for however long it lasts. Just because
it doesn't make a suitable haven for insects or slugs, doesn't mean some
other opportunistic pests won't think otherwise in the future. Despite the
Environmental Pollution Agency's approval, you shouldn't consider the
product inert. Aestheticly, years from now, you may qualify to join those
people who have had polyester leisure suits, nylon parachute pants or
silicone breast implants for membership in the "What the hell was I
thinking?" club.

Peter wrote in :

Went to the local Home and Garden Show this weekend..... one product
that seemed to have value was "rubber mulch" which was manufactured
out of recycled tires.

Some reasons why I thought it would work a

Longevity - keeps its color for about 20 years. The material
doesn't break down.

About 5 times heavier than traditional mulch... I have a lot of
leaves in the fall plus those stupid round spiky balls from sweet gum
trees all year round. Using a blower on shredded hardwood, blows
the mulch away. The sales literature suggests that yard cleanup will
be a lot easier using the rubber mulch which stays intact.

The rubber mulch does not absorb or transfer water between air and
ground...Water soaks through the pieces of mulch and is kept in the
ground. Less watering, more water available to the plants, less
evaporation.

The rubber mulch is inorganic and will not attract insects and will
not provide a home for slugs....both of which are a continuing
problem. Which in turn cuts down on the use of insecticide.

The area which I'm thinking of using this mulch is a plant bed in
front of the house.... the area is 6' by 25'. The current plants
are 3 China Girl Hollies, a full grown yew... rows of established
Hostas, a few lillies and daffodils and a established fern. The bed
is pretty well established, I'm not planning on adding any more
plants to it, but will have to divide the hostas and replenish the
bulbs.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will
not be able to turn over this bed again....... Are there any
downsides to using this product under these circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Around summer 2002, despite the exorbitant price, I bought one Perm-a-mulch
"tree mat" [UPC 6 65841 24000 0 www.permamulch.com 100% recycled rubber] to
put around a small tree, primarily to keep grass from growing around it. I
don't remember if there was a smell, probably, but not currently. I had
thought it had blown away during the hurricane, but I checked an it's still
out there, covered with a layer of (dead) thatch! The grass around it is
growing profusely (still waiting to get the push reel mower). In the
installation slit (which they recommend sealing with landscape fabric,
which I keep forgeting to do), "weeds" are growing. The "weeds" have
reddish purple color around the edges, most of the look the same as another
plant 10" away, but one has a leaf that is noticably more sickly (grayish
surface in addition to red/purple edges). If I had to guess, I would say
the "weeds" are wild strawberry. Maybe someone with experience in plant
pathology can say if any of that is symptomatic of zinc toxicity.

For my intended purpose, creating a buffer between tree and lawn, I thought
it worked pretty well. I don't think anything grew through the mat from
below, and the thatch is probably from runners from the adjacent grass and
was able to grow roots in the surface of the mat, but not difficult to pull
off. After 1.5 years, the mat looks a lot scrubbier than I remember it.
In fact, it looks rather like dirt. Not a perfect solution, but seems
better than the alternatives.

The 'tree-mat' is a one piece deal and easy enough to discard if it's out
lived it usefulness. The rubberific website doesn't say, but I'm assuming
their stuff is in pieces. As for downsides, if you live in a high wind
area or your blower is too powerful, you better hope the stuff is heavy
enough to stay in place or you'll be forever picking up little pieces of
rubber that will never decompose. You had better like the color you pick
out, because you're stuck with it for however long it lasts. Just because
it doesn't make a suitable haven for insects or slugs, doesn't mean some
other opportunistic pests won't think otherwise in the future. Despite the
Environmental Pollution Agency's approval, you shouldn't consider the
product inert. Aestheticly, years from now, you may qualify to join those
people who have had polyester leisure suits, nylon parachute pants or
silicone breast implants for membership in the "What the hell was I
thinking?" club.

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 14:27:29 GMT, wrote:

the other purpose of mulch is to break down and improve the soil. rubber aint gonna
do that. Ingrid

I don't think it will keep down weeds any better than 2" of gravel
either, but I could get it in different colors.

Regards,

Hal

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 16:59:10 GMT, "Cereus-validus"
wrote:

Can the old thread be resurrected for all those newbies that haven't seen
it? Maybe the info can be posted somewhere as a FAQ for quick reference?

Will this do?

http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/archiv...003/06/1/21304

http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail...html/0259.html

Now I'm back to hauling wood chips!

Thanks,

Hal

..

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'), the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Whew...... that's quite a lot of input..... with several points which bear looking into
(zinc content and plant destruction).

The mulch runs about .60 - .82 cents per pound. Pricey, but I'm paying for the
solution to several problems. The area will cost about 175.00 USD to cover, not
a bad investment provided that it resolves existing problems of cleanup and pests,
both of which continue to be a major problem.

Colorfastness is probably good for about 10 - 20. The bed is bordered by stone
so containment isn't a problem.

The zinc leaching concerns me, so does the weight of the material which might
prevent bulbs and perenials from reaching the surface, and also the inability of
the material to break down. The bed was completely dug up several years
ago, with a lot of organic material added. So the soil is 'el primo' and it would
be a shame to ruin it.

I'm headed back to the company to ask a few questions...and also get some
more information before using the material...... it sounds pretty good for some
applications, but not a perennial flower bed.

Well, a little more investigation is needed...specially for the several points
which were brought up.... I'm glad that I checked with you guys and girls
before running down to the local recycled tire factory and laying down
all the mulch....

Thanks again for all your help and advice !!!!

Peter

You should stick to bark mulch and just forget about spending more on spent
rubber that was vulcanized.

Live long and prosper.


Peter wrote in message ...
.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard
yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will not be able to turn
over this bed
again....... Are there any downsides to using this product under these
circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Whew...... that's quite a lot of input..... with several points which bear
looking into
(zinc content and plant destruction).

The mulch runs about .60 - .82 cents per pound. Pricey, but I'm paying
for the
solution to several problems. The area will cost about 175.00 USD to
cover, not
a bad investment provided that it resolves existing problems of cleanup
and pests,
both of which continue to be a major problem.

Colorfastness is probably good for about 10 - 20. The bed is bordered by
stone
so containment isn't a problem.

The zinc leaching concerns me, so does the weight of the material which
might
prevent bulbs and perenials from reaching the surface, and also the
inability of
the material to break down. The bed was completely dug up several years
ago, with a lot of organic material added. So the soil is 'el primo' and
it would
be a shame to ruin it.

I'm headed back to the company to ask a few questions...and also get some
more information before using the material...... it sounds pretty good
for some
applications, but not a perennial flower bed.

Well, a little more investigation is needed...specially for the several
points
which were brought up.... I'm glad that I checked with you guys and
girls
before running down to the local recycled tire factory and laying down
all the mulch....

Thanks again for all your help and advice !!!!

Peter

Peter wrote in :

.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will
not be able to turn over this bed again....... Are there any
downsides to using this product under these circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Whew...... that's quite a lot of input..... with several points which
bear looking into (zinc content and plant destruction).

The mulch runs about .60 - .82 cents per pound. Pricey, but I'm
paying for the solution to several problems. The area will cost
about 175.00 USD to cover, not a bad investment provided that it
resolves existing problems of cleanup and pests, both of which
continue to be a major problem.

Colorfastness is probably good for about 10 - 20. The bed is
bordered by stone so containment isn't a problem.

The zinc leaching concerns me, so does the weight of the material
which might prevent bulbs and perenials from reaching the surface,
and also the inability of the material to break down. The bed was
completely dug up several years ago, with a lot of organic material
added. So the soil is 'el primo' and it would be a shame to ruin it.

I'm headed back to the company to ask a few questions...and also get
some more information before using the material...... it sounds
pretty good for some applications, but not a perennial flower bed.

Well, a little more investigation is needed...specially for the
several points which were brought up.... I'm glad that I checked
with you guys and girls before running down to the local recycled tire
factory and laying down all the mulch....

Thanks again for all your help and advice !!!!

Peter


Why did you quote the price per pound? Is that what they told you?
That's usually a sign that somebody's jerking you, when AFAIK, mulches
are sold by volume, not by weight. How does the price and weight compare
with rock mulches? (marble chips are around $2-$3 / half cu. ft. and
pine bark nuggets can be had for $1 / cu ft??)

What kind of insect pests do you have? Pests need homes and food. I'm
not so sure that slugs won't also find rubber mulch appealing to live in.
The insects (and maybe the slugs as well) may be attracted by the rich
organic matter or your plants and changing the mulch isn't going to
change that.

Peter wrote in :

.

So despite the fact that on a hot zone 8 day (temperatures of 105'),
the front yard yard may smell like a car tire.... and that I will
not be able to turn over this bed again....... Are there any
downsides to using this product under these circumstances??

Thanks !!!

http://www.rubberificmulch.com/


Whew...... that's quite a lot of input..... with several points which
bear looking into (zinc content and plant destruction).

The mulch runs about .60 - .82 cents per pound. Pricey, but I'm
paying for the solution to several problems. The area will cost
about 175.00 USD to cover, not a bad investment provided that it
resolves existing problems of cleanup and pests, both of which
continue to be a major problem.

Colorfastness is probably good for about 10 - 20. The bed is
bordered by stone so containment isn't a problem.

The zinc leaching concerns me, so does the weight of the material
which might prevent bulbs and perenials from reaching the surface,
and also the inability of the material to break down. The bed was
completely dug up several years ago, with a lot of organic material
added. So the soil is 'el primo' and it would be a shame to ruin it.

I'm headed back to the company to ask a few questions...and also get
some more information before using the material...... it sounds
pretty good for some applications, but not a perennial flower bed.

Well, a little more investigation is needed...specially for the
several points which were brought up.... I'm glad that I checked
with you guys and girls before running down to the local recycled tire
factory and laying down all the mulch....

Thanks again for all your help and advice !!!!

Peter


Why did you quote the price per pound? Is that what they told you?
That's usually a sign that somebody's jerking you, when AFAIK, mulches
are sold by volume, not by weight. How does the price and weight compare
with rock mulches? (marble chips are around $2-$3 / half cu. ft. and
pine bark nuggets can be had for $1 / cu ft??)

What kind of insect pests do you have? Pests need homes and food. I'm
not so sure that slugs won't also find rubber mulch appealing to live in.
The insects (and maybe the slugs as well) may be attracted by the rich
organic matter or your plants and changing the mulch isn't going to
change that.

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 08:08:42 GMT, Salty Thumb wrote:


Why did you quote the price per pound? Is that what they told you?

Yes !!.... The rubber mulches are sold by weight rather than volume.




That's usually a sign that somebody's jerking you, when AFAIK, mulches
are sold by volume, not by weight. How does the price and weight compare
with rock mulches? (marble chips are around $2-$3 / half cu. ft. and
pine bark nuggets can be had for $1 / cu ft??)

Not able to answer. The weight of the rubber mulch was stated to be
about 5 times heavier than equivilent organic mulch. The web site
contains pound to area conversion.



What kind of insect pests do you have? Pests need homes and food. I'm
not so sure that slugs won't also find rubber mulch appealing to live in.
The insects (and maybe the slugs as well) may be attracted by the rich
organic matter or your plants and changing the mulch isn't going to
change that.


Slugs, beetles and probably some nocturnal creatures that chew during the
night. The plants are nice, green, leafy Hosta's, and a few Corel Bell's.

The Yew is safe, so are the Chinese Hollies and Ostrich Fern.


I think , the coral bells are deer candy.... but they get chewed up so quickly that
I'm not sure whether it's the deer, slugs, beetles or other nocturnal things.

The Hosta's are attacked by the slugs. I have ajuga in an adjoining
bed which is never touched.

Thanks...

Peter