Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Rubber chippings

stuarta99stuarta99 Posts: 235
in Problem solving
Just about to get some more bark for some flower beds in the front garden. It does seem to be a never ending task because of the decomposure rate and always having to replace. I've just noticed some rubber bark online with great advertising stories, however just read some articles from the US saying it can be damaging. Is there anybody on here that has any experience or thoughts on the use of rubber chippings please.

Posts

  • Jimmy CrawfordJimmy Crawford Posts: 468

    The only benefit I could see is that it won't need replacing. But you can say that for stone chips, and they look a lot better. I'd personally be worried about chemicals leaking into the soil.

  • stuarta99stuarta99 Posts: 235
    Yes that's what I have just been reading about. The only plants in there are roses and a daphne. What I put down last year has disappeared and didn't seem to do much for weed control and faded quickly. Maybe I didn't put enough down. Not sure of any other options, I like the idea of stone chips but I think the contrast of colour might be too much. Any suggestions?
  • Jimmy CrawfordJimmy Crawford Posts: 468

    Mulch needs a good 4 or 5 inches every couple of years. 5 inches every two years last a lot better than 3 inches in one year. Doesn't seem like it should, but it does.

     

    Stone chips need a mulch mat underneath, so unless you aren't planting anything else, I'd stick with bark chips.

  • stuarta99stuarta99 Posts: 235
    Ok thanks. Just noticed that B&Q have 4 for ??24 on their 100l bags which apparently cover 4sqm. Each one of our 4 beds are about 2.5sqm so that should give us plenty and just repeat each year. Hopefully will save me having to continually weed as it seems to be every week at the moment
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995

    Put about six layers of newspaper down before you put down the new wood chips, it will give you a bit of extra time before they begin to decompose, and will help suppress the weeds.  Next spring rake back the wood that you can, put down a fresh layer of newspaper, and add a few extra bags of new wood chips over the old ones.  

    Utah, USA.
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Rubber chips are usually used for riding surfaces where you want an all-weather surface. Are they actually meant to be used in gardens?



    They are made of chopped up tyres.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    You will need to weed the bark chippings occasionally - nothing can stop wind-blown seeds coming in and taking root - just an occasional hand-weed or going around with a hoe should do the trick - but you won't get rid of that job completely, no matter how thick you mulch or whatever you mulch with.

    I suspect that rubber 'bark chippings' have been invented and made with the interests of the tyre manufacturers to the fore, and not those of gardeners.  If they can find ways to 'recycle' petrochemical products (which is what tyres are) it's cheaper for them.  Nothing to do with them being 'fit for purpose' as a mulch image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.