How to Use Old Tires As Garden Planters

Don't condemn a useful old tire to a life on the trash heap.

Growing a garden and recycling old materials are a few ways to go green, and by growing your own tire garden, you can do both at once. Save an old rubber tire from a lifetime in a landfill by converting it into a planter -- the rubber insulation and the elevated height keeps the soil warmer than normal, encouraging growth. Experts are divided on the safety of tire gardens, though. The editor-in-chief of "Mother Earth News," Cheryl Long, advises against using tires for long-term gardening, as they may release chemicals over time. Charles Sanders of "Backwoods Home Magazine," however, argues that the chemicals in tires are tightly bonded and do not infiltrate the soil.

Things You'll Need

• Old rubber tire, preferably worn and soft
• Strong, sharp work knife
• Hose or bucket of water
• Heavy-duty scrubbing brush
• Soap with a degreaser
• Mulch
• Soil
• Plants or seeds

Instructions

1. Scrub down your tire thoroughly with a heavy-duty brush and soap with a degreaser. Be sure to scrub off any filth from the road, as your ideal tire has had a long life. Hose it down or rinse it off when you're finished.

2. Cut through the inside of the tire, just outside the metal rim. You want to cut the metal rim out of the tire -- if yours has no rim, you don't have to do this. This is why you want an old tire, as they are softer and easier to cut

3. Lay down mulch where you plan to place your tire

4. Lay the tire on top of the mulch and fill it with soil. The soil should not come above the top inside rim -- it should be contained.

5. Plant your plant or seeds in the soil as you normally would. For plants that rely on deep roots to grow, like potatoes, stack two tires one on top of the other.

Tips & Warnings

• If you wish, you can paint your tires using a paint that adheres to rubber.

• Be careful not to cut yourself when cutting out the tire's rim -- consider wearing work gloves.

References

• "Mother Earth News": Are Old Tires Safe to Use as Planters?
• "Backwoods Home Magazine": A New Use for Old Tires
• Friendly Trade Crafts: Create Your Own Tire Garden