Mother Earth News Blogs Answers to your questions about gardening, energy, homesteading and other sustainable living topics. Concerns About Using Recycled Tire Planters recycled tires, garden soil, soil contamination, garden Are old tires safe to use as planters? Short-term, yes, tire planters are OK, although the soil in black tire planters will probably get hotter than most plants would prefer. Long-term, no, because the tire rubber will slowly biodegrade and release zinc, carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and other toxic compounds into your garden soil. Toxics from tires are an even greater concern in some recycled products, such as rubber mulch and artificial turf, that are made from shredded or pelletized old tires. Here is an excellent report about the hazards of recycled tires, by Sarah Lane at Progressive Kid. Photo By iStockphoto/Craig Veltri Cheryl Long is the editor in chief of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine, and a leading advocate for more sustainable lifestyles.

She leads a team of editors which produces high quality content that has resulted in MOTHER EARTH NEWS being rated as one North America’s favorite magazines. Long lives on an 8-acre homestead near Topeka, Kan., powered in part by solar panels, where she manages a large organic garden and a small flock of heritage chickens. Prior to taking the helm at MOTHER EARTH NEWS, she was an editor at Organic Gardening magazine for 10 years. Connect with her on Google+. Mother Earth News Fair Slate's The Green Lantern Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget At MOTHER EARTH NEWS, we are dedicated to conserving our planet's natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $5 and get 6 issues of MOTHER EARTH NEWS for only $12.00 (USA only). You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $17.00 for 6 issues.

Canadian subs: 1 year,Smooth Move Moving Company Florida (includes postage & GST). Secure Standing Mirror To WallForeign subs: 1 year,Good Lights For Growing Weed Indoors Canadian Subscribers - Click Here Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click HereI have to admit, I find these recycled tire planters charming.  Planting containers made from tires are pretty easy to make and cost almost nothing.  Since it costs to dispose of tires, getting a few used wheels from a local auto shop should be a snap. This pictorial how to from the Jersey City List shows how to make the cuts and turn the tire inside out to create the planter.  If you have leftover rims, you can use that as a pedestal base for your planter and you can paint them to what ever style or color suits your garden.

Of course if you are feeling lazy and just want to just use the tires as is….this actually has a certain charm as well. image from our laughing place. And while I am on the subject of planting in tires, does anyone have any DEFINITIVE information about planting potatoes in used tires.  Are there, or are their not issues with tires leaching anything?  Through a lot of online searching I seem to only find passionately opinionated advice on both sides of the coin, but not so much fact, based on tests or scientific information.  Do you happen to know of any facts related to growing root vegetables in tires?Turn an old tire into a garden planter to make an environmentally friendly and cheap addition to your garden, yard or patio. Disposing of old tires is a growing problem. While some tires are recycled into rubber mulch and other items such as door mats, one of the easiest ways to recycle unwanted tires is by making them into garden planters. When you turn an old tire into a garden planter you are creating a versatile addition to your garden while reducing the requirement to recycle or dispose of the tire.

While tire planters may not be as attractive as other forms of garden planters, they can easily be disguised by growing trailing or bushy plants. If you don't have any old tires that are suitable for turning into garden planters then ask around. Many people are delighted to pass their used tires on to other people as this saves them having to arrange to dispose of them. One of the easiest ways to turn an old tire into a garden planter is simply to place one or more tires on the ground and fill these with soil or compost. These make great planters for flowering plants, however it is not recommended to use them to grow vegetables because of chemicals leaching from the rubber. The tires can be decorated by painting them with brightly colored paint for a fun and funky look or left plain for a more subtle addition to your garden. The size of the planter can be varied by adding more tires. Stacking two or three tires can give a planter a substantial depth making it ideal for small shrubs.

There are many other ways to make garden planters from unwanted tires. One of these is to cut the tire and turn it inside out. This can create a very attractive shaped planter that disguises its humble origin. This type of tire planter can be enhanced by cutting a pattern into the cut edge of the tire. A number of tires can be used to make a raised bed. This is an ideal planting arrangement for people who find bending down difficult. The tires can be arranged formally in lines, or can be staggered to give a more organic feel. It is best to secure stacked tires to reduce the risk of them getting knocked or falling over. Tire planters are ideal for no-dig gardens. Large tires can also be used as a compost bin. The thick walls of the tires help to insulate the compost and keep it at an optimum temperature. More tires can be added as required. While this might not be an attractive form of compost bin, it is cheap and a good way to use unwanted tires. If you don't want to turn an old tire into a garden planter then why not buy one!