Many of us started gardening as a way to get closer to nature, reduce our carbon footprint and become more self-sufficient. We compost our food scraps and lawn waste, opt for organic pest control when we can, and we may even grow pollinator plants to help bees and butterflies. So it’s no wonder that gardeners have come up with creative ways to upcycle waste items like old tires in vegetable gardens too.
But while using upcycled tires in gardens is quite common, it may not be the safest option, particularly for growing vegetables. To discover the truth about gardening in tires, we decided to investigate this issue a bit further and unearth other potentially safer ways to use old tires in landscape designs.
Jump to:
- Why upcycle tires in the first place?
- Should you use upcycled tires in vegetable gardens?
- 8 better ways to use upcycled tires in the garden
- 1. Ornamental raised bed planters
- 2. Tire swing
- 3. Garden stools and chairs
- 4. Retaining wall
- 5. Greenhouse
- 6. Garden stairs
- 7. Bed edging
- 8. Hanging planter
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
Why upcycle tires in the first place?
As useful as car tires are to get around town, once they begin to wear out, they can pose a lot of challenges. Specifically, landfills don’t accept old tires, in part because they take up a lot of landfill space, and the empty centers of the tires can trap methane gas over time. This captured gas makes tires move around in landfills, and it often causes them to “bubble” up to the surface, making them nearly impossible to keep buried.
Old tires are also difficult to dispose of because they contain high levels of lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, sulfur, aluminum, and other compounds. When exposed to the elements, these compounds can leach into the soil and the surrounding environment and groundwater, which can cause issues for humans and wildlife. Even worse, some of these compounds have been linked to cancer, which makes tires even trickier to dispose of!
Because landfills don’t accept tires, homeowners often need to contact specialized tire recycling facilities to get rid of old tires. Although this can be a hassle, tires are sometimes upcycled into rubber mulch and other products for use in playgrounds and athletic turf. However, if recycling isn’t an option, many companies burn tires, which also releases toxic gases into the environment.
Since tires are so hard to dispose of, it makes sense why eco-minded gardeners often upcycle tires in their vegetable gardens to form raised beds and other structures. After all, finding new ways to repurpose tires will keep them from being burned or disposed of improperly. However, just as tires can cause problems in landfills and the environment, they can also cause issues in home gardens if they’re used in specific ways.
Should you use upcycled tires in vegetable gardens?
Unfortunately, when exposed to the elements and time, tires will eventually break down. When this occurs, tires can release an assortment of chemicals and compounds into your soil, which can be taken up by plants. While this is less of a problem in ornamental gardens, if you’re growing edible vegetables and fruit in tires, the leachate from tires can find its way into your food supply.
Leachate from tires can include high levels of:
- Heavy metals, like lead
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Molybdenum
- Zinc
- Sulfur
- Copper
- Iron
- Selenium
- Manganese
- Magnesium
Some gardeners argue that because vegetables are only kept in tires for a short period of time, the amount of leachate absorbed by plants is minimal. While this issue could be studied further, there is no doubt that tires do release compounds into the environment, especially in hot or moist areas. And while leachate can cause issues for adults, it is particularly problematic for children as their smaller size makes them more susceptible to even low doses of chemicals.
While you may want to help the environment by finding ways to repurpose old tires, there are much safer building materials for raised vegetable beds on the market today. Ultimately, it just isn’t worth the risk to use old tires in edible gardens. However, if you still want to upcycle tires and keep them from going to waste, the list below can help inspire you to do just that!
8 better ways to use upcycled tires in the garden
Edible gardens may not be the best places for tires, but you can still use upcycled tires in your landscape in other ways. Below are some creative examples of easy ways to repurpose rubber tires and breathe new life into them!
1. Ornamental raised bed planters
Plants are increasingly being used in phytoremediation projects to remove contaminants in the soil. While this is a great way to clean up the environment, plants can absorb an assortment of chemicals and compounds in the soil, which is why it’s not a great idea to use rubber tires in vegetable beds. But since you won’t be eating ornamental flowers, you can still use old tires in ornamental gardens without needing to worry about what your plants are absorbing.
If you like the idea of planting in tires, why not place a few tires around your garden to use as mini raised bed planters? You can grow plants in just a single tire or you can stack tires on top of each other to create a taller planter. For even more whimsy and flair, try painting the exterior of the tires with fun shapes or bold colors to match your home!
2. Tire swing
What’s more classic than relaxing on a tire swing in your garden on a hot summer day? As children, many of us enjoyed tire swings in playgrounds and our backyard, but tire swings never go out of style! As long as you have a sturdy tree branch to hang them from, tire swings can be a fun and charming addition to any outdoor play space.
Tire swings can be hung vertically or horizontally from ropes or chains. For a more creative look, you can also shape tires into curious forms, such as horses or dragons, for young ones to ride on. Or you can paint the swing a bright color or weave rope over the tire hole to make it even comfier to sit on!
3. Garden stools and chairs
Outdoor seating for your garden can get expensive, and it can be difficult to find seats that match your home’s décor. But you can use old tires to create unique chairs and garden stools to provide garden visitors with a cozy place to sit whenever they drop by!
You can form garden stools by stacking a few tires together and making a wood insert to fit into the center hole. Alternatively, you can weave a seat with cording, or you make a cushion for the tire if you’re handy with a sewing machine. Garden chairs usually require multiple tires to form the chair seat, back, and arms, allowing you to use up old tires even faster!
4. Retaining wall
If you have a sloping property or you struggle with erosion, you can use old tires to form a DIY retaining wall. The beauty of this construction is that it can use up lots of old tires, and it can be made as tall or as short as you like. Plus, it’s much less expensive than buying new construction materials!
5. Greenhouse
Beyond retaining walls, old tires can also be used for building greenhouses and other outbuildings! Using tires in construction is a great way to save money, and it can repurpose tons of tires all at once. Even better, tires have double walls, which add extra insulation against the winter winds.
6. Garden stairs
Do you have a hilly garden that’s difficult to walk on, or do you have a sloping section of your property that’s eroding due to foot traffic? Why not build a simple set of stairs out of old tires!
Tire stairs are super easy to construct, and they’ll last a very long time. Just sink the tires into the ground a bit and then add concrete or gravel to the centers to help stabilize them!
7. Bed edging
Weeds are merciless in the summer, spreading into garden beds and cropping up just about anywhere! To keep weeds from infiltrating ornamental gardens, many gardeners opt to install edging borders. However, these products can be expensive, and many of them are not biodegradable or eco-friendly.
If you happen to have old tires on hand, you can use them instead to create a DIY garden edge border. Using tires in this manner will allow you to make an edge that’s exactly the height you need, and you can also cut the tire into snazzy shapes or paint it any color you’d like!
8. Hanging planter
Tires can also be hung on walls or fences to form cunning hanging planters for ornamental plants. Depending on how many plants you’d like to keep, you can install just a single tire planter or hang a whole wall of them! This is a great solution for urban gardeners, as growing vertically is one of the best ways to cram more plants into a limited outdoor space.
Hanging tire planters can be painted or left as is, or they can be ornamented with sticks, raffia, or other natural materials. Depending on your taste, you can use whole tires or cut them in half or quarters, which will give you even more room for planting!
Frequently asked questions
You don’t necessarily have to put anything under tire planters before you begin planting. Tires are thick, and when they’re filled with soil, the depth is usually high enough to suppress most weeds. However, if you’d like to make sure no weeds sprout in your garden, you can place cardboard or weed barrier fabric under your tire planters.
In general, tires take between 50 and 80 years to decompose in landfills. When used in gardens, tires may break down quicker or slower, depending on a variety of factors, such as light, temperature, and moisture levels.
Because of the potential for leaching, it’s best to avoid growing edible plants, like tomatoes, in tires. Instead, opt for ornamental plants, like petunias, marigolds, and impatiens, which should all grow beautifully in raised bed tire planters.
Tires break down when exposed to UV radiation, temperature extremes, moisture, and other factors, which is why it’s best not to store tires outdoors if you intend to use them for driving.
Ornamental plants, including annuals and perennials, can all grow well in tires. Tire planters can insulate the soil around plant roots, helping protect plants in the winter and warming the soil up earlier in spring. Tires also help conserve soil moisture levels, keeping plants from drying out as quickly in the summer heat.
While potatoes are commonly grown in tire gardens, it’s best to avoid this practice. Tires can potentially leach heavy metals and chemicals into the soil, which may find their way into your tubers.
Summary
Although tires may not be the best materials to use in vegetable gardens, there are plenty of excellent ways to upcycle old tires in your landscape. Finding new ways to use old items, like tires, helps the environment and reduces the amount of waste we produce. Plus, when you make tires into cute planters and patio sets, you can spice up your garden design without breaking the bank!
For more garden craft ideas, check out our guide on the best DIY garden projects to do indoors, or learn how to make your own stone planter with scrap tiles.
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