As rubber mulch breaks down it leaches other chemicals, primarily heavy metals such as aluminum, cadmium, chromium, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. It also leaches 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are shown have detrimental effects on human health as well as the environment.
Rubber mulch is suspected of being toxic to plants, containing high levels of zinc which leaches into the soil, causing chlorosis. It also poses health concerns, as it releases heavy metals, plasticizers, and accelerators into the environment.
There is no question that toxic substances leach from rubber as it degrades, contaminating the soil, landscape plants, and associated aquatic systems. While recycling waste tires is an important issue to address, it is not a solution to simply move the problem to our landscapes and surface waters.
Rubber Mulch Is Not Healthy For Your Garden's Health
Rubber mulch isn't a healthy choice. Like everything else, it does break down, and when it does, it leaches a witch's brew of heavy metals and toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater.
* Rubber lets rain drain through better than compacted wood mulch and doesn't absorb much (if any) of that water. That means more water for plant roots.
This guideline recommends that immediately over the hard surface there should be a 3- to 6-inch base layer of loose-fill (e.g., gravel for drainage). The next layer should be a Geotextile cloth. GroundSmart™ Rubber Mulch should be installed directly over this layer.
Some people like to use rubber mulch because it doesn't need to be replaced as often as wood chips. Most manufacturers boast that their tire mulch lasts at least 10 years. Clearly, rubber mulch lasts much longer than organic mulches, but there's a tradeoff: Rubber mulch doesn't add organic matter to the soil.
Rubber mulch provides excellent drainage for the soil and supplies great insulation against harsh weather. It also allows a higher degree of heat to be maintained in the soil as well as maintaining its moisture levels. Wood mulch, however, can starve plants.
The mulch shields them from the elements so that they can thrive. For this reason, it's not always the best idea to lay mulch right next to your home's foundation. It can give the termites a launching pad from the safety of the mulch right into your home.
There are several reasons: In hot, sunny weather, rubber mulch gets hot. Rubber mulch absorbs the heat of the sun. On a hot summer day, the mulch also gets hot — sometimes, uncomfortably so for children.
Dangers of rubber tire mulch
Some of the toxins in rubber tire crumb include VOC's, PAH's, MBT's, and latex. The EPA has found these chemicals cause cancer, headaches, nausea, contact dermatitis, and allergies. Not to mention damage to the lungs, kidneys, liver, central nervous system, and reproductive system.
In addition, rubber can also absorb heavy metals like lead. As tires breakdown, these toxic substances leach out, contaminating the soil, the plants, and leaching through storm water into creeks and lakes. Over time, this could pose health risk for gardeners or those consuming the produce.
The types of organic mulches that are the least likely to contain any pesticides or herbicides are going to be tree-based: shredded or chipped wood, shredded bark, and pine needles.
While rubber mulch rings are easy to install and last for years, the bottom line is they're not the best for trees. Rubber mulch rings are less effective than natural mulch and can possibly hurt your tree. As the rubber breaks down over time, the rubber adds toxic contaminants into the soil.
For growing spaces, your best mulch option is wood chips. For pathways and barren, decorative areas, stone chips are a good choice. Heavier mulches are less prone to washing or blowing away in inclement weather.
We recommend aged hardwood mulch, applied in a light layer, around your flower beds. Well-aged wood mulch is an ideal choice for flower beds, as it adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Softwood mulch, usually made from pine, can add a bit too much acidity, and doesn't decompose quickly.
The best materials to landscape around a foundation will inhibit weed growth, provide a proper water drainage system, and won't attract pests. With years of landscaping experience, we have determined that the four best landscaping materials around the foundation are gravel, rubber mulch, concrete, and brick masonry.
It Is Okay To Put Mulch Around Your House? Yes, it is okay to put mulch around your house provided that it's resistant to termites. Also, when using mulch for landscaping, ensure that you leave some space that's about six inches away from the house.
If you have drainage issues on your property, rock is a great mulch choice, allowing water to drain quickly. If you have open bed areas without plants, rock is an easy, no maintenance option. Rocks are great for high-traffic areas, where pedestrians tend to take short cuts.
Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch used in landscaping doesn't attract termites, carpenter ants or other harmful wood destroying insects so it's the ideal mulch for use around buildings, foundations, and wood structures.
Since red accents are particularly popular, that's one of the reasons that red rubber mulch is such a common choice. However, blue and green are also popular choices to go along with the clean white vinyl base of the sets, so green rubber mulch and blue rubber mulch also see frequent use, too.
This may be a matter of opinion, but most people find that rubber mulch starts to stink as it gets hotter. On a hot day it has a strong stench. As tires are ground up into chips the amount of surface area is greatly increased and all the new surfaces are freshly exposed allowing for maximum odors to be released.
When using mulch in your landscape, there is no need for the use of artificial weed barrier such as plastic or landscape fabric. These materials do not work and are not weed barriers. They are only necessary under stone.
There are two ways by which you can clean your rubber mulch, one is to use a leaf blower to clean out leaves or debris from your mulch. But if you are looking for a more thorough clean, we suggest washing your mulch. Sprinkle environment-friendly soap on the mulch covered area and spray with a hose.
Gravel mulch includes pea gravel, crushed stone and pebbles. Although both types of mulch can be used in the garden, rubber mulch is the preferred mulch for layering under outdoor play equipment and on athletic fields due to its softness and resiliency.