Make a Tire Garden

Our namesake is the Tire Garden, so it is fitting that this will be the first article written for the site.

What is a tire garden?

A tire garden is a raised be garden using old automobile tires as the bed walls.

Why tires?

1. They are free. You can walk into any tire store and tell them that you want to take some of their old tires. They have to pay to get them hauled off, they are happy to let you take some away.

2. Tires loose their usefulness once they go bald... what happens with them then? Usually they get piled up somewhere. Sometimes they will get shredded up and turned into asphalt, running tracks, or something else, but not all tires are used. According to the EPA 80.4% of scrap tires are re-used. The remaining 19.6% are piled up or added to landfills. They do not degrade and they make great mosquito breeding areas. Using them in the garden is another way to get rid of them.

3. Raised beds warm up faster in the spring as they are above the frost line and there is more air circulating. With tires you get the black color, which holds the suns rays, so it warms even better.

4. Compaction and drainage. This is true with all raised beds, but since you are not stepping in them, they don't compact. They also drain well. If you leave the walls on, this prevents evaporation allowing you to go longer between waterings.

5. Less bending. If you don't like to bend down, stack the tires 2 or 3 tall, so you bend less. Or you get the really big tractor tires that are 3-4 feet thick!

Too many other reasons to list! If you know some, add a comment.

Are they safe?

Getting the tires.

This part is easy. Just walk into your local tire store and say "Hey, can I haul off some of your scrap tires?" They might look at you funny or say "Why the heck would you want our garbage?" but they will let you have them. If you want big tires, bring a truck and visit a tire store that deals with truck tires. If you want REALLY big tires, bring a big truck and visit a store that deals with that kind of tire. They will most likely be around where big rigs are sold. You may also find them in agricultural areas.

Cleaning the tires.

Get a good cleaner or degreaser. Of course use one that is environmentally friendly! Spray it on the outside of the tire and clean it up really good. Clean the inside as well. Spray it down with the hose till all the cleaner is off.

Preparing the tire.

At this point you have a few choices. You can cut the sidewalls off and turn them inside out. This gives maximum surface space. You can leave them as is and stack them. This gets them higher and keeps the water in better. You can also cut them into pretty flowers. I like to leave them as is and stack them. See the links below for some other ideas. So, basically, the tire was prepared when you got it cleaned.

Layout your garden.

Plan ahead. Measure out your garden. You want your tires to be of uniform size (usually), so figure that will be the width of your bed. Your paths should be about 3 feet wide. This will give you the soil you need to fill the tires and a path big enough for you and your wheelbarrow and still allow you to turn around.

For more on how to plan your layout, read our Tire Garden Planning Article

Setup.

Get all your tires put into place, 1 tire high. Dig about 18 inches down in your path area and place this soil into your tires. If you want the bed hire, fill the first layer with compost or topsoil and add another tire. Leave about 4 inches at the top. This will allow you to add mulch and will keep the soil warmer in the early spring.

Plan and enjoy.

That is it. Now get to work!

Links

Bob's Open Air Mulched Tire Garden
Blooming Tire Planters
A new use for old tires
Used Tires