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Tyres!

maggietoshmaggietosh Posts: 3
in Garden design

Hi!   This is my first time on here.  I'm looking for design inspiration in using my old car tyres in the garden.  I am a bit dubious about  using them as they are a bit ugly but feel I should try and upcycle.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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Posts

  • Joe_the_GardenerJoe_the_Gardener Posts: 876

    Send them away to be recycled industrially. I've known a few people who've messed about growing daffodils, rocket, strawberries and so on in tyres full of soil and eventually they've given up and taken them to the tip. (PS, do you change your own car tyres? That's a bit enthusiastic!)

  • jpsbcfcjpsbcfc Posts: 50

    I have one as a planter atm, courgettes and a sunflower in there, they seem to be growing ok.

     

    if it doesn't work out then I will take it to the tip.

     

    I have heard of people growing spuds in them too and then when you need to earth up you add another tyre and some more dirt

  • kleipieperkleipieper Posts: 563

    There was an old thread about making planters out of them on the forum.

    It may give you some ideas. image

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/garden-design/car-tire-planters/44901.html

     

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,980

    Ideas here http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/allotment-advice/car-tyres-allotments-yes-no_47250.html  however there seem to be some concerns re contamination of soil.  

    Certainly Bob Flowerdew used to recommend growing all sorts of things in them.

    Don't know what his view on possible contamination is ...


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • GardenmaidenGardenmaiden Posts: 1,126

    We inherited two in our old garden. The rubber was cut away from one side of the tyre in a zigzag pattern, and they were then painted. We planted all sorts of plants in them and as far as I know, they are still going strong.

  • FirecrackerFirecracker Posts: 256

    I've looked on YouTube, there are lots on this topic,one guy used a tractor to turn the tyre inside out. There were some good shaped plantersimage

  • maggietoshmaggietosh Posts: 3

    Thank you, everyone. I found this helpful so I'll weigh up the pros and cons and decide whether to give it a try or as Joe_the_Gardener suggests put them to the tip.  To answer your question Joe, .I can change a car tyre but didn't do these. They are my previous car's winter tyres. Dovefromabove, thanks I'll check out that link.  A bit concerned regarding the contamination aspect if I used for vegetables so will need to research that.  Thanks 

  • Katherine WKatherine W Posts: 410

    Bah, I am a convinced (fanatic) recycler and upcicler, but I think tyres are really just awful  rubbish... chemically and aestethically... would not want them in the garden.

    Only thing I'd keep If I found one would be a HUGE tractor tyre. Then I'd line it with black plastic film and make another little pond image (with stones on the outside)

    Maybe I'll lay a tractor trap on the driveway image

  • Blue DragonBlue Dragon Posts: 74

    Ah, I looked this up last year to see if I could do anything with the tyres that the certain sorts of people dump in the woods and river around here : (

    There's actually some surprisingly pretty ideas out there that people have come up with. The main problem with them seems to be how to turn the tyre inside out for some of the projects, but apparently if your really nice to your local mechanic he'll do it for you with his fancy turnie-inside-outie-the-tyre machine.

    Here's just one link of many to show you some ideas:http://thewhoot.com.au/whoot-news/diy/teacup-tyre-planters

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