recycled chipped rubber tyre mulch - good or bad?

In the continuing quest for a greener garden, all sorts of products are being 'recycled' into garden mulches, dressings and surfaces. But are they any good? Should we be using them in sutainable and green garden designs?

Granulated or chipped rubber mulch is one of the new wonder products on the garden design market - but as with most things, it should be used with caution

THE ADVANTAGES OF RUBBER CHIPPED MULCH

* Rubber play surfaces are unaffected by the environment.
* The rubber will not absorb water and so will not freeze in winter
* Rubber does not attract animals or insects.
* It prohibits the growth of moulds and fungi

This makes rubber perfect for childrens play surfaces or public landscape architecture projects such as the garden at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, UK

THE PROBLEMS WITH RUBBER CHIPPED MULCH

* Ground up rubber tyres have been discovered to kill ornamental plants because of their zinc content.
* Can smell very strongly (of rubber!) which is off putting in a garden
* Rubber does have a slight nitrogen value - however the toxicity of the zinc, cadmium and other heavy metals more than diminishes the chance of any benefit

So the conclusion seems to be that for residential gardens, rubber chippings are not the greenest solution - but for larger public projects such as parks, hotels and offices - this is a good option.

Offices, hotels and shopping centres may well benefit from this innovation - especially where gardens are designed more to be looked at than sat in. And whilst the metal content of rubber chippings can kill shrubs and perennials, where it is used as a mulch for an avenue or park of established trees (over a geotextile membrane) it can prove to be a very green, low maintenance and cost effective solution so don't write it off entirely!