Rubber mulch

bobm

Garden Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
3,736
Reaction score
2,506
Points
307
Location
SW Washington
Has anyone used rubber mulch ( like from Home depot ) for flower beds or kid's play area ? We have 2, 5 year old twin girls as well as 4 neighbor kids ages 3, 6, 9, and 11 that play in our back yard daily. What do you like or dislike about it ? :caf
 

Grampa Greenjeans

Leafing Out
Joined
Mar 17, 2021
Messages
5
Reaction score
14
Points
15
I put that in the kids play area around a sandbox. Great stuff. Easy on the knees. Put a weed barrier under it and no more weeding there too.
 

Zeedman

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
3,890
Reaction score
11,931
Points
307
Location
East-central Wisconsin
The City where my son lives installed rubber mulch in the play area of the local park. I like it. Cleaner & safer than wood chips (no slivers) and better impact absorption than sand or organic mulches. Judging by its appearance so far, it looks like that rubber mulch will last quite a while too... so greatly reduced risk of injury, and relatively maintenance free (other than having to occasionally rake it back in from the surrounding area).

The only downside I can see is the risk to very small children, who may put the rubber pieces in their mouth.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,150
Reaction score
13,823
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
O M GOSH!!! Horse people have talked about/used it. My friend, who is part of an extended sheriff's patrol in FL showed me video of how flammable it is.
They were training their horses--you desensitize them to stimuli so that they won't panic in a hostile situations--in an arena with rubber mulch. Somebody lit a fire, for the training, as one does in such training, and the arena caught on fire!!! :lol:
Do you Really want to put this next to your house?
I am NOW thinking of light limestone gravel in my training area...bc it won't burn!!!
 

Artichoke Lover

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 31, 2020
Messages
1,088
Reaction score
2,890
Points
185
Location
North Alabama zone 7b
It’s a softer landing surface than gravel or wood chips. No splinters. It will keep down weeds. It does get hot in the sun but not more than pavement or metal play ground equipment. Very small children may try to eat it but they would do the same with gravel or wood chips. It’s rubber so it is flammable, wood would be though perhaps not to the same extent. Gravel won’t burn obviously. I just wouldn’t put it near the house or a fire pit.
 

Marie2020

Garden Addicted
Joined
May 21, 2020
Messages
2,637
Reaction score
5,122
Points
215
I’m surprised at no mention of the off gasing health concerns? Several school systems have since removed the stuff for this. Some of the football crowd as well.
Ground up Chinese tires isnt my idea of a quality product.
Tires wouldn't serve very well as plant surrounds then. Thank goodness I read these posts
 

Latest posts

Top