[Squirter]

i'm way pressed for time to do a full search of the site for alternatives to hardwood mulch....so i'll ask the question and let y'all fire away at me. i'm sure there's been much said/written about alternatives ....anyway...

i don't know what it's called....or who manufactures it, but there's the rubberized stuff that is to take the place (alternative) of hardwood mulch. i guess it's ground up tires, etc. etc. seems i've heard it used alot in playground areas for kids. also, i'm guessing its also very expensive. however, i'm seeing it has lots of possibilities AND if it stays looking nice year after year, then i suppose it would pay for itself in no time.]

so my question is...is this rubberized mulch something that i might like to use as an alternative to the old AA hardwood? what are the downsides of the stuff? what about when the leaves fall all over the mulch.....and i need to use a leaf blower, will the stuff stay in the bed OR will i blow it all over the yard? how do you get around the leaf issue? does the stuff look as good as hardwood mulch???

thanks

 

[grassman177]

no, no. only really useful in playgrounds and stuff. it looks ok froma distance, but it is not rally good for plants, i mean it is rubber and petro.!!!! it can blow with a blower, and it is not as good for the ground!!!!! hint.

 

[jbirdturf]

I put 7 pallets of the stuff in a guys yard. I was actually suprised with how well leaves blew out. I saw the maintenance guys even run a billy goat through the middle and the mulch stayed. You definitely can't get all the debris out, but from a far you can't tell. The customer has really liked it. I would be cautious around new planting (obviously it doesn't hold moisture like natural mulch) but I haven't seen any signs of stress from the plants since applying, but one thing is it doesn't attract insects. Down fall is it is very expensive, and hard to find in small amounts for touch up so you definitely want to have your figures right. You don't want to get stuck with a lot of this stuff with it being so expensive, and not widely used. Everyone has a different opinion on the stuff, but they wouldn't let kids roll around on it if it were harmful. Also, I think it is good that they have found other ways to use tires, rather than just burying the stuff in landfills. One other thing is that if they get it, they better be sure, if you are stuck with taking it out later down the road, it will be a pain to remove and then you have to find a place, and pay for it to be disposed. Overall, I like it.

 

[Squirter]

thanks for the input. certainly things i hadn't considered.

however, i'm kinda surprised there aren't more people weighing in on this topic and sharing their experiences and knowledge of this product. customer feedback type stuff???

 

[GRT]

thanks for the input. certainly things i hadn't considered.

however, i'm kinda surprised there aren't more people weighing in on this topic and sharing their experiences and knowledge of this product. customer feedback type stuff???

You can buy it at Costco.com. Another benefit is that it lasts for several years.

I would be curious to know if it smells like hot rubber in the summer. That would be a turn off.

 

[Jacdanboy]

We used it in my daughters playground area, 1st time we used it. While I love it for the playground, I would NOT use it in a "typical" mulch bed.

It does stay put pretty good when blowing but you will not get everything out. I would not use it because it lacks the organic and moisture retention benefits of standard hardwood. Additionally it fades, we put a additional 1/2 pallet on this spring and it was obvious what was new, We used a red product and it was a burgendy after a year of sun exposure.

We notice no smell from the product.