Introduction & Uses for Old Tires??

[LauraJean]

Hi! I'm thrilled to have found this board!
I saw the banner on backyardchickens' message board and the layout seems the same. Is it related?

So I just put 4 new tires on my Jeep. They were going to charge me a $25 disposal fee, and not only was I broke, but I had a feeling I could come up with some nifty use for them, so I kept them.

Well, I keep looking at them in my yard and haven't thought of a good use yet! Any ideas?

 

[tortoise]

Raised bed:
Photo: http://www.noble.org/ag/horticulture/raisedbedgardening/RecycledTireBeds.html
Directions: http://www.noble.org/press_release/lumber/raised_bed.htm

Potato stack:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2240029_grow-potatoes-tires.html

Easy raised beds:
(photo)http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/03/how-to-recycle-tires-in-your-garden/

 

[dragonlaurel]

Hi- We have the same name.
If you know where you can get more of them, you could fill them with dirt, tamp it down really firm and use if for a wall. It would be great " thermal mass" so you could make a planting area a bit warmer in the winter.
Or fill it with dirt and plant it with stuff that would usually spread too much. Tires have some nasty chemicals released as they break down, so I wouldn't use it for food plants.

 

[big brown horse]

Hi LauraJean!

Welcome to SS! Yes, Backyard chickens and The Easy Garden, Sufficientself and Backyard Herds are all sister forums owned by Nifty.

Hope you enjoy it here. I have learned so much from this forum and everyone is very nice and helpful.

I used old tires to secure a rubber horse's bucket inside to make it spill proof. Worked pretty good.


I like all the other ideas too.

 

[rebecca100]

We have used old tires for duck nests. Fill it up with straw and the ducks lay in it.

 

[tortoise]

Or fill it with dirt and plant it with stuff that would usually spread too much. Tires have some nasty chemicals released as they break down, so I wouldn't use it for food plants.

No legitimate proof has ever emerged that a tire has enough of anything toxic in it to harm humans, and that a solid tire, whith no steel exposed, will leach nothing but carbon and/or sulfur.

There is no appreciable risk in using recycled tires in the vegetable garden. While it is a fact that rubber tires do contain minute amounts of certain heavy metals, the compounds are tightly bonded within the actual rubber compound and do not leach into the soil. One of the ingredients in the rubber recipe is zinc. Zinc, in fact, is an essential plant element. I also expect that rubber is safer to use than treated lumber that contains copper and arsenic.

 

[LauraJean]

Hi LauraJean!

Welcome to SS! Yes, Backyard chickens and The Easy Garden, Sufficientself and Backyard Herds are all sister forums owned by Nifty.

Hope you enjoy it here. I have learned so much from this forum and everyone is very nice and helpful.

I used old tires to secure a rubber horse's bucket inside to make it spill proof. Worked pretty good.


I like all the other ideas too.

Oh yes, Nifty, of course! Well I guess he/she really IS Nifty! I've been really enjoying the BYC board, so I can't wait to learn and contribute from and to this board!

I've never heard of a "rubber horse". You said you secured a "rubber horse's bucket..." Sorry, just being silly!

The duck nest idea was pretty good too. I don't have ducks but I have chickens and I'll bet they would think a tire full of hay would be a pretty cool place to chill out or lay eggs!

Really happy to have found this board, look forward to chatting/sharing with you all!

 

[freemotion]

Goat gym!

Goat canopy bed:

Goat physical therapy stretching apparatus:

Goat...um....er.....hmmmm.......

Don't have goats? Hang around for a while, my friend........bwahaahaahaahaa!!!!

 

[big brown horse]

Free, I think goats are in the primate family. That last photo is priceless!

BTW, nobody is ever too old to enjoy a tire swing!!! Spin baby spin!!

And by the way smarty pants... "rubber horse" yup, I walked right into that one!

 

[MetalSmitten]

i was gonna say potato stack but it's already been said... but that goat photo is too priceless to not comment anyway!