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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
 Posted - 13/06/2007 : 10:38:42
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I usually have a few tomatoes in over winter but thought I'd try somethig different. I've read about growing warm weather plants in compost mixes which heat up and keep the plants warm so I cut the sidewall out of a wide tyre, put a heap of weeds and green stuff on the bottom
then some freshish grass clippings, older compost and a woodshavings/chook manure mix from a chook shed cleanout which has been sitting in a pile for a few weeks. That mix should warm up nicely especially when the sun hits the black tyre.
I planted a couple of tomato seeds and a basil seedling I had in a pot. The tyre at the bottom of the pic is just some lump free soil which I planted some carrot seeds. Most of my gardens have quite a lot of rocks and lumps of compost, manure, etc so carrots don't grow very well so hopefully will do better in this.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld
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Edited by - Gail on 23/10/2007 12:14:22 |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 10:44:59
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what a great idea!
definitely keep this thread updated...i'm very interested in hearing how it turns out.
what kind of tomatoes did you plant? 
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 11:29:21
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I'll certainly keep it updated, Tessa but I only planted it this morning so you will have to have patience  More mornings like the 2C one this morning will test it but luckily it is supposed to be a little warmer (a couple of degrees anyway) the next few nights.
I planted Green Zebras as I have only got one growing at the moment so need a couple more. If this one looks like working I'll do a few more as we have a few tyres and can get plenty more. These tyres were good ones as they are about 25cm wide - hoon tyres  Narrower tyres will have to be stacked to get the depth.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 12:38:43
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thank goodness there are so many uses for old tires.
in hamilton harbour...they've strung them together and made breakwaters and floating docks out of them. weird, but interesting.
they got busy on the recycling ideas after the tire dump caught fire and they couldn't put it out. at all. ever. until it burned itself out of fuel. the black smoke was disgusting...and so, so toxic.
where did you get the tires?
actually, gail...
i'll plant a green zebra today too. we can compete! i'll be putting mine in the greenhouse tho. so warm days, cold nights.
same seed source.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
Edited by - tessa on 13/06/2007 12:41:00 |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 13:00:36
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It will be interesting to see how the GZs compare - looking forward to it
We get the tyres from a couple of places - we have a trailer business so are often getting tyres, also we have a friend who has a service station and sells tyres - he has to pay to get the old used ones taken away so are free for the taking. If you want tyres just go to your nearest tyre place and ask for some old bald ones, they will probably throw them at you If they want you to pay for them go somewhere else.
If you know of any other uses for old tyres let me know, besides growing things in them and those horrible "tyre swans" garden decorations, I'm always trying to think of something different.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 13:58:26
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Its not a good idea to grow food plants in Tyres.
Tyre's are a man made product made from chemicals, which will absorb into the soil.
Not my idea of a healthy way to grow food as you wrote Tessa **So Toxic**
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 14:27:49
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toxic when burned, yes, i agree. but i think in it's current form it is fairly stable. i think i might just google that, though.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 14:52:25
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I cannot remember if it was GW or AG but in one the tomato guys were talking about it and said it was a no no.
It also came up again when someone mentioned growing potatoes in stacked tyres someone else said the same thing.
I guess there will always be a for and against.. Isn't there always.
Looking forward to seeing what you search brings up Tessa..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 17:01:25
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sunny...i'm searching but just not finding.
finding lots of ways to use tires for planting...but none saying they're not safe.
tires are just rubber.
we've never really thought of rubber as unsafe before. almost half of what we eat comes in plastic, which we're not convinced is all that safe. our water is pumped through pcv piping. we drink more out of plastic than glass now.
i dunno.
i guess i'll go find out how they make tires now. LOL.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 18:59:57
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Tessa tyres are not just rubber there are other chemicals and ingredients in them as well, my first hubby used to work for Goodyear in the 70's and he used to tell me things but of course I was not the least interested so it did not sink in, being too busy working in a plastic factory myself making so called rubber soles for men's shoes that were synthetic even 30 years ago..
I have no idea what they are made of though there is a lot of steel in most of them looks like wire when you blow a tyre, there has to be something else in them to give them life after all I could not imagine rubber lasting that long with the heat they would generate they would melt, or go soft makes you wonder what the hardener is..
I will have a look at finding out what they are made of too
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 19:06:08
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sunny...i learned in mechanic school that the tires are made black with carbon. if they didn't have the carbon...they'd erase themselves.
hey!
we should make P platers have carbon-less tires.
that should sort things out.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 19:16:55
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Is that so Tessa well all the Brisbane P platers must have erased themselves.
As I have never seen one in the 7 years we have lived here.
Maybe they don't have to display the P plates here 
Sorry Gail  !!!! For taking over your Topic..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 13/06/2007 : 19:40:58
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Gee those Tyre Companies don't want you to know what goes into their products do they..
I ended up typing into Google What goes into a car tyre.. to get this recipe..
To form the rubber into hard-wearing vehicle tyres, an extensive range of chemicals including xylene, benzene, petroleum naphtha, chlorinated solvents (for example 1,1,1- trichloroethane), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, anthracene, phenanthrene, benzo[a]pyrene, phenols, amines, oil, acids and alkalis (eg sodium hydroxide), polychlorinated biphenyls, halogenated cyanoalkanes, processing aids, and plasticisers. Tyre processing also involves several heavy metals including zinc, cadmium, lead, chromium and copper.
Goodness lead well that would turned me right off using tyres in the garden.
Sorry Tessa I am no Einstein so have no idea what the above chemicals are !!!
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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tessa
head gardener
Australia
3682 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2007 : 00:30:14
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doesn't look much different than a box of cereal, does it?
LOL.
cranky people live longer. i'm going to live forever!
perth, wa |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10809 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2007 : 06:52:56
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Looks like the ingredients on the back of a bottle of shampoo too.
Scary thought humm makes you wonder if its safe to eat or use anything these days.
Seeing everything is loaded with chemicals... 
Gail, I am still interested in hearing how your experiment goes, Best of Luck..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 20/06/2007 : 11:07:25
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I looked into growing in tyres a while ago and it seems while the tyres are still in good condition they are fairly stable but once they start to perish they can leach into surrounding soils but this takes many many years so are considered fairly safe. I'll see if I can find the info again later.
So far no sign of any plant growth. This weather is really testing it as there has been a lot of overcast days so the tyre isn't warming up and when I stick my finger into the dirt it is cold so the composting isn't working. I don't think it is deep enough for the green waste to heat up enough. I'll start some seeds off inside and try just planting the seedlings if there isn't any sign in a week or so.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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