[Writer]

I recently read that rubber mulch created from worn tries is making a migration from municipal playgrounds to residential flower beds and borders. I'd like to hear from landscapers who are using this mulch and others who are curious. What has been your experience? What drew you to this material? What do you like, dislike about this inorganic material? When would you use it?
Thanks for your thoughts.

[GLAN]

Glad you asked

My main nursery supplier has had the product 2 possibly 3 years now. Personaly I have never used the product.

It's not organic, that is why I chose not to use it....Most all our mulching is that of planting beds where the addition of organic matter annualy is beneficial. And is an inxpensive replacement for when mulch is blown out during the entire fall cleanup process as well as spring.

What I do like about the product is that it is rubber, has a spongy feel when walking on it. For this I see it as a very safe and user friendly product for children play areas. The various colors that the product is available in lends it to various landscape design schemes and color requirements.

I have actualy heard through various outlets among the industry that the plastic mulch product is very desirable and used widely in public children playgrounds.

I would use the rubber mulch for play areas and under swing sets where we have all along used organic mulch. Just one thing that continues holding me back.....When the rubber mulch gets kicked out onto the lawn. Or when cleaning up and blowing out the property....The added work necessary to clean it out of the lawn as well......I would imagine it best to remove all of it from turf rather than leaving a little as we would when handling organic mulch.

[Paul]

Rubber mulch in playgrounds has evolved to a poured in place usage. Seems the park districts have had too much of it walk away in kids pockets! Poured in places is where the rubber mulch is combined with a glue and trowled out to form a smooth surface.

[rosenlof/lucas]

I stumbled across a rubber mulch intended for playgrounds on the internet called Playsafest. I want to use it but the company hasn't ever responded to my emails. Bummer. The thing that's cool about it is the non traditional colors it comes in. In a certain modernist situation this stuff could be really interesting.

Matt

rosenlof/lucas

[HardDaysKnight]

After grading a Horse Farm and building some walls, the owner
was looking into rubber mulch for the trails and corals. She
was thinking it would be great for the comfort of the horses.
This was a few years ago but at that time it was made out
of re-cycled sneakers she said. If a play area is based with
re-cycled tires is there a toxic danger to a tot ingesting it"

[Stonehenge]

We've done residential play structure installations of this kind of mulch - it serves as a great landing pad for kids launching themselves out of swings, and to cushion the usual spills.

I'm surprised to hear it would be making it's way into garden beds; it's completely inorganic and does nothing for the plants, and it's very expensive relative to traditional bark mulch. I believe we paid more than $500 per yard for the stuff, compred to $14-22 per yard for bark mulch.

Jeff, you already have my pager number; give me a call if you want to chat more about this...I could use a break from the project we're working on.

[Turtle]

It's used a good amount down here in FL. Sold mostly at the big chain stores It comes in all colors black brown red PURPLE TURQOUISE I'll snap some picture if i ever see a whole yard done in the last two colors. I think it initially looks good when put down but i maintain a couple yards with it and after awhile the cording in the tire chips the dye tends to fade out so it looks like white specks. It also gets hot here ive noticed some of the plants seem to be baking the leaves underneath. I could be totally way off there but just my observations so far.