Facebook user Ebony James was thinking of using rubber mulch in her yard and checked in with the group Addicted to Gardening about the idea.
"Hello Gardeners! I'm currently sprucing up my flower bed with new mulch but I'm curious about rubber mulch," wrote the original poster. "Have any of you ever used it before? Is it toxic to flowers?"
Unfortunately for her, it's not great for the garden. Rubber mulch is a notoriously poor choice for landscaping. Since it's often made with recycled tires, it's prone to off-gassing volatile organic compounds. These VOCs are harmful to human health, not to mention plant life and pets.
Instead, all-natural mulch is a much healthier addition to a garden. As wood and organic material break down over time, they feed nutrients into the soil. While it's doing so, it also helps soil retain moisture. You can often achieve the same results by mulching the leaves you gather in your yard anyway.
As one might expect, the pushback Ebony faced from the community was strong.
"Only good use for that product is for playground areas and foot paths...use a natural mulch around plants," said one member of Addicted to Gardening. "If beds are somewhere you are going to have to replant stuff use a wood based mulch...it will enrich soil."
"Hated it. I did all my landscape beds in it. It floated away with every rain (nearly $1000 loss)," replied another. "It also would get a fungus. I added rocks to all my beds. A grey chat gravel. Less weeds, looks great, matches brick house, and plants seem to like it."
Luckily, Ebony learned a lot from the community. "Oh wow!!! I am so glad I asked before I made that decision," she said later. "Definitely don't want trouble in my flowerbeds. I appreciate you all so much!"
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