Moving into a new home can be an exciting time, but it is often mixed with frustration when it comes to dealing with landscaping mistakes that previous owners have made.
A distressed homeowner reached out for advice on Reddit regarding what to do after discovering the previous owners of their new home had used rubber mulch in their yard.
The homeowner had already removed the mulch from the flower beds, but their newly crawling 10-month-old had started finding it all over the lawn too. Concerned for the baby's health, the OP reached out for advice.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 "We bought an outdoor playpen, so luckily I can bring her outside with me and not worry about her eating mulch, but I would still love to get rid of the stuff," the OP wrote.
Rubber mulch is a harmful option to use in the garden because it can be toxic and leaches chemicals and microplastics into the soil. This is particularly dangerous if you have young kids who are still in the habit of putting things in their mouths. Additionally, rubber mulch can get extremely hot in the sun, which can cause burns.
Using native plants and natural mulch is a much better option for your yard. Native plants are easy to maintain, as they don't require the use of fertilizer. Plus, once established, native plants can often thrive on rainwater alone, reducing both the amount of time and money you spend on making your garden look nice. Combining this with natural mulch can be a great way to boost the health of soil without relying on any harmful chemicals.
Rewilding your yard can also help support biodiversity and provide food and habitat for wildlife such as pollinators.
The homeowner asked for advice on removing the remaining rubber mulch.
"I've been contemplating renting a lawn vac to try to remove it, but I wanted to post here and see if anyone else has dealt with this."
"Try using a magnet rake to pick up stray rubber mulch pieces quickly!" one commenter replied.
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