New homeowner baffled by backyard predicament left behind by previous owners: 'My heart goes out to you'

Even if you have the privilege to finally find a home you can afford, it's rare to find your perfect dream home. One person bought the house of their dreams, but it came along with some annoying yard remediation. 

If you have a question about your yard, look no further than r/landscaping on Reddit. The folks in the community are quick to lend advice, and some have true expertise in gardening. 

One new homeowner posted to the page, hoping for some help on how to remove rubber mulch from their backyard. They included two photos showing a large section of their lawn that had been covered over with black shredded tires. They explained, "The home we purchased used to have a daycare run from it, and had a large play area covered in shredded tires/rubber mulch."

After initially starting to try to remove the material with a shovel and trash bags, they turned to Reddit for some tips on how to speed up the process. "The area is about 40 ft x 24 ft… There is weed barrier underneath some of it, but it mostly seems like it's just dirt/mud."

Rubber mulch is made from discarded tires and is commonly used on playgrounds and running tracks. However, it can also be regularly used in garden landscaping. While this is technically a way to recycle old tires, it may not be the best choice for the health of your garden. 

According to Better Homes & Gardens, it can be very hard to remove, does not have the beneficial nutrients for your garden that traditional mulches have, and it can even lead to dangerous fires: "Rubber is difficult to extinguish once it combusts and is extremely toxic, releasing pollutants into the atmosphere and baking them into the soil below."

These pollutants are one of the many reasons it can be so hard to properly recycle and dispose of spent tires. There are countless stories of people dumping them on the side of the road to avoid dealing with the difficult chore.

Folks on Reddit were happy to lend their thoughts on the best way to remove the rubber. 

"That weed barrier may help you once you get some of the material removed. You should be able to peel it up from the corners and use it like a giant drop cloth," suggested one person. 

Someone else recommended hiring help, writing, "Hire a company to haul it for you … Those hauling companies are a lot quicker at breaking stuff down than we were."

Another commenter simply added, "My heart goes out to you, my friend."

What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard? Mowing the lawn 🏡 Controlling weeds 🌿 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️ I don't have a yard 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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