That old bike tire hack for my garden beds actually paid off

I got tired of plastic sheeting killing the soil under my raised beds, so I tried something dumb. I took 4 old bike inner tubes from the dumpster at my local shop in Portland and slit them open flat. Laid them under the soil as a weed barrier, figuring they'd just rot. It's been 18 months now and not a single weed poked through, plus the worms seem fine. Rainwater drains through the puncture holes okay too. Anyone else try rubber scraps instead of landscape fabric?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerrodriguez12d agoTop Commenter

Give the rubber a good rinse first if it had sealant inside, it can goop up your drainage holes over time. I used cut up inner tubes under a gravel path two years back and they work way better than that woven fabric from the hardware store that just falls apart. Your worms will be fine as long as you leave some gaps for them to move through.

robin77712d ago

The puncture holes you mention are key. If you lay them down solid without any gaps or holes, water will pool on top and your soil stays soggy. I learned that the hard way with my first attempt near Seattle. I do a few extra slits myself with a box cutter just to be safe. The rubber holds up way longer than landscape fabric too, I've got patches that are pushing 3 years now with zero breakdown. Worms don't care about the rubber, they just go around it or through the holes you give them. It's the most durable cheap fix I've found for garden beds.