First official blog post:  Why I Will Never Use Rubber Mulch

 

Before delving into the appalling phenomenon of rubber mulch, I would like to take a moment to appreciate the lovely, bright gold fall leaves against the high blue skies of the last week.  I first noticed them while traveling down Glastonbury Boulevard toward Main Street, and then later in my own neighborhood.  Every autumn, the reds and oranges steal the show, with yellow leaves playing a supporting role--but this year I am really in LOVE with the golden fall colors.  Its opened my eyes as to what is possible for "fall color".  Thank you nature, for the countless ways you are beautiful.

Now onto the topic of rubber mulch.  I am not sure when rubber mulch appeared on the landscape of green industry, but I don't know why it took me so long to discover it.  Right from the moment I heard about it, I just knew it was a bad idea.  Tires have heavy metals in them from the start, and then they pick up more from the roads they travel and the dumps they sit in--not to mention the industrial material they are made from breaks down so so slowly, that is probably bad for the soil composition as well as the natural beneficial microbe colonies.  What if you ever need to grow your own food?  Never will you or any person owning your property after you, be able to produce food safe enough to eat in an area that had rubber mulch.  If you want more of an educated opinion on the topic refer to this article by Professor Linda Chalker Scott from the
Pullyup Extension and Research Center at Washington State University :

http://puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/Rubber%20mulch.pdf


Hopefully this article will provide you with the information you need to make the decision not to buy this material.  Please spread the word so that others can avoid unknowingly polluting their own landscapes with this stuff. 

In the meantime, don't forget to appreciate the leaves--it should be a fabulous year for leaf peeping!