I found an abandoned tyre on the road recently and someone was moving it around - it had changed place. Had an eye on that and last night, I was able to pick it up. Someone has almost has made it ready for me, or so it seems. The sides have been neatly removed, leaving the portion that has run hundreds of miles for me. It is pretty good and thick. Like a flat ring!
I saw tyres being used as planters in this forum. Any idea about this one? What to plant, where to keep...
Tyre found! Help!
Hi Dinu, keep scrolling down this forum till you find the thread called Tires. In it is a link to tcfromky's pictures of tires that are beautiful! You should be able to get some ideas from those pictures.
If the sides are gone so only the flat ring is remaining it will not bow out when turned. But you could still paint it up and plant it as a raised bed planter.
Kooger, I did see tcfromky's pics and some are great for my ideas.
Zany, last evening, I was wondering about the absence of a 'bent brim' and eventually, thought of using as a 'raised bed' as you have suggested. Have not painted it - it could remain black??? Filled it up with soil in the place where I want. Verbena and portulaca should work??? Should I cover the bottom with something or simply soil will do?
You can leave it black if you wish. black will absorb heat though and unless it is in the shade may make the soil too hot. I am not sure of your climate but if you have a lot of heat it would be better to paint the outside a light color to reflect it.
As for the bottom, there is no need to put anything on the bottom unless you need to block it from gophers or moles. If those are a problem for you then a piece of wire mesh before filling with dirt will do the trick.
Except for termites and ants, there is not much of a problem from other insects. I have put it in reasonable shade under the tree (next to my favourite stone bench where I sit and sip coffee) so heat may not be a problem. As you may know, Zany, I am in the tropics and the summer is warm - now it is about 35 C. Thank you Zany for your suggestions so far. I saw some taller plants growing in tyre planters in the link suggested above. I have some white paint left. I think it will be good to make it look white even though it is under the tree. Thought of a more open space but it was not suitable.
I return to add a pic http://davesgarden.com/fp.php?pid=600118
Imagine the tyre planter at the bottom left corner of this pic. It has replaced the (partly visible) pot-stand on the left.
This message was edited Apr 21, 2004 4:13 PM
The shade of the tree will indeed keep it from getting too hot. Painting it white will help it to look more like a planter and less like a cast off.
You are fortunate not to have to worry about moles, gophers and voles! They are a real problem in many areas.
I look forward to seeing your tire planted and overflowing with beauty.
If I paint it white, the dirt will get stuck on it from the raindrops and make it look ugly. I have just thought of leaving it black as you say and the dirt will make it look near-natural. Or does it not?
That is a matter of personal like or dislike. Leaving it black will look fine and once you have it full of plants the black will not be noticed as much as the lighter color would be.
I did find that the ones I painted needed to be repainted every spring to keep them fresh looking. And in my cooler climate I opted to leave some black. It made for warmer soil and allowed my tomatoes and roses to get an earlier start in the spring.
It's not necessary for a tire to wear out completely as you describe. A smooth kitchen knife lubricated with soapy water will cutt effectively. I am cutting dozens of tyres on both sides to flip inside out. This creates a band 12 inches high which is perfect for a raised bed. This will be my vegetable garden.
Please see http://www.tirecrafting.com. I bought the book and video and am very happy with the ideas.
I finally planted verbenas and it has spread nicely. I would think it may not flower that much because of the partial shade. It is, nevertheless, a curious object for those who have never seen a tyre used like that! I have made it into an oval shape, to suit the space.
The Verbena do bloom wonderfully for me in partial shade too. Mine only get about 3 hours worth of sun a day and have bloomed non stop for months now with a little deadheading.
The tire will last almost forever as the walls for a raised bed and making it oval shaped sounds great.