Using Tires as Raised Garden Beds?

by Margaret
(Ireland)

Can old rubber tires be used as raised beds for vegetable gardening? If so what sort of preparation would they need...cleaning, or lining? I like to recycle where possible and I have access to quite a lot of tires.
P.S. These beds would be used for vegetables and fruit...thanks.


ANSWER:

Yes, many a gardener has successfully used old tires for vegetable gardening.

If the tires are dirty, you can clean them with soap and water. You do not need to line them.


Tires filled with straw are an especially great way to grow potatoes! You put a thin layer of straw on the ground, then lay the seed potatoes on the straw. Cover them with a layer of straw. As the plants begin to grow, add layers of straw half-way up the foliage until you reach the top of the tire with the straw.