Introduction: Save Tires and Make a Garden !
Tires which are made of rubber are really hard to decompose and reuse due to the fact that it is not bio de-gradable. So i had a lot of tires lying around the house so i thought to make a green use of it and do some cool thing with it that may reduce carbon emission and at the same time recycle old tires. The project we are going to carry out here is called The Tire garden, which in fact is a really easy project and fun thing to do with your kids and family members which contribute to the beautification of your environment. So lets get started and collect all the things you need.
Step 1: Materials
Due to the fact that i used a phone camera i missed some of the process in the making put you can get the basic idea. Here are what we need to make your very own tire garden.
Materials
- A small garden or land
- As many tires as you can get
- A tin of white or and rainbow colored paint.
- Some soil , needs to be loam soil (have clay soil and little sand)
- flowers of your choice.
Thats all you need for your beautiful garden.
Step 2: Method
Now that you have all your materials you need to wash the tires properly so that any toxin materials or insects in side are dead. Then lay them in the odder you desire , remember use your creativity you can make really cool designs. Then start filling them with loam soil and level it out.
2. The take a stick or a small fork and start digging and making the soil fine.
3. The plant your flowers or whatever you desire.
4. Add some water and then let the tires dry.
5. Then start painting the to what ever colors you want and you can also make designs on the white surface of the tire with cool vectors.
6. congratulations you have you very own tire garden.
Step 3: Lastly
After 2 days or so the flowers may sprout and the soil must be kept moist at all times.
Care and maintenance :
1. The tires must be painted after very 5 months
2. The soil can be treated with some low power fertilizers.
3. Each tire must contain maximum of 5 plants.
SO there you have it.
Also please vote for me in the competition.
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30 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
For those criticizing or saying the should be recycled instead - why? Why put them through an extra process? Recycling is still hard on the environment and uses a lot of resources like water and electricity in the process. So why not just use them as they are? Some neighborhoods, like mine, appreciate this kind of thing. They're very big into upcycling and gardening here, so why not?
11 years ago on Introduction
well done
11 years ago on Introduction
Earthship.com. That's a GREAT way to use up tires.
14 years ago on Introduction
Hmm.. Actually, tires are very recyclable. The entire tire, right down to the steel belts are recycled in large quantities in the U.S. The recycled rubber finds its way in to a surprising amount of everyday items and applications. They use ground up tires in playgrounds in place of sand and on some horse racing tracks. They even extract the gypsum and other minerals in the rubber to make concrete. Some may see this as "decorating garbage". No offense, but it's still the same as a tire lying in the woods somewhere, except this one is painted and in your yard.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Oh, I'm sorry. I clicked your profile to check out your other Instructables and discovered that you live in Fiji. That may throw a wrench into the recycling idea, I'm not sure if Fiji has a recycling program, if they don't then of course there would be quite a lot of tires lying around.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
even if there were a recycling program in place, there is the saying "renew; reuse; recycle" which puts renewing and reusing items ahead of recycling them cuz of the energy it takes to recycle them. if you can extend the lifetime of a product by a few years and put it to a new use rather then have it torn apart and rebuilt into something new, you are going to do some real good
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I think that's "reduce" instead of renew there. Or that's how we learned it in Indiana.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
ya i know... i realized it after i submitted the post, but got lazy and didn't change it. almost the same idea tho
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
No recycling program here but people have adapted to reuse them and in some places tires are rare to see.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Well, nice one for destroying the be nice policy. Not one bit of constructive criticism in that comment. Personally. I think its a good idea, and is more carbon friendly than buying new big plastic plant pots. Obviously, no energy is needed to recycle these, unlike the process you describe. For someone with a few spare tires, in need of some planters, this is a great idea. They can always recycle them at a later date, and i feel that they most probably would.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
I should clarify a bit. I did not mean to offend, as you see I said "No offense." I like the idea and I've seen it done in other places too. As for the "decorated garbage" remark. I would almost guarantee that someone who may be a die hard environmentalist or "green snob" may look at this and make such a comment. I personally do not hold that sentiment, and I commend him for his efforts. Sorry for any trouble it may have caused.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Its fine, just try and take a moment to re-read things before you post.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the great back up mate. you should try it at you place or resident.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
In many areas, recycling centres charge to take tyres off your hands.
The unique properties of tyres also make them ideally suited for "sensory gardens" - gardens with raised beds separated by smooth pathways to allow disabled visitors (frequently blind and/or have extreme learning-difficulties) to interact safely with carefully-selected plants, typically by feeling their textures and smelling them.
So, far from "decorated garbage", this is instead a useful addition to the site and any garden.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Thank you for the comments kiteman.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You're welcome.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
But according to my analysis and calculation towards the upbringing of this project i have made a small calculation and here are the results: carbon out put - 0% time required - 2% carbon reduced - 2% per tire environment reincarnation - 98% oxygen output - 5% so the total benefits from this project is : 67% out of 100% That's if we have people practice this in their home it would increase surprisingly by 3% per home.
14 years ago on Introduction
I LOVE the fact that you're taking an old useless waste product and reusing it!! Thats awesome!! and your garden is BEAUTIFUL!! But please, don't grow any food in old tires- stick to flowers! There are all sorts of chemicals and carcinogens (substances that cause cancer) found in tires. Washing them will take care of toxins on the surface but its possible that these substances (found in the rubber itself) could leech into the soil and be absorbed by the plant- and if you eat part of that plant that could be bad!
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
yes i am aware of that
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
My apologies! but now everyone else is aware, too. ;-)