Tyres - advice please

[dexterdoglancashire]

I have now got, thanks to my new job, a free supply of tyres in which to use as containers and grow crops in. HFW showed these on tonight programme
Has anyone got any tips or hints?
Do I need to line them with anything?
How many should I use to make a container?
What are the best crops to plant?
(too many questions according to my OH!)
Many thanks in advance!
Bernie aka DDL
PS I'm sure if anyone in the Preston area wants some tyres, I could sort this out. Just PM me

[Claire72]

We grow strawberries in them at nursery, (a bit pointless really as the kids are on summer holidays when they ripen) but it does help keep the rabbits away.
I have seen trailing plants in tyres locally too
Would they work as a compost heap, (keep adding a new one when it grows?)
I am in the opinion they work as raised beds, so guess anything will work?

If you cut them in half, and lie them rocking so to speak, they would act as water butts too

[squashysu]

sorry bernie, i thought you was asking about my 2 spare tyres!!!!

I believe they are great to grow spuds in as you keep adding them and earthing the spuds as they grow and they will keep pests out as well, also you could make a little pond out of them and attract some frogs, all you need is a pond liner wrapped over the tyre and then you can fill with water and even plant some little plants around, i have seen this done and it looks rather cute.

Oh, sorry the ideas keep coming now....if you slice the tyre around the centre and turn inside out then it will stand and you can use as a planter or put a pot inside it and you can paint them, i saw this when i was a little girl and always thought what a great idea to use old tyres, i would like to do it myself, but live too far away to come and get some from you.

Good luck with your tyres.

SS

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thank you! brill ideas - I hadnt really thought about - and no - I was't talking abour your spare tyres! Please keep the ideas coming!
Bernie aka DDL

[Two_Sheds]

I use stacked tyres (3) as raised beds ~ got Jerusalems in them, and some Limnanthes. Potatoes work well.
Bob Flowerdew is yer expert for tyres.
Also, check this out: BLOOMING TIRE PLANTERS

[yoanbob]

Try some of these DDL, I particulaly like the horse swing.

http://www.tirecrafting.com/index.htm

[rustylady]

Would work well for courgettes and squashes too, as raised beds. No need to line, just stack as high as you want. It's a bit far from Preston to Lowestoft, but I would love some!

[nomad]

i have my grape vines in three stacked tyres
the local garage is happy for me to take as many as i please as it costs alot for enviromental thingy
i washed mine out and planted them up about 3 month ago and the vines are doing fine

i also have some as composters which is good as you can keep adding to them

i have also got some hung up in my dogs kennel for him to play about on!!!!!
and one layed flat on the floor to keep his water bucket in to stop him knocking it over!

[sewer rat]

I have 250 tyres on my plot, with each one housing a courgette plant. The tyres are not used as raised beds, but to protect the young plants from the elements - and later on when the plant is producing fruit on a longer stem, this can be rested on the tyre to keep it off the ground.
The protection afforded by the tyres allowed me to plant out my courgettes earlier this year and the plants did not suffer and growth setback despite easterly winds, which held them back last year. In addition (though I have no way of proving it) I believe that the black rubber compound of the tyres will soak up heat during the day and release it overnight - sort of additional central heating I suppose.
No special treatment required - just collected the tyres, put them in position and planted the courgettes in the middle of each.
Anyone should be able to get access to tyres as the tyre fitting centres have to pay £1 per tyre to have them removed.

[Gwyndy]

250 courgette plants Sewer Rat!!! What on earth are you going to do with that lot?

[Starchild]

I got tyres for free off freecycle. I line mine with weed suppressant fabric, it allows water through but keeps soil in. Someone gave me 2 huge tractor tyres which I have put sweetcorn in.
I have 2 lots of 3 tyres with spuds in, some with courgettes, butternut squash and pumpkins. Some with broadbeans.

Which reminds me i have to get in touch with one of the farms, they have some more for me.

[percy charlie]

my friend has bolted some together to keep them a little sturdy for fruit bushes so none get knocked off and never lines them, he grows anything you can grow in a pot in stacked tyres.

[Dipzy]

I have peas growing in one and broccoli in the other 4, and with the gap they produce when put together I managed to squeeze in a few more, looking great, can't wait to try my first home grown broccoli.

My eldest boy (7) tried his first strawberry today, home made he says and loved it, oh and a tiny little spud also.

[alipally]

I have tomatoes, peppers and aubergines growing in mine and seem to be doing really well, also strawberries. The biggest surprise is the parsnips. After a disaster last year ( I didn't even get one) I mixed in some sharp sand with the soil in tyres. In march I chitted hollow crown seeds and put 12 into each tyre with a pair of tweezers, they all came up and are now about 2ft high and healthy. I know its late, but I am going to try it with carrot seeds, it will be tricky as they are so small, but I never get good carrots. I think it works because there is no thinning and the sand makes it easy for the roots to push through.