Bulk Rubber Mulch

Bulk rubber mulch is economical when covering a large area with mulch. Made from recycled materials, bulk rubber mulch provides an effective product that suppresses weeds while helping to retain moisture in the soil.

Rubber mulch helps all types of soil.

Mulch provides an extra barrier on top of the soil. It helps retain moisture and suppress weeds. Common types of mulch include wood mulch such as cedar or pine chips or bark, cocoa hull mulch, and synthetic mulch such as glass or rubber mulch.

Rubber mulch is fairly new to the home and garden marketplace. It's made from shredded, recycled tires. The mulch is usually guaranteed to be 99 percent free from steel, which is removed when the old automobile and truck tires are ground up to make the mulch.

Unlike conventional mulch, rubber mulch does not decompose readily into the soil. It takes an estimated 200 years before rubber mulch disintegrates from exposure to water and the elements. According to the manufacturers, it is safe to till into the soil and provides aeration.

There are several benefits of using rubber mulch. When added on top of landscape fabric, rubber mulch creates a barrier that's almost impervious to weed seeds. As many gardeners who've used wood chips will attest, even when using landscape fabric pesky weeds find a way to germinate. Rubber mulch prevents sunlight from touching the weed seeds and also creates an unfriendly barrier for searching weed roots looking to retain a foothold.

Rubber mulch is said to provide better moisture retention. All mulches help to retain water near the plant's roots where it's needed, but wood mulch is said to allow more evaporation than rubber mulch.

Another benefit of rubber mulch is that it doesn't need to be replaced. Wood chips break down completely within a few years of adding them to the top of the garden bed. Rubber mulch takes many, many years to break down. While the color of the rubber mulch can fade or change over time, it doesn't decompose.

Critics are wary of using rubber mulch in the garden. They contend that the long term effects aren't known. Rubber used to make the mulch may come from truck or car tires that are adulterated with chemicals, road oils and salts, which in turn may go right into the soil. Although rubber mulch may go through many treatment processes to remove any residues, many people aren't convinced that the rubber itself won't poison the earth in which it decomposes.

Other critics cite the cost of rubber mulch. Even when buying bulk rubber mulch, it can cost double or triple that of wood chips or other mulch. It's also heavy and not easily moved, so most homeowners hire a landscape contractor for big jobs involving mulch.

If rubber mulch's benefits outweigh the drawbacks for you, here's what you need to know about ordering it in bulk.

• Unlike wood chips or natural mulch, rubber mulch is not usually sold by the truckful. It is sold in big boxes and shipped on pallets. Most homeowners will need delivery to their homes.
• Be sure that you have enough space to store the large boxes of mulch. They can be left outside. The area selected for the bulk shipment should allow enough room for a truck and equipment to move the pallets off the truck and onto the ground.
• A typical bulk order of mulch is a 1,000 pound box. That box contains approximately 2.5 cubic yards of mulch, or about equal to 6 cubic yards of traditional wood mulch. Use these averages when calculating how much mulch you will need. The calculations are a bit different for rubber mulch than typical wood mulch.

Whether you want a bulk shipment for a large garden, a horse riding arena, or a playground area, the following vendors sell rubber mulch in bulk. If searching your local phone book for companies, look under "playground equipment" as well as home and garden centers. Many companies that sell playground sets also sell bulk rubber mulch.

• Magik Mulch offers shipments of 1,000 pound boxes. They are a distributor, so if you call their phone number they can put you in contact with a local company that ships mulch.
• Everlast Rubber Mulch offers access to local distributors who sell rubber mulch by the bag or box.

Check also your local home and garden centers and big chains such as Home Depot, Lowe's and others who may also be able to order in bulk for you..

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