It might be OK in a situation like you describe, but in a regular bed it's horrible. You can't get a shovel into it or through it so replanting or changing a bed becomes a real chore. It seems to absorb heat and bakes the plants, too. Unless you are using a completely secure liner below it, the mulch will work it's way into the soil and will never decompose. It will always be little rubber objects.

I would think one drawback to having it near a pond is that a heavy rain might wash it into the pond.

OK, one last complaint about it (can you tell I don't like it? LOL) is that I think it stinks! My experience with it was about 12 years ago so maybe now they have that problem solved, but if your pond is near to where you have outdoor seating areas I would recommend buying a bag, opening it, and living with it for a while to see if the smell bothers you.

Before moving to Florida I lived in a townhouse community with a common area. We had some gardens and a large playground around the pool and tennis courts. I was part of the gardening group that volunteered to keep up those common areas. We thought the rubber mulch would be a great idea because of the kids running through the area but we all (all the gardeners anyway) ended up hating the stuff. We spent hours raking it up off the beds the second year and keeping it exclusively to the play area.

Again, it might be perfect for your application and I'm sure you'll get other opinions. Maybe the stuff has improved over the years and is more garden friendly now.

Be sure to let us know what you decide! Pictures, pictures, we want pictures!

Kate

Just the idea of rubber mulch turns me off. I worry about it ALWAYS being in the ground, never going away. I am concerned that as it breaks down it will leach who knows what into the ground. Using it on pathways and playgrounds and parking lots...maybe...but never around MY plants. IMHO

I saw some yesterday at the Epcot Flower and Garden Show. It was in an area where there was a children's play area and a path that wandered through plantings. I think it might be a good choice for play areas because it's spongy under the feet and could prevent injuries when children fall. But definitely not in the garden, near ponds, or in any natural areas. It had been blown or trod onto the garden path and looked ugly there. Plus it stinks!

It still stinks?!?
The moms in my neighborhood in Baltimore had clothes for their kids that they used only at the playground. They said the smell never came out of the fabric. Even their tennis shoes would pick up the scent and hold it.

My sister had it, she loved it for a short while then hated it. I also recently read an article that found it was leaking toxins into the soil. I think it was zinc, but I don't remember for certain.

I would NEVER dump that toxic waste on my property! It is full of heavy metals. Here is a link about rubber mulch and the problem it causes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rubber Mulch

I have to say I agree with everyone here. Rubber mulch STINKS. Yes, STILL, Kate! UGH. Unless you like the smell of old tires heating up in the sun, you won't enjoy the odor it produces. Plus, I have also read about toxins leaching into the soil. I don't know the extent that it would cause a problem in your garden, but it stands to reason that it can't be very good.

And lastly, the good thing (some people say) about rubber mulch is that it never breaks down. But for me, that's the worst thing of all. One of the great things about natural mulches is that they DO break down over time, enriching your soil greatly. Rubber mulch will never add anything valuable to your garden in the way of nutrients or conditioners, and it WILL leave those little hard pieces of rubber buried down in the dirt forever and ever.

Just my opinion, of course, but I think it's an awful idea for anywhere except a children's playground, and I'm not sure it's such a great idea for that, either. Especially if it is true that there are toxins involved.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Marcia

When I saw this post title , I thought , " I did NOT just read rubber mulch , did I ?
Horrors of horrors !
Thank goodness , all the replies have echoed my sentiments .
I just spent 5 hours hauling and spreading free wood chip mulch .
It smells heavenly , was totally FREE and will slowly break down to wonderful organic matter to enrich my soil .
This seems like a no brainer !
Hope we have not scared you away charle7 .
Would like to hear your opinion .

One of the reasons I use regular mulch is that it breaks down and builds the soil. I personally see no benefit in using it in my property. But we all have choices to make and that is my personal choice.
Felix

I must have some in my yard. I bought it years ago before I knew better. I thought the fact that it didn't decompose would make it great for mulching my side of my neighbor's fence. I thought the grass would politely stop at the mulch and edging would be easier. I year later you couldn't even see it. Nature's mulch; grass, leaves, twigs, just covered it up. I should probably try to find it and dig it up.
I also tried the strips and they didn't work either. The weeds popped right though.
Conclusion-Rubber Mulch BAD IDEA!

Wow, I didn't realize how nasty the rubber mulch is. I appreciate all of your responses. I guess I will try putting down the weedbarrier paper and cover the area with river rocks or those black smooth rocks, that choice will be probably be expensive though. I just rather not use regular cypress mulch in this area - it's near the pool and the pond and it just won't look right to me. I'm a rock lover anyway so I will get busy. When everything is completed I will post some pics.

The tire company's need to find a solution to their problem.
If you bury a tire in a landfill it will float to the top given enough time. They used to fill them with concrete and use them as ocean reef material..concrete failed,tires floated to the surface sometimes by the 1000's. If they did not have that steel woven throughout the belts they would be much easier to deal with. Ever see a tire fire ? They are
take days,weeks to put out. That was quite a sales pitch by the tire manuf. of the USA too little too late.

Hi
Here's my two cents lol Would have to agree with the others .All mulches are only temporaryy anyway. While they do slow it down they certainly won't stop weeds same as edgings. The best compromise is organic mulch
have the same experience as Coffeemom except in my case marble chips. There is no way to clean those suckers off and grass loves it. No raking it up either if you change your mind.
If you go for rocks would suggest either large ones or light weight such as lava rock. You'll still have the weed problem but at least kids can't pick it up and throw it lol. Okay they still can but takes a LARGE kid and they don't skip accross your pond .
I put pea gravel in my aviary and between the constant fertilizer and good drainage I have a fantastic crop of wild morning glory and wedelia. MUST be pulled out one at a time I countered that with a layer of play sand . I can actually see my birds and so far no cactus lol gary

This topic is a perennial(pun intended?) - it seems to come up every year.

I think the reason it's hard to find someone who actually uses it in a residential setting might be a good indicator of its suitability/popularity.

We have it under the swings @ our city recreation center & it IS very bouncy & soft to walk or jump on, but that is the only good thing I can say about it - it's been there a long time(years) & has 'migrated' yards & yards outside the retaining wall.& yes! it STILL reeks like burnt rubber on hot days = P
You can buy bonded recycled rubber matting for play areas nowadays that is much, much better because it stays in place.

Just want to add a quick opinion. I filled a veggie bed with rubber mulch years ago. After two seasons, I wanted to ammend the soil. I could not ammend because of the rubber mulch. I had to pick out the rubber mulch piece by piece.

If I'd chosen regular mulch, I would have been able to sprinkle peat moss or manure over the seasoned mulch, then combine it with a shovel. I know you're using rock, so the situation is different.

I use it in one area of my garden. It faces west in the full afternoon sun. All the natural mulch I tried there broke down immediately and formed a dense mat that prevented water from reaching the soil. Mine does not stink at all and works well where I have it. In the more hospitable areas of my garden I use pine or eucalyptus mulch.

I would not use it over edible plants or even in children's play areas just in case it does pose a health hazard.

Garyfla,
Question aboout your aviary, how big is it and what kind of birds do you have did you build it yourself? I have 6 zebra finches at the moment and would like to build an aviary. What do you do in high winds shift them to a smaller cage?
Thanks

Katie