The First 8 Things You Need To Know About Tire Gardens

Tire gardens can be an affordable way to upcycle and create a garden, even in the most difficult of spaces. And while I'll admit my garden started out (and still mostly is) chaos gardening (where we have no idea what we're doing but we're going for it anyway and using Google as our main source of information) I have picked up a few helpful hints that will most certainly help me in the future maintain my staggered and stacked garden for years to come.

And if I can make at least one other human being's life a little easier, I'm all for it. So I'm going to share some things about what I have learned so far about starting a tire garden.

1. Don't forget to paint the tires.

We all know a brightly colored tire is much more visually appealing than a black rubber one, aesthetics are not why painting the tire is important. Remember, you are putting live plants in these tires, so if you live in a bright, sunny, arid, hot region, those tires are going to heat up. Which is great for growing warmth-loving plants, but every plant has its limits. The tires will not only heat up but they will heat up the soil within them, and if the temperatures get hot enough you'll fry your roots. I usually choose bright pastel colors to deflect that sunlight as much as possible in my hot southern summer.

2. Line the bottom of the tire with plastic.

Lining the bottom of the tire with plastic will not only keep your garden weed-free but it'll also help with the issue of soil washing out of the bottom when it rains. It'll also help hold that water too so that you can get the best possible water retention in your roots. This means if it rains often enough, you have to water less, or if it doesn't rain and you have to water, it'll lessen the amount of watering you have to do, as long as you give them a good long drink when you do water.

3. Don't overcrowd the tire with plants.

I made errors with my potatoes this year. I planted a lot of potato starter seeds in my towers. I feel like because I planted so many, it reduced the size and the amount of potatoes I harvested. It may look like it can hold a few plants, but be sure to be sensitive to your plant's root system, as you are working with a limited space for each plant. If your plants have a small root system, you can plant multiples (like leafy lettuce). However, for things with larger plants such as squash, peppers, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, etc. you should only put one plant in each tire.

4. If you made stacks or towers, be prepared for frogs & other creatures to make a home in the center of your tower garden.

I am not going to lie, I feel like this is a perk of doing a tire garden. I had a toad pop out and startle me a while I was harvesting lettuce one day. I have also run into ground-dwelling spiders making themselves comfortable in the rims of my tire gardens. While I have a strong aversion to arachnids, and my mother is terrified of toads, I welcome them in my garden. Especially when it's breeding season for crickets and other pests that like to chew on my tomatoes and Brussels sprout leaves. (My plan for next year is to experiment with planting peppers on the base of each tower, as I noticed my peppers don't really get eaten by pests). Either way, you will find pest-controlling animals making themselves comfortable in or around your garden. I hope you welcome them, and try not to disturb them, as they are nature's most organic ways of pesticide.

5. Don't over or under-water your plants.

I live in East Tennessee, and usually, we get a fair amount of rain. I don't find myself having to water often as tire gardens with the correct soil are wonderful at retaining water. If I watered my plants every day, I would give them rootrot. That being said, remember to monitor the soil to make sure it doesn't dry out completely. Remember it's warm under that soil, and that tire, even if it's painted is getting really warm. If you let it get all the way dry, you're liable to dehydrate your plants which will lead to stunted growth or death.

6. For shrubs, bushes, trees, or plants that come back every year with the same root system - use a stack of at least two tires to give the roots plenty of space.

I originally started a rosemary bush in a tire about 4 years ago. Unfortunately, it died this winter when the roots finally got so bound up in the tire and didn't have anywhere else to go. The rosemary bush was almost as tall as I was, so naturally I was devasted when my beloved plant died. So I am going to dig out a hole that will be below the tire I plant it in, and I will stack the two on top of each other, to see if I can have a rosemary bush last longer.

7. Be prepared to buy a lot of soil.

For a size 19 tire, usually, it takes about half of a bale of soil. That's about 1.5 cubic feet of soil. I have a LOT going on in my garden, and my poor mate has spent a good $300 or more on the soil. And since I have big plans, it's going to be an ongoing process of getting soil. The good news is, soil and seeds are the only things we've paid for with this garden project, and the harvest yield will pay for itself in just a couple of summers in grocery costs. Once you have the garden established, it's not as expensive as your first year.

8. You can get tires for free - do not pay for used tires.

There are plenty of small used tire companies that are willing to get rid of their unsellable used tires for free. Tires have to be disposed of in a certain way, and it costs these companies money to have them hauled away. So don't let anyone trick you into paying for tires with wires poking out the lack of tread.