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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Beware enterprises requiring new jig saws

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Beware enterprises requiring new jig saws
  • Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:33:05 -0700


There's also soil cement tho it wouldn't be suited for very large bed
arrangements. I've used it before. Pretty permanent stuff and low cost.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 1/20/2008 at 1:01 PM Zachary Domikez wrote:

>I am writing in response to Norma's mail about tires,
>and Terry's question about Linseed oil. I think wood
>in contact with soil is a short-sighted use of
>material. I was disappointed in linseed oil thirty
>years ago. I have done enough project that are now
>probably crumbs; henceforth I want to build for
>eternity - with free rubber.
>
>I have years of success with tires for raised beds,
>and have explored the www for the negatives aspects of
>using tires. While there are major concerns with road
>tire dust (which is chemically available in great
>quantities in road run-off) the remaining tire is
>quite stable.
>
>In my wet climate, the raised beds need sidewalls to
>retain the erosion and also help dry out the soil.
>The tire cup shape can retain some trapped water,
>which I find helpful for the dry summers.
>
>I do not agree with the Noble.org suggestions that I
>have read at <http://www.noble.org/Index.html>
>or to paraphrase Paul "Beware enterprises requiring
>jig saws" . . . since a hack saw works as well.
>
>Rather than go to all the trouble to stretch the
>treads, and use rusting stakes, I use the whole tire,
>minus a sidewall, which I call a CUP.
>
>This sidewall can be cut out with a cardboard razor
>knife (box cutter.) Use whitewash to paint the inside
>of the tire cups to assure a low pH, which will reduce
>any soil acid washing heavy metals out of the rubber.
>
>Scrape and reserve topsoil to make levelled ground at
>the site of your raised bed, then link together a
>dozen pairs of cups with screws. Finish using strips
>of tire treads to attach rubber sides to fill out the
>rectangle of the two dozen cups. Those are best
>stretched by your strong (left) hand while your smart
>(right) hand grapples with the electric screwdriver
>with magnetic tip.
>
>Since passenger car tires average 26 inch diameter,
>you have a 24 foot by 4 foot raised bed using a dozen
>pairs of tire cups. It is more elegant if you can
>match the sizes of the tire diameters. The open tread
>strips are less critical, so the odd sizes can be cut
>for strips.
>
>Use that reserved topsoil to fill the cups, and you
>can use the enclosed volume as a compost bin if you
>have a season to let it settle. Build the soil using
>agricultural lime, to keep the pH relatively high -
>this probably means that tires should NOT be used for
>acid loving plants like blueberries and strawberries.
>
>
>If you like this system, you might want to grab the
>tires while they are not yet used to burn for fuel!
>
>Regards,
>Zachary







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