Raised Beds

I want to make a raised bed to use to thicken up some of my trees. But i want to be as cost affective as possible or free. Wanted to know what peoples thoughts were of using old tires filled with soil maybe one or two high and put one tree in each. Is this safe or could it possibly kill any of my trees. and what soil should i use in my bed, should it be topsoil and compost mixed together or should i also add in some aerating medium? Thanks for any help.

Sounds to me to be a decent use for old tires.

If soil gets into the sides of the tire and roots grow there, which will happen, it will make it more difficult to recover the plants without damage to the roots.

I was thinking about that, any ideas on a work around??

How about running a tube of tar paper down the middle?

Genius +1. i was also thinking maybe fill the edges with gravel or some other loose material

Using old tyres to grow potatoes was a big fad over here a decade ago and is still practised in many allotments. There's certainly no shortage of "raw material" around here. But back to the issue with the roots growing into the sides; why not stuff the sides with old newspapers and that way you not only sort out the root problem but you also get a wee bit extra insulation. As far as I'm aware there's nothing toxic in newsprint any more.

fiona wrote:why not stuff the sides with old newspapers and that way you not only sort out the root problem but you also get a wee bit extra insulation.

I would say that is the most eco solution and insulation is always welcome, but wouldn't paper desintegrate after awhile (rain and watering making it softer) and roots would still get inside the tire? - just thinking ... not so eco would be injecting poliuretan foam (not overdoing it) just to fill the space inside. ... but I would not do that - keeping it simple and at the end I would still want to cut the tire (not so many roots should be affected) and unwrap the rootball...paper or no paper - that is the way I would go.

Best...
Gašper

Cut through one side of the tyre before use - then if roots spread throughout it will be easier to open the whole thing out to transplant.

Dave

Why not just plan to cut off the roots that grow into the tire when you lift the tree? For that matter, use it as a guide for annual or semi-annual root pruning. If you do a very good job and cut a smooth circle you should be able to rotate the tree in the hole.

I agree with Marty I wouldn't be concerned with roots going into the side. They'll be cut off later anyhow.

Chad, growing in raised beds is a two headed coin. One side for concentrated growth and the other for harvesting. If you are only growing one or two trees it probably doesn't make a difference what you use. But, if you are growing several, labor is a consideration. Fence boards 1"x6" is very economical and easy to harvest afterward. Four screws to take apart and the rootball is raised for undercutting and lifting. Just a thought, I do hundreds a year.
Wood
http://thingsofwood-gary.blogspot.com/

GaryWood wrote:Chad, growing in raised beds is a two headed coin. One side for concentrated growth and the other for harvesting. If you are only growing one or two trees it probably doesn't make a difference what you use. But, if you are growing several, labor is a consideration. Fence boards 1"x6" is very economical and easy to harvest afterward. Four screws to take apart and the rootball is raised for undercutting and lifting. Just a thought, I do hundreds a year.
Wood
http://thingsofwood-gary.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the insight. I will take this into consideration for sure. Would you recommend treated lumber or not? Any idea on what medium i should go with in the bed?

Chad, it really doesn't matter on the lumber, I've used treated and untreated. As for soil, my preference is a high percentage of pumice, lava or perlite to ensure good aeration. Along with this kind of mix watering is a must.
Wood
http://thingsofwood-gary.blogspot.com/

Thanks!