LARGE tyre for potatoes?

KiwiSFGnewbie 12/4/2022, 2:59 pm

There's a LARGE tractor tyre (i.e. with BIG tread) going for free in my neighbourhood. I thought about growing potatoes in it but wonder whether it might be too hot? I guess I could put it in the shade, but then maybe it wouldn't get enough sunlight?

It's at least 4' diameter and the internal area must be more than a foot diameter. Front to back must also be about a foot.

Thoughts, anyone? Smile

Soose 12/5/2022, 6:38 pm

We have a large tractor tire in our yard around an exterior faucet. About 36inch diam, bit the interior diam to the rim is the majority, maybe 30 inch. That size, I'd plant. Only a foot inner diameter, maybe more appropriate for a tree ring. Or how about a large vining plant, squash, something trellised up. (Tire as weed control.)

KiwiSFGnewbie 12/6/2022, 12:14 am

Soose wrote:We have a large tractor tire in our yard around an exterior faucet. About 36inch diam, bit the interior diam to the rim is the majority, maybe 30 inch. That size, I'd plant. Only a foot inner diameter, maybe more appropriate for a tree ring. Or how about a large vining plant, squash, something trellised up. (Tire as weed control.)

Thanks Soose, unfortunately you snooze you lose, it was gone this morning Sad

Oh well!

markqz 12/7/2022, 11:16 am

KiwiSFGnewbie wrote:There's a LARGE tractor tyre (i.e. with BIG tread) going for free in my neighbourhood. I thought about growing potatoes in it but wonder whether it might be too hot? I guess I could put it in the shade, but then maybe it wouldn't get enough sunlight?

It's at least 4' diameter and the internal area must be more than a foot diameter. Front to back must also be about a foot.

Thoughts, anyone?

If you have multiple tires you can stack them as the potato grows, resulting in more potatoes. At least that is the theory. I had the tires, but not enough good soil to fill them. I wouldn't think there would be a heat problem with something as large as a tractor tire.

KiwiSFGnewbie 12/7/2022, 3:45 pm

OK, thanks Mark. If I ever see one again (never have before around here) I won't hesitate! I just thought, maybe all that black rubber sitting out in the summer sun might cook the potatoes as they grow Wink

**sanderson** 12/7/2022, 5:06 pm

I know people do use tires for potatoes, but I can't get over where they have been. The amount of lead dust in tire shops from the old lead weights is amazing.

For early-season potatoes, our 6-7" of Mel's Mix does fine. For mid-season or late-season potatoes a 12-15" bed will work. Most potatoes are grown in the lowest zone, followed by a second zone for late-season varieties.

https://www.gardenmyths.com/potato-towers-high-yields/?fbclid=IwAR1oC0PU0ubq0yv38fJ98VsUPsNdTfAUNBJHO2iZP0aM6m4m0RSWuyRcg70

Imbedded video of an actual experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcCRYm4kCUs

KiwiSFGnewbie 12/7/2022, 6:24 pm

Well, well, well. What an interesting analysis article! Who the heck knew? And very good point about the lead...

markqz 12/8/2022, 1:03 pm

sanderson wrote:I know people do use tires for potatoes, but I can't get over where they have been. The amount of lead dust in tire shops from the old lead weights is amazing.

As I used to bike around, I would come across those lead weights all of the time and I started to collect them. There were so many on the road, I couldn't help but wonder how badly people really needed them. I wouldn't think much lead dust lingered on the tires -- it all got washed into the waterways! In CA, some (all?) of the weights are now made from alternative metals, like copper.

**sanderson** 12/9/2022, 4:37 am

I didn't have time for a deep dive on the subject, but here are two short articles. Children climbing around old tires was a source of lead poisoning back when I worked with lead-poisoned children. Children 0-5 years of age were the most vulnerable.

https://healthybuilding.net/blog/461-on-tire-wastes-in-playgrounds#_edn8

On ground rubber or tire crumb: https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-science-and-technology

OhioGardener 12/9/2022, 7:22 am

markqz wrote:In CA, some (all?) of the weights are now made from alternative metals, like copper.

While visiting our son and his family in southern California with our truck and RV last year, I had to get the truck tires balanced due to a vibration. The guy that did the balancing showed me the large size of the weight he had to put on one of the front tires, and it was lead. I had heard something hit the front fender liner while we were driving up highway 58, but thought it was a stone. Apparently it was that weight coming off, so somewhere in the Mojave desert is at least one very large lead tire weight from Ohio.... Shocked

markqz 12/9/2022, 10:02 am

sanderson wrote: Children climbing around old tires was a source of lead poisoning back

Ha! Back in the 90s I visited my old grade school for remedial kindergarten training. They had put in an amazing, 20 foot wide, castle-like play structure, completely made from old tires!

OhioGardener 12/9/2022, 11:17 am

markqz wrote:Back in the 90s I visited my old grade school for remedial kindergarten training.

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