Question
I have two small rose beds with a total of 17 roses (HT, Grandifloras, and climbers).  I have a weed barrier under a fiber mulch at this time.  I plan on pulling it all out next spring after the roses are pruned back before they really get going, replacing the fabric and mulch.  Do you have any thoughts on the pros or cons of the new rubber mulch?  I live in Detroit, MI and there are Maple trees in the area.  Also I am fighting wild morning glory vines in my yard.  

Answer
Please keep in mind that this is a personal opinion and that others may not share it. Although I have read that lanscapers don't like it. Why I don't know.
There are basically two kinds of rubber mulches. The best one is called Rubberific Mulch in St. Louis and this company guarantees the colouring in the mulch not to fade for 10 years. They also say that there is no steel in the mulch itself. These rubber mulches are made mainly from old truck and car tires and as any man will tell you most of the tires to-day are steel belted. The other companies say that the steel rusts down in 6 months, which is probably does. Until then I don't want to put my fingers in it. Again in my opinion, this mulch is excellent for roadside allowances and highway plantings plus any commercial type gardens. For a private garden it will keep the moisture in for the plants and also act as only a partial weed barrier. I say that because they tell you to put down landscape fabric first which tells me the rubber bits are large enough to let light in and so do not keep the weeds out. They tell you that bacterial and microbes in the soil will in time break it down for the plants to use. How a plant would use old rubber puzzles me and why a worm or microbe would be intersted in old rubber also mystifies me.
The potential of a fire starting has not been addressed and we all know what happens when a fire starts in old tires. Wood chips will also burn but they will smolder first and then flare where rubber ignites right away. The last worry I have is in my garden mulch (wood chips) the rose leaves fall and bits and pieces fall off plus rose petals and also twigs off the bush. Even other debris blown by the wind, gets caught up in the mulch and simply break down and benifit the soil. What happens when debris gets caught up in the rubber? How do you get it out so that it looks tidy?
The last worry I have with roses, is that rubber gets hot in the full sun and when the new tender canes push up will they be damaged or burnt? The good news is that slugs hate the rubber mulch and won't go near it!
I have heard that if you constantly disturb the morning glory roots and then wait until they are in full flower use Roundup on them, plus again in the fall before they will freeze, in time you will win. Hope this helps. Lynnette