Free Mulch

[Meadowlark]

About every three or four years, the County here trims all the growth alongside the road. They then run it all through a chipper/shredder resulting in a very nice mulch (after composting a few months). Three big truckloads so far and more on the way, this is a great resource and absolutely free simply for the asking. It is a great way to recycle organic matter that would otherwise be wasted...and did I mention it's free!

 

[cpp gardener]

We get similar from our arborist company whenever we want some. Getting others, essentially non-gardener ‘gardeners’, to use it is another completely different discussion. Probably the most frustrating part of my job.

 

[MiTmite9]

Where I live (SoCal) the "free mulch" is loaded with junk like plastic bottle caps, shredded plastics, weed seeds and (I'm sure) pesticides I don't want anywhere near me or mine or my garden. The "matter" you may be putting into your garden is "organic matter," but I wonder just how "organic" that matter is.

 

[Meadowlark]

... The "matter" you may be putting into your garden is "organic matter," but I wonder just how "organic" that matter is.

Oh, it is organic matter. 100% certain that is completely free of any "cides". I absolutely would not take it if I didn't know the source for certain...but it is probably good to caution folks to be sure before taking it...and this isn't CA thankfully

I'm up to 5 big truck loads now and counting. Most all of it comes from trees/plants on my own property which borders the road about a mile or so. Tremendous mulch...that is far more trustworthy than anything you could buy commercially. It is like gold to me.

 

[yardiron]

They do the same here (NJ). The only problem is that it often contains a good bit of poison ivy vines ground up in it as well as the "Noxious Spray" they put on evergreens to keep people from stealing them for Christmas trees and wreaths,
If you compost it somewhere first its not bad but I wouldn't want it right off the road here. There could also be some litter in it but that stuff seems to fall out of it early on. The soft trimmings are more likely to be somewhat composted as they rotate where they take from the pile annually working a path through the huge mound of composting cuttings. Places like tree nurseries and landscapers tend to use the most of it.

 

[salauddin152]

thanks

 

[cpp gardener]

MiTmite9, you can get ahold of West Coast Arborists if you want 20-40 yards and they will dump it wherever you want it. They do a lot of work for cities, counties, universities and school districts that don't have a budget for spraying trees, so usually no residues. You can get weed seeds, depending on where they were collected and if they had to clean up a weedy area, but if you put it on thick enough there won't be that much.