Free mulch from electric utility companies, tree care firms or municipalities can be a great deal, if you plan ahead for it.
“Be prepared with a place where it can be dumped as well as a plan for getting it spread around your trees and on your garden beds,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum. “You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew.”
Electric utility companies and landscape firms that prune trees are often happy to share the resulting shredded wood with homeowners because it saves them a little money. State law requires them to take landscape waste to composting facilities and pay disposal fees. Every load of wood chips they share with a homeowner is a load they don’t have to pay for.
Some municipalities also share wood chips from their tree operations. There may be a standing pile from which residents can collect the mulch. A few municipalities also have programs to dump a load of mulch for residents.
Not every company or village will dump wood chips. To find out whether you have a source of free mulch and what procedure you must follow, you will need to call around to your town or village, your local electric utility or nearby tree care firms.
If you do find a source, get ready before you place a request. Here are some tips for dealing with a big pile of mulch.
Select a site: The mulch needs to be dumped from the truck near a street. Crews will not bring a truck on your property. If you have a driveway that can accommodate the pile, it may force you to park on the street until you get the mulch spread in your garden. If the only option is the parkway, check with your village to make sure you don’t need permission. You probably will not be able to specify the exact date or time for the mulch to be delivered, or the quantity.
For more control, be prepared to pay: To have mulch delivered to a specific site on your property or on a specific date, you will have to order it from a landscape supply company. Purchased mulch will usually be more uniform in appearance than coarsely ground free wood chips. Mulch products are priced by the cubic yard. A cubic yard is roughly equivalent to a dozen bags of mulch, enough to cover about 150 square feet 2 inches deep. The price will vary; call landscape supply companies to ask for a quote.
Spread it soon: When you place a request for dumping mulch, clear time so you will be able to get it spread around trees and on garden beds promptly. “In just a few days, a pile of mulch will smother grass underneath it,” Yiesla said. You may end up reseeding the area.
Share the mulch and the work: Consider inviting neighbors to go in on a pile of mulch. “You can get the pile spread faster that way,” she said. “Everybody’s garden gets mulch, and it’s a neighborly thing to do.”
Don’t worry about using fresh mulch: Some gardeners worry that freshly ground wood chips will rob their plants of nitrogen, a valuable plant nutrient. “It’s true that when bacteria first start to break down wood, they consume nitrogen,” Yiesla said. “But it’s a small effect and it soon goes away as other soil organisms get involved. It’s not enough to harm to established plants.” If you are very concerned, purchase mulch that is partially composted and past the nitrogen-consuming stage.
For tree and plant advice, see the online resources of The Morton Arboretum at mortonarb.org/plant-care More Top Picks Best Espresso Knock Boxes