I just learned about this service this morning from a posting in a gardening group on Facebook. I've never used them, but I did sign us up today. Not even sure if any tree trimming places in our area participate in this service, but thought it would be worth a try at least once.
https://freemulch.abouttrees.com/#!/home
Has anyone used this previously or know anything about it?
Free Mulch & Wood ChipsDelivered
Thanks
I did sign up too.
Pretty cool. In my neck of the woods the local utility hires tree services to clean around power lines twice a year. Not only do they have to use gas but they have to pay for dumping this perfectly good source of mulch. I was the first in my subdivision to ask them for a load or two of the ground up branches but over the years I've noticed other neighbors following suit. The tree service was only too happy to oblige as it saved them dumping fees and drive time/gas.
A couple of notes: There's a possibility that a volunteer weed or seeds or poison ivy branch survives thru the mulching process so if u take this material you need to be vigilant.
Newly ground up branches are harder to work with than bagged mulch you get @ store. Also it is not as visually appealing as the bagged stuff.
I'm lucky that I have the room and an understanding HOA that lets me sit this material in a corner for several months to decompose some before I actually use. Like right now I am mulching with material that the tree service dumped last year. They have already dumped a load this year which I will use next fall or spring as needed.
This message was edited Jan 22, 2014 11:22 AM
Wow thanks for the link, I signed up too! Hope I get a load this year, that would be awesome!
Voss, thanks for the head's up. Thankfully, we don't have an HOA, but the City code enforcer really patrols our area. We can always move it to the backyard and let it age if need be.
three pics for you. 1) a comparison showing partially decomposed mulch (9 mo old) on the left and newly dumped material on the right. It decomposes fast!
2) tree trimming shredding
3) worker carrying branches that eventually get shredded and are available for the asking
Very excited and will prob. sign up. I do, however, have some concerns and Vossner mentioned some. I'm not as worried (tho maybe I should be) about poison ivy, but am very worried about any chips/mulch from oaks that were infected with oak wilt disease. I also need to figure out where the stuff could be dumped as a large load would be a lot of work for me to mush around to my backyard. (I don't think the City of Dallas would let me use the strip behind my fence bordering the paved alleyway, even temporarily. Might be worth a phone call. Unfortunately I am the only homeowner in my neighborhood that uses mulch so I wouldn't be able to share a load with someone.
Let me know how this works out for y'all, especially if you have an average size lot.
I did email the service and asked some questions. Hope they'll respond.
I have saved hundreds of $$$ using the above mentioned material but I have to say its impurity, particularly if used directly from dump truck to garden beds can generate a weed/disease problem. That is my primary reason for letting it sit a while. I also patrol the areas looking for unfamiliar stuff so I can nip it in the bud.
One year I had used up all my freebie mulch so I went to the store and got cedar mulch. The scent was divine, it deterred weeds and insects and it lasted twice as long as my freebie. Once I noticed the difference, we made it a practice to use cedar on the "showcase" beds and the freebies everywhere else. So far, so good.
Tx flower child, I'd say that if there is oak wilt problem in your area, I wouldn't chance it and ask a lot of questions, as it seems you are doing.
This message was edited Jan 13, 2014 8:03 PM
Here is a comment from my friend that used this service in CA:
"We have a program near us like this, we have gotten mulch from them before. But we had to be careful, the first time they dumped a car-sized pile of pine clippings, which isn't very good mulch. So next time we asked for no oak and no pine and we got apple. It was very nice"
I had wonndered about the oak wilt leaves and wood. I take that can spread, which may explain some of my problems with the oaks in the yard. the drought damaged some so bad I am seeing sign of the rot on old trees. This will spread?
Oak wilt disease spreads rapidly, I think thru the roots. Because in a heavily treed neighborhood the tree roots intermingle underground (nasty boogers) and spread oak wilt. I don't know if contaminated leaves or mulch would hurt but I wouldn't want to take any chances. My Red Oaks are at least 70 years old or older and I'm very paranoid and very protective of my trees. It affects Red Oaks and Live Oaks. Some people try to dig trenches around the roots but I don't know if that really works. Basically I don't think there's a cure.
When I lived in Austin in late 80s - early 90s, hundreds or more of oak trees died. One oak was 200 years old (seriously - google it if you don't believe me). It was called The Treaty Oak b/c some treaty with Mexico had been signed there. The City of Austin chose one or more woodworkers to make doodads from some of the wood before it was all destroyed. As you can imagine, it was a very sad time.
I don't know if rot is a sign of oak wilt disease. I've seen pictures of leaves from sick trees. I know that among other places you can find more info from Howard Garrett aka the Dirt Doctor. Think his website is dirtdoctor.com
If you have Live Oaks or Red Oaks you have to be careful as to the times of year that they can be trimmed or pruned. Website should tell you as I always call one of my arborists if I need something cut for some reason, like branching out over my neighbor's skylights.
This message was edited Jan 14, 2014 3:32 PM
These goin down are post and quercus nigra. Have heard of the Treaty Oak. Am already lookin at having to take out invasive bamboo a ninny of a neighbor decided to plant on a strip of land one foot deep so she wouldnt see our shed. Looks like right now a strip clear of the area is in order and tho sad, I kinda feel she deserves the view. They are in a deep sandy area that is prob too wet for them. Sigh. I shall be reading that data for sure.
We had a huge load of mulch dumped in our yard last spring - Rick just asked a tree service he saw chipping branches in the neighborhood. Not knowing any better, we moved some into our biggest bed immediately. It was well mulched and looked great, and there's been no sign of weeds or disease. But I noticed last summer that my flowers in that bed just didn't bloom well. I read that the new mulch was probably using up the nitrogen. I would definitely let it sit for several months before using if I did it again. We invited some neighbors to share the bounty, which they did, and we still have a good sized pile left. It was a LOT of mulch!!
carol, I've read the thing about non-decomposed wood chips robbing N from plants. I think that is one of those nonsensical stories that manages to travel all over the net. Wood chips do not need to use N from the soil (what plants use). Air is composed of 79% N, so chips can use if from the atmosphere. If you think about it, when they tell you to aereate compost piles, it is so decomp. material has access to the N in the air. Besides, the wood chips decompose right into the soil, so who benefits? the plants. Even if the odd notion that chips rob the plants of N were accurate, they get it back once material rots. At the very worst, the chips would be borrowing the N. But even that doesn't make any sense to me at all.
I can see where putting too much of this material may choke plants and/or be so thick that eventually it makes an impenetrable shield that doesn't permit good flow of water and nutrients to get to the plants more efficiently. That can weaken any plant or tree. But that situation is easily corrected by stirring the mulch around, breaking up any crusty pieces that may form along the way and until it completely decomposes into the soil.
If one has the space, it would be better to let it sit (decompose) a while before actually using. But I have a confession to make: One time I used the material right from the truck into a new bed and experienced no trouble. Additionally, in one year there was no evidence of "brambley" wood. It had totally and completely decomposed into the bed. My plants, mostly roses did not suffer. These days I can almost just use my hands to dig a planting hole. Nice!
This message was edited Jan 16, 2014 6:41 PM
I add N and calcium to the decomping pile. MINE IS buried tho- no air. Also add hi all numbers. Sometimes its just the year...
It doesn't rob nitrogen, it puts too much in. And nitrogen imbalance affects blooming. It also can burn the plants, but my guess is the former. As it decomposes, it becomes less "hot".
I have been using free landscapers tree mulch for a few years with no bad effects, as a matter of fact my entire front yard is mulched, but I don't put it on heavy around small plants or close to tree trunks.
Thanks for the info everyone. I hadn't researched much, so I wasn't too sure what was going on. We normally just shred leaves for mulch - which I've always had great success with. With 3 massive post oaks and some hackberries, we have LOTS of leaves. I know some people don't care for the look of shredded leaves, but I love it - it looks so natural.
I love it too, they are the best.
Yes, I love shredded leaves. My yard guy doesn't especially like it that I always want him to mow the leaves right where they are. But I have more leaves than grass (which is ok) and when finely mowed they are great. And even tho they don't enforce it, at least as far as I can tell, the City of Dallas doesn't want to pick up bags of leaves during the monthly bulk trash pick-up.
Dallas needs to do like Fort Worth. They pick up yard waste weekly in either the paper yard bags or the green yard waste trash can.
Maybe stupid question, but if I use shredded leaves to mulch, should I put them right in my beds? Or let it decompose a bit like the fresh wood chips? Does it get "hot"?
Doesn't get hot. Fine to apply directly & immediately.
That sounds like a great option for me.. Tons of leaves all the time. I saw someone on DG a while back say how they use a weed whacker to chop them up. Leaves go in an empty trash can and you chop them up with blasts from the weed whacker. I imagine you'd need a heavy duty or metal trash can to do this.
Mine - it stays either too wet or too dry, so they decomp pretty quick. All I would have to do is rake into a pile and wonder which snake I would see in them today. Lots of trees,
No kidding Kitt, same here. We have all kinds of the 'bad' snakes here. Copperhead, coral, rattlesnake. Some harmless too like hognose, but my FIL is scared to death of any and all. He says the only good snake is a dead snake! Personally the only critters that scare me are those giant flying cockroaches. Luckily I haven't seen one of them since we moved out of Fort Worth. Did I mention how much I love living out in the country??!! Lol
So I suppose I'll start using these shredded leaves to build up the existing mulch in my beds. I can enrich my soil and it's FREE?? I'm your huckleberry..
Double digging flowerbeds sucks but now I have some great soil and looking to be even better with these leaves :))
My brother in Arlington has one of the older homes. He is now taking the origial trees out and having to figure out how to lower the ground level because of the years and years accumulation of leaves. The dirt is so fine it is almost impossible to get water into it. Just from decomped leaves...
Wow! So are you saying I should add something in addition to the leaves? My beds are pretty loamy.. Was planning on adding shredded leaf 'mulch to topdtessing and turning it into any bare areas any chance I get.
Cant advise you. I am in the country when home. Floods and wind resolve those issues for me.
I have a question for you guys who have used the free mulch. I'm wondering if the pieces are small enough that I could run them through my little chipper/shredder. Directions say only up to 3/8' in one hopper and 1/2' (I think) in the other. I'm sure I wouldn't do the whole load, but maybe just as I use it. It would be nice to have that material to fill in with my compost, but I would want it to be chopped pretty small.
The pieces are usually small enough, but you could shred it if you like it smaller.
sybram, yes could you definitely re-shred using your residential machine but seems like your tiller should be able to handle this material w/o re-shredding. The stuff will decompose within 6 mo, esp. if you mix it w/ compost. If you are that energetic, though, running it thru should make it finer. I'm assuming your shredding blades are sharp. The brambles, while small, will dull the blades quickly, if that is all you shred or if your model is meant to do light duty like shredding leaves.