Cheap/Free Mulch
I want a wood chipper. I love the idea of running branches through it and ending up with mulch that I can spread around all over my yard. Talk about recycling…
Unfortunately, I don’t have the money for a wood chipper right now, and my vegetable garden, herb garden, and flower garden all need to be mulched for the winter. The $4-a-bag price at the hardware store adds up very quickly, so I’m looking for cheaper alternatives.
I don’t like the idea of rubber, sand, gravel, or glass mulch because it ruins the soil. And since mulching is partly about looks, I don’t want to use newspaper or hay to mulch. I want tree clippings. So here are some ways I’ve come up with to get free or cheap mulch:
Search Online Forums–On Craigslist, someone put up a post for free mulch near my house. Apparently I can go pick it up, but I doubt it will still be there at lunchtime. I may go see anyway, though.
Call the Local Utilities–According to this thread on Gardenweb, you can call your local electric company and see if they have mulch available. According to one poster:
I just received my first load of free mulch from the electric company.
It was delivered the same day I called, all fresh from that days work.
There were 5 other families that also wanted a load just that day.The guy comes over, checks over your drive way and picks a location.
He then marks it with a flag.
Next thing you know the big truck is out there dumping it!
Ask Friends or Neighbors–If your neighbor has a bunch of pine trees or something else that makes ready mulch, then you could ask to bag it up for free. I don’t have this option, though.
Rent a Wood Chipper–If it costs $100 to rent a wood chipper for a day, but you can make as much mulch as you want in that time, it might be worth it. The only thing is, you have to have a way to transport the machine to your house. I’m pretty sure a wood chipper won’t fit in my Honda Civic.
That’s all I have. How do you get cheap or free mulch?
