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rnold5

Cheap Mulch

rnold5
18 years ago

Where can I find the best prices for regular shredded pine mulch? I go through so much of it and I don't like spending such a large chunk of my gardening budget on just the mulch. I live in Hoover. Thanks for your help. Bill

Comments (11)

  • flowersrme
    18 years ago

    try logging companies. They sometimes make alot of it when they cut down pine trees. Thats were I got mine last yr to use this yr. They cut some trees about 15 min. from my house and we just happen to see the pile from the road and asked about it.

  • Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
    18 years ago

    I would check and see if the local county solid waste complex sells mulch. They do here and I've been using it for years. It's double ground and very nice. You have to pick it up yourself, no delivery, and it costs $10.50 for an overflowing pick up truck load.

  • woody_ga
    18 years ago

    I live in Ga., but I thought I'd stop by for a visit. We have a mulch "manufacturer" near us. They grind trees, limbs, stumps, whatever. You can buy from them, but only in quantities of 3 cubic yards or larger. So you need a pretty good sized truck. Their prices are somewhere around $10 a yard for top soil and $13 a yard for un-dyed hard wood mulch.

    The retailers in your area have to buy from someone. If you can find out who, you may be able to get a similar price.

  • patricianat
    18 years ago

    Union Camp in Prattville. Yours for the shoveling.

  • Triskale
    18 years ago

    Does anyone know where I might could find mulch and/or compost in Tuscaloosa area?

  • catbird
    18 years ago

    Try contacting a reputable tree cutter in your area. They often are happy to dump a truck load of chips in your driveway to avoid dumping fees and the time to haul them to the landfill. My tree man brings pine or hardwood as needed and brings chips only from healthy, bug-free trees. I used to pay him $10 for a truck load, but he hasn't even charged me that lately.

  • sassygirlgreen
    18 years ago

    Can you use fresh wood chips right away? I've been told to let it sit for a year before putting it around my plants. (Have a big ol' pile in my side yard that Huntsville Utilities kindly dropped off about two months ago) I'd love to start using it now instead of waiting (and mowing around it). As I recall I was told that fresh wood would take nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down. Anyone have any experience with this or heard this too?

  • louby_al
    18 years ago

    I don't know exactly what it does, but I have heard that you shouldn't use fresh wood chips/sawdust.

  • angelawhitehorn
    18 years ago

    sassygirl,

    i have heard conflicting reports on the wood chips. lots of people say that if you put down a good layer of compost first, then you'll be fine. there's also plenty of folks who swear that you shouldn't use it right away.

    now, tell me about huntsville utilities and these wood chips...i'm in madison and i'd love to get some of that action!

  • catbird
    18 years ago

    I've been using fresh wood chips for years and have never had any problems. You can always add nitrogen-rich fertilizer, but I rarely even do that. I've let some sit in the driveway a year or so and wound up with wonderful compost full of fat worms, but I figure it might as well compost in the garden. I use a thick layer of pine chips on paths, then scrape it off into the garden when it decomposes, but it will last several years. I use hardwood in the garden beds, with or without nitrogen, because it breaks down faster. Just DON'T use it close to the house where termites may take up residence.

  • sassygirlgreen
    18 years ago

    Angelawhitehorn,

    Believe it or not, they were doing some tree-trimming near my house a few weeks ago and I pulled my car over and walked up to them and asked what they planned on doing with it. The foreman told me that that particular load was already spoken for, but I was welcome to the next, so I gave him my address and the next day they came out and dumped an entire truckload in my side yard. Next time you see them in your neighborhood, just ask.

    I'm going to go ahead and use it, and throw in some fertilizer for a little insurance.

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