Does Your County Offer Free Compost?

15 years ago

Here in Sarasota County I just picked up another trailerload yesterday. A dump truck deposits huge piles of this stuff in certain parks and the public is invited to help themselves.

Everything seems to grow well in this compost and it saves me a pile of money.

Does YOUR county do this? If not, maybe they should.

Featured Answer

brute
Original Author

15 years ago

Sarasota County used to give away mulch as well as compost, but there were too many fire ants infesting the mulch and they stopped that program. That mulch was really coarse and nasty anyway. I don't miss it.
However, the compost is another story. Great stuff!

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Comments (11)

laura1
15 years ago
Hillsborough (to the best of my knowledge) has two yard waste collection sights...one pretty close to where I live and the other one is at the far end from me. Both places make compost but only the one far from here SELLS the compost for about $10 a load-I think. I don't know what they do with the compost from the other place.
palmcityfl
15 years ago
Martin County offers two types of mulch at its recycling station off Martin Highway. One mulch is shredded leaves, limbs and palm fronds, which makes a great growing medium. The other mulch is shredded pine trees and bark, which is more decorative and makes a great top layer. Broward County does not offer free mulch, but the City of Plantation has a pickup site off Cleary Boulevard.
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garry51
15 years ago
Palm Beach Waste Managment has compost for free. You can get it at there West 45th St site. Be warned it is rank smelling and I have only used it one time because of that.
goldenpond
15 years ago
Indian River County has what is called Municipal Mulch. It is shredded in large clumpy pieces and not attractive at all. They also gring up EVERYTHING.
Sometimes it is used in driveways of trailer parks and banks of canals.
Since I have seen the Municipal trucks at Lowes buying mountains of red mulch i know the city is not using it for landscaping
cxjr25
15 years ago
I think the City of Miami gives away mulch, but Miami Dade County does not.
natives_and_veggies
15 years ago
cxjr25, do you know more about city of miami mulch? I've been told that they can't give away tree clipping mulch here because of an ordinance to prevent mulch that has invasive seeds in it spreading around. (I've asked landscapers with chippers if I could have some, and that was the response I got.)

But if the city has a mulch program, I'd love to know about it! I spend too much on mulch, and I'd so much rather use local "waste" mulch.

Susannah
garyfla_gw
15 years ago
garry 51
That has been my experience with the Palm B compost also. Why is that ?? I need a whole bunch more to fill an old garden pool. I thought it had just not cured long enough.?? The odor was so strong the neighbors threatened to sue lol gary
laura1
15 years ago
Yeah, I've noticed the smell of the county compost is strong...but if it is composted that should take care of weed seeds and fire ants.
wile_e_coyote
15 years ago
There's a recycling place not too far from me in St. Pete (Pinellas County), but I think it's run by the city, not the county. They also collect yard waste and then mulch it and provide the mulch for free. Not exactly compost but I bet if you dug down into the pile you'd get some more composty stuff. I am leery of the mulch because of possible invasives and diseased plants that may have been mulched. I doubt they pick and choose which plants to mulch.
peachpaws
15 years ago
Orange County has free compost that is very nice, odor free, no ants but the occasional plastic bag . One must shovel one's own however. It took three of us to fill my pickup and we were bushed by the last shovelful. Wimps I guess.