A town we used to live in frequently gave away mulch. I guess it was just shaved trees, a variety that wasn't consistent, and not very uniform. But, again, it was free! My husband didn't want to take it out of fear that certain insects or pests could be in it, but that was before we were on an extreme budget. He probably wouldn't be that picky these days We don't have that service available at our new residence, but if you check it out with your city you might get lucky!
We have a tree trimming service that uses a chipper to make the mulch and they give it away free all the time. You can try calling around to local tree trimmers and see if any in your area do the same thing. I found out about the one in our area from the "Free" section of Craigslist.
I like your information. I have been looking for this type of information that is interesting and good
I found that I can get free mulch from my local garbage deposit place. We don't have trash pick up where I live so we have to take it to town and use the "dump." They have a big pile of mulch there that you can get for free. You do have to load it yourself which can be difficult for some people and it is larger chips and not colored. But hey, it's free!
Our city gives it away on set days. You brig your own truck wheel barrow and shovels and its a DIY job. Its alot of work but hey free is free!
Starbucks gives away their used coffee grinds. I know it's not mulch, but coffee grinds can be used in the garden. So if you're looking for free garden products, go to your local Starbucks and look around: usually the grinds are packaged and then placed in a basket in the store that says "Free." More on coffee grinds in the garden here:Log In.
Coffee grounds are awesome, so are the used green/black tea leaves. I dry them out well and use then for my plants. We have a lot of coconut fiber available here, the husk and fiber which surrounds the nut. This is excellent for growing orchids. This is a great way to recycle and reuse stuff. In a bucket of tea, coffee remains and coconut fiber I had planted a couple of tomato plants and harvested about four pounds of tomatoes this summer. I guess this way there would be less waste to handle and a cleaner and healthier environment for us.
If you ask on freecycle you may find some people that are giving it away. Plus, I've seen some of my neighbors throwing their mulch away so you might want to try asking your neighbors as well, or keep an eye out so you can ask them if you see them trying to throw it away.
Great idea Stephanie, I am going to have to look into this. My mom's new home has a pine tree next to the fence on one side. We were just discussing collecting the pine needles and using them. I wonder how much is produced from one tree...
This is great advice. Starbucks and most other local shops will gladly give away used coffee grinds. They don't need them - and it takes time and energy to dispose of them properly. You should note that that not all plants will thrive with coffee - and too much may be bad for your soil. Always research!
Just some info FYI; I finally made it across town to collect the pine needles. I filled one plastic grocery bag and I used it on the top of my blueberries, which are in a medium-large pot and barely made a dent in the bag. If you live in a place where there are pines in a park you could probably collect a lot of free mulch that way.
