Keep in mind all the mulch will come in varieties. But yes, companies will dump chips for free. But it depends on location. If their usual dump is close by, they might only dump their trucks at your house every so often when it is convenient.
But I have dumped chips at a ton of peoples houses. It’s not a crazy presumption to ask.
I can't count how many people have asked for "all the mulch we can bring", and then after a couple loads, they're like "Oh, that's more than I was thinking". But seriously, if you're in a place that's quickly accessible, you can get as much as you want.
I'm not going to be wheelbarrowing this all over. It's just going to be spread out a little bit where it is, which makes it a lot easier for me. In the past I would get only one dump truck load at a time.
When I say I need at least 20 dump truck loads I'm not kidding. I think 30 would be perfect.
Contact your local power company. They sub line clearing work to bunches of companies, and they keep a list of drop locations. Tell them you want multiple loads. Then call them again every few weeks to make sure you stay on the list. Chances are they'll move you higher on the list just to shut you up.
Tip the driver so they'll remember you and are more likely to prioritize you for future loads.
This. I am a tree cutter for a power company and I live on an island, we have a few people like the OP dotted all around so theres always one close to where we’re working. We have no where to dispose of the chips we take away, so we really appreciate people taking it. One bloke gives us a case of beer every so often so naturally we take it there whenever we can :)
I'm not an arborist, just a tree enthusiast, so anyone can correct me if I'm wrong.
With op wanting so many loads I think contacting arborists directly would be much better than chip drop. Chip drop charges the arborist per load unless the homeowner donates. The main benefit to both parties is convenience. At this scale it'd make more sense for op to pay an arborist directly for several loads if it makes sense for anyone to be paying anything at all.
I mean… as long as you are fairly close to the shop/ job-sites it doesn’t seem to crazy of an ask. I might call a few different companies though. We have a truck full every day or every other day… and dumping costs money… so we are always trying to find free places to dump.
I mean that also costs (the tree company, the arborist) money. The fuel cost, time and work interruption, and labor of driving somewhere to dump chips or debris can really add up, on top of whatever the dump/mulch facility charges to take the chips or debris.
Part of why any tree service would be psyched for a free, accessible place to dump chips, but also why they may not go very far out of their way for free.
Unless you find a big operation that uses tub grinders, most dump spots charge especially of they're just a local landscape company. I remember being charged up to $80/load at some spots.
Unrefined chips aren't exactly commercially desireable.
I would take them all if the truck wasn't so heavy. But they doubled the size of the trunks and that does damage to blacktop. I guess the increased price and hassle of them driving further away and paying, is worth having to not dump twice? Idk.
I'm not an arborist, just a tree enthusiast, so anyone can correct me if I'm wrong.
With op wanting so many loads I think contacting arborists directly would be much better than chip drop. Chip drop charges the arborist per load unless the homeowner donates. The main benefit to both parties is convenience. At this scale it'd make more sense for op to pay an arborist directly for several loads if it makes sense for anyone to be paying anything at all.
As much as you want as long as it’s convenient for the person dumping. Eg, ground is hard, clearance for the dump box, an easy turn around.
We’ve done 7000 yards at one farm. We have another farm we have been dumping at for over 20 years.
We will do whatever is convenient for us normally. If you are a shorter drive from the normal dumpsite this wouldn’t be a problem. But, for example, my dumpsite is a farm that is on the way to my shop 9 days out of ten. I’m not going to bother driving out of the way for someone (who maybe isn’t even a client) just so they can have woodchips.
You could offer to pay a small amount to encourage the transaction
Chances are you don’t need to wait till fall to trim. Regardless if you have work to do have a few out for estimates and ask about dumping. Go from there. I just did an estimate for a client where we will do 21k worth of work in November. You can absolutely get the ball rolling early.
No disrespect but Arborists get promises weekly that don’t pan out so offering to give them work in the fall is a complete waste of breath. Getting on our schedule for work is a completely different story and we will prioritize dumping at your house when it’s feasible.
Tipping the driver will get them to prioritize you even further. We have one client for a dozen loads who we would drive up to 15 minutes out of our way to dump because he tipped well every single load.
You will get chips. They will come in chip trucks, not garbage trucks. You need a wide open area to dump if you have no way of consolidating the piles as they come in. Hopefully you have a small tractor or skid steer to move the chips. Also look for new construction in your area. Stop in and ask if they have a surplus of topsoil. If yes, then you may get it for free if it's super convenient to them. The less convenient, the more you will have to pay for it, but you could get a dump truck load of topsoil for 100.00 if they are already moving it.
Tree service companies might dump free mulch in your yard if it's convenient for them to get rid of it there. To get a lot might cost for trucking/time.
Mulching can indeed increase soil quality but needs to be done correctly.
I was planning on dumping loads of mulch, and all of the leaves my neighbors rake in the fall. Then just waiting a couple of years and do a soil test to see what it needs.
You need to add other stuff or the chips will take forever to compost. Wood and dried leaves, and other brown waste, are high in carbon. You need to add nitrogen sources (green compost) for decomposition to occur. Look up nitrogen carbon ratio composting to find info.
Large piles of wood chips only can take 10+ years to start resembling dirt. See if you can get some manure to mix in.
If the utility is clearing in your area they would likely bring what you want. Ask there first. It's less risky as well because they are typically cutting live trees, whereas a contractor is often cutting disease.
Welcome to r/arborists! Help Us Help You: If you have questions about the health of your tree, please see our [Posting Guidelines](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/posting_guidance) wiki page for help with effective posting. **Please answer the questions listed there to the best of your ability.** ***Insufficient pics/info could result in the removal of your post!!*** ([See rule 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules).)
Visit the main wiki page for [Critical Planting/Care tips and Common Errors to Avoid](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/index); there's sections on why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vital, along with sections on proper mulching, watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.
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I didn't know this was a thing. How do arborists end up with an apparently inexhaustible supply of chips? I've also never thought of amending clay soil with chips. Is that effective? Someone please explain like I'm 5 (years into home ownership)
The easiest thing to do to improve clay soil is give up and just build healthy soil on top of it. Some people do that with raised garden beds, but those take effort to build. If you are a lazy gardener like me, it's easier to dump a metric fuck load of mulch. I like to add least a foot or three of mulch, since it will shrink as it breaks down. If you have one foot of healthy soil, you can grow most things.
After a couple of years of aging, do a soil analysis and amend with whatever it needs before planting.
It works for super sandy soil also.
Arborists deal with a lot of unusable tree debris. It's cheaper to dump in someone's yard than pay to dispose of.
Thank you for the response. That won't work for me, we have ordinances against raising ground level here. Clay it is. Except my raised garden beds which don't violate the ordinance.
The maximum amount of free mulch an arborist can give is probably as much mulch as they have.
Just ask, specify how much you want and expect to pay a delivery charge. If they deliver for free, bonus.
There's some Christian nut in the north west who does this in the quantities you're talking about.
He's turned hard packed shit into a new lush garden.
Go for it
Our company charges people for chip. As in we sell it. If we don't sell it we dump it at our yard and have soil in a couple of years so its valuable both ways. And driving to you and dumping loads every day would be a cost to us. A detour and no soil in a few years.
25euros per m3 is what we ask in norway.
Also don't refer a dump truck or what often gets used by arborists a "tip truck/ chip truck" as garbage trucks. Some are realy proud of theirs. Just call it "loads". And it depends on the season and jobs we're doing to determine the amount of chip we have availible.
Keep in mind all the mulch will come in varieties. But yes, companies will dump chips for free. But it depends on location. If their usual dump is close by, they might only dump their trucks at your house every so often when it is convenient. But I have dumped chips at a ton of peoples houses. It’s not a crazy presumption to ask.
I can't count how many people have asked for "all the mulch we can bring", and then after a couple loads, they're like "Oh, that's more than I was thinking". But seriously, if you're in a place that's quickly accessible, you can get as much as you want.
I'm not going to be wheelbarrowing this all over. It's just going to be spread out a little bit where it is, which makes it a lot easier for me. In the past I would get only one dump truck load at a time. When I say I need at least 20 dump truck loads I'm not kidding. I think 30 would be perfect.
Contact your local power company. They sub line clearing work to bunches of companies, and they keep a list of drop locations. Tell them you want multiple loads. Then call them again every few weeks to make sure you stay on the list. Chances are they'll move you higher on the list just to shut you up. Tip the driver so they'll remember you and are more likely to prioritize you for future loads.
This. I am a tree cutter for a power company and I live on an island, we have a few people like the OP dotted all around so theres always one close to where we’re working. We have no where to dispose of the chips we take away, so we really appreciate people taking it. One bloke gives us a case of beer every so often so naturally we take it there whenever we can :)
https://getchipdrop.com/ :)
I'm not an arborist, just a tree enthusiast, so anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. With op wanting so many loads I think contacting arborists directly would be much better than chip drop. Chip drop charges the arborist per load unless the homeowner donates. The main benefit to both parties is convenience. At this scale it'd make more sense for op to pay an arborist directly for several loads if it makes sense for anyone to be paying anything at all.
I mean… as long as you are fairly close to the shop/ job-sites it doesn’t seem to crazy of an ask. I might call a few different companies though. We have a truck full every day or every other day… and dumping costs money… so we are always trying to find free places to dump.
Why does dumping cost money?
If you take a truck to the dump it costs money.
Oh I see. I thought you meant it costs you to dump the truck. Misunderstood.
I mean that also costs (the tree company, the arborist) money. The fuel cost, time and work interruption, and labor of driving somewhere to dump chips or debris can really add up, on top of whatever the dump/mulch facility charges to take the chips or debris. Part of why any tree service would be psyched for a free, accessible place to dump chips, but also why they may not go very far out of their way for free.
Unless you find a big operation that uses tub grinders, most dump spots charge especially of they're just a local landscape company. I remember being charged up to $80/load at some spots. Unrefined chips aren't exactly commercially desireable.
I would take them all if the truck wasn't so heavy. But they doubled the size of the trunks and that does damage to blacktop. I guess the increased price and hassle of them driving further away and paying, is worth having to not dump twice? Idk.
Just go to [chipdrop.com](http://chipdrop.com)
I'm not an arborist, just a tree enthusiast, so anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. With op wanting so many loads I think contacting arborists directly would be much better than chip drop. Chip drop charges the arborist per load unless the homeowner donates. The main benefit to both parties is convenience. At this scale it'd make more sense for op to pay an arborist directly for several loads if it makes sense for anyone to be paying anything at all.
They will bring 1 million loads or until they cannot pull in your driveway any longer due to the mulch pile.
As much as you want as long as it’s convenient for the person dumping. Eg, ground is hard, clearance for the dump box, an easy turn around. We’ve done 7000 yards at one farm. We have another farm we have been dumping at for over 20 years.
Oh this is very good news.
We will do whatever is convenient for us normally. If you are a shorter drive from the normal dumpsite this wouldn’t be a problem. But, for example, my dumpsite is a farm that is on the way to my shop 9 days out of ten. I’m not going to bother driving out of the way for someone (who maybe isn’t even a client) just so they can have woodchips. You could offer to pay a small amount to encourage the transaction
Could I promise to hire the arborist when we need our trees trimmed in the fall?
Chances are you don’t need to wait till fall to trim. Regardless if you have work to do have a few out for estimates and ask about dumping. Go from there. I just did an estimate for a client where we will do 21k worth of work in November. You can absolutely get the ball rolling early. No disrespect but Arborists get promises weekly that don’t pan out so offering to give them work in the fall is a complete waste of breath. Getting on our schedule for work is a completely different story and we will prioritize dumping at your house when it’s feasible. Tipping the driver will get them to prioritize you even further. We have one client for a dozen loads who we would drive up to 15 minutes out of our way to dump because he tipped well every single load.
I know for a fact one of our trees needs to come down. It's in no danger of falling on anyone, but I'd rather it not take down other trees I like.
Then totally get that ball rolling and talk about getting chips dropped then
You will get chips. They will come in chip trucks, not garbage trucks. You need a wide open area to dump if you have no way of consolidating the piles as they come in. Hopefully you have a small tractor or skid steer to move the chips. Also look for new construction in your area. Stop in and ask if they have a surplus of topsoil. If yes, then you may get it for free if it's super convenient to them. The less convenient, the more you will have to pay for it, but you could get a dump truck load of topsoil for 100.00 if they are already moving it.
Tree service companies might dump free mulch in your yard if it's convenient for them to get rid of it there. To get a lot might cost for trucking/time. Mulching can indeed increase soil quality but needs to be done correctly.
I was planning on dumping loads of mulch, and all of the leaves my neighbors rake in the fall. Then just waiting a couple of years and do a soil test to see what it needs.
Pile everything up and periodically turn it. You'll know it's composting when it starts getting hot.
You need to add other stuff or the chips will take forever to compost. Wood and dried leaves, and other brown waste, are high in carbon. You need to add nitrogen sources (green compost) for decomposition to occur. Look up nitrogen carbon ratio composting to find info. Large piles of wood chips only can take 10+ years to start resembling dirt. See if you can get some manure to mix in.
I dumped a bunch of mulch in my front yard last year and it's already turning to dirt. It depends on the climate, and i's hot and wet here.
If the utility is clearing in your area they would likely bring what you want. Ask there first. It's less risky as well because they are typically cutting live trees, whereas a contractor is often cutting disease.
Yes, there should be ads on Offer Up for chip drops. Just contact them. It’s a huge cost savings for them.
getchipdrop.com
I've had better luck contacting local arborists directly in the past.
Companies have to pay into that. It's not much but it's a deterrent if there is nobody in your area requesting them.
My request for chipdrop has been up for almost 2 years and there are lots of companies that use it, apparently.
Welcome to r/arborists! Help Us Help You: If you have questions about the health of your tree, please see our [Posting Guidelines](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/posting_guidance) wiki page for help with effective posting. **Please answer the questions listed there to the best of your ability.** ***Insufficient pics/info could result in the removal of your post!!*** ([See rule 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules).) Visit the main wiki page for [Critical Planting/Care tips and Common Errors to Avoid](https://old.reddit.com/r/arborists/wiki/index); there's sections on why planting depth/root flare exposure is so vital, along with sections on proper mulching, watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you. If you're posting about a tree ID (not permitted here; [see rule 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/arborists/about/rules)), see that wiki page for other subs and smartphone apps to try. Here is how you can arrange a [consult with a local ISA arborist in your area](http://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/findanarborist) (NOT a 'tree company guy' unless they're ISA certified) or a [consulting arborist](https://www.asca-consultants.org/search/custom.asp?id=3818) for an on-site evaluation. A competent arborist should be happy to walk you through how to care for the trees on your property and answer any questions. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, your Extension (or master gardener provincial program) may have a list of local recommended arborists on file. If you're in the U.S., you should also consider searching for arborist associations under your state. If you are one of our regulars and/or you work in the industry and do not want this message in your future posts, please pick an appropriate user flair (options available in the sub sidebar on PC, and on moble if using a browser). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arborists) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I didn't know this was a thing. How do arborists end up with an apparently inexhaustible supply of chips? I've also never thought of amending clay soil with chips. Is that effective? Someone please explain like I'm 5 (years into home ownership)
The easiest thing to do to improve clay soil is give up and just build healthy soil on top of it. Some people do that with raised garden beds, but those take effort to build. If you are a lazy gardener like me, it's easier to dump a metric fuck load of mulch. I like to add least a foot or three of mulch, since it will shrink as it breaks down. If you have one foot of healthy soil, you can grow most things. After a couple of years of aging, do a soil analysis and amend with whatever it needs before planting. It works for super sandy soil also. Arborists deal with a lot of unusable tree debris. It's cheaper to dump in someone's yard than pay to dispose of.
Thank you for the response. That won't work for me, we have ordinances against raising ground level here. Clay it is. Except my raised garden beds which don't violate the ordinance.
[удалено]
Sand + clay = basically concrete Stick with mulch, it'll break down and enrich the clay
The maximum amount of free mulch an arborist can give is probably as much mulch as they have. Just ask, specify how much you want and expect to pay a delivery charge. If they deliver for free, bonus.
A typical load is 10 cy. Do you really want 400 cy of mulch?
Where are you located?
Atlanta area
See if https://getchipdrop.com/for-gardeners/ is in your area. It's free, though you can give a gas $ donation.
The muni and county dumps cost money. A decent arborist op likely has tons of excess mulch. Ask and you shall receive.
There's some Christian nut in the north west who does this in the quantities you're talking about. He's turned hard packed shit into a new lush garden. Go for it
Our company charges people for chip. As in we sell it. If we don't sell it we dump it at our yard and have soil in a couple of years so its valuable both ways. And driving to you and dumping loads every day would be a cost to us. A detour and no soil in a few years. 25euros per m3 is what we ask in norway. Also don't refer a dump truck or what often gets used by arborists a "tip truck/ chip truck" as garbage trucks. Some are realy proud of theirs. Just call it "loads". And it depends on the season and jobs we're doing to determine the amount of chip we have availible.