Free mulch is a good thing

This is a HUGE pile of organic mulch.  A while back my neighbor asked if I would be interested in going in on some mulch. "Yeah!" Well I forgot all about it till yesterday.  I pulled into my driveway and saw this giant pile in my neighbors driveway.  As soon as I stepped outside my car I saw my neighbor giving me the thumbs up. WOOOOOOOT!!!!! 

I had one hour till I needed to cook dinner so I quickly went to work.  One of my 9 year old twins helped me which was fun.  Our mulch from years past was so thin that the weeds started to grow everywhere.  First thing I did was lay mulch by the wood pile.  My husband was so happy.  We have a french drain along our small sidewalk because it floods easily. Mulch on top just gives it a finishing touch.  Once I sweep it will look a lot better.

Next I went to work on our area by the fireplace.  We can see this area from our living room so it must be done.  I managed to get to the large tree but will need to finish the rest today.  When laying down organic mulch you have to remember not to put any around the base of any plants because it will suck away all the nutrients from the plants to the mulch. We don't need that. So I keep a clear area under all my plants.

And here is what I am doing today.  I need to rake all those leaves and put them into my compost bins or garden beds.  These leaves are tiny and will break down pretty fast.  Then I need to spread mulch along that wall and our fence.  Its going to make our yard look so much nicer!

So I bet your asking how we managed to get free mulch? Well its pretty easy actually.  My neighbor once worked for a tree maintenance service company.  When a company is done doing tree maintenance they usually give the mulch to the city which distributes it to parks around the city.  But if you call they will deliver it for free to your home.  Not all do this so I could call around to your local tree service companies.  Here in NW Portland you can call this place.  BUT remember its organic and needs to be spread within a few days.  It will break down and start to mold. Once its spread it won't mold.  You also won't be guaranteed what kind of tree mulch your getting. Sometimes it has lots of pine. If it does make sure to only put pine around areas you don't want weeds or garden veggies. Blueberry plants love it though.  Honestly this stuff is WAY prettier than any bark dust and heck its free!

                                                             Northwest Tree Specialist

2074 NW Aloclek Drive, Suite 403
Hillsboro OR 97124
Phone 503-645-2242
Fax 503-645-9399
1-877-8MY-TREE