Pine needles? shredded paper? chipped wood from tree removal companies?

Don't forget to check out your local freecycle group for mulch sources.

How about newspaper...I save all my papers and use them...

Try calling local tree trimmers. Many times they will be happy to dump a free load of mulch in your yard instead of paying to get rid of them.

Lee

All of your suggestions should keep me busy checking things out. I use newspaper to cover the soil then put manure/compost at $.97 a bag on top. I really love this method as it makes a great weed barrier and offers all the plus' of mulch. Ruthie, how do you hold yours down? I'd love to get my hands on big bags of shredded paper but most co's. will not allow their shredding to be given away. I have not seen or heard about a "freecycle" in the area. We have an agency that is big on the recycling with home garbage pickup and urging everyone to compost grass clippings. I'll do some snooping around on this. We had a great source a couple of years ago after the really bad fires in the San Bernardino Mtns. They cut the trees down that were still standing plus any that were infected by a beetle that is doing a job of wiping out our forests around here. They put all the wood through shredders/grinders and gave it away free. People really jumped on that fast and it was gone lickty split.

I will try the tree trimming services and lumber yards, and I'll even call the city. Very occasionally I've heard they have extra to spare as they p/u the Christmas trees and grind them up. Most is used by the city but sometimes I've heard of a little extra.

Thanks kids for the suggestions. I'm still open for ideas.

There is a freecycle in San Bernadino

Here is a link that might be useful: San Berdoo freecycle

I don't know how helpful this tip will be if you live in a suburban area, but I live in a house surrounded by woods. I suck up the fallen leaves in a leaf mulcher/vac, dump them out, mulch/vac them one more time to make them really fine and use that for mulch. It's free and I have an endless supply, but, like I said, chances are, your leaves are all gone by now.

You might want to consider your electric company, most electric companies have tree trimmers on payroll that go around and trim up the trees that are getting close to threaten the power lines by them.

Our electric company has a form, you fill it out, mail it in, and the next time they are in your area, they will dump some for you.

Blessed Be,
Carrie Ann

I forgot to add rabbit poop...I contacted local breeders in my area (did a web search) and pick up poop that already has wood shavings in it.

You can put rabbit manure directly on your garden without having to compost it first.

I've used grass clippings for 3 years and never had an issue with weed seeds. Ever.

Kristin

Hearing the sound of the utility company contractor's huge chipper I drove over to where they were cutting in hopes of getting a load. Changed my mind pronto when I saw all the poison oak/ivy!

As allergic as I am to it I decided a load of good stuff would be cheaper than the Dr. bills.

I regularly pick up bags of free sawdust from a local woodcarver/wood shop, which helps them out since it reduces their dumpster load. I do let mine sit about 6 months to compost before using it, but if you want to use it right away, you could add a sprinkling of alfalfa pellets (super cheap at feed stores) or used coffee ground from Starbucks first, then sprinkle on an inch or two of sawdust. This should keep the uncomposted sawdust from robbing nitrogen from the soil.

There was a horse farm near me,, they had a sign out-free manure/u dig. I brought my shovel and a black plastic bag and had to let it sit a year,but it was the best fert I ever used. Guess what? The farm is gone, McMansions replaced it.

My favorite cheap mulch is those big bags of wood shavings you get at Farm/Pet supply places. They come is a plastic bag--size is about 2/3's the size of a bale of hay. Cost is about $5 or so as I remember. Should be able to fit in the truck of your car.

I had a bag leftover from when I use to have chickens and I used them in their nesting boxes. I've been using it as a soil amendment (it's been sitting around for months) and for mulch. Looks kinda neat, and smells good too. Esp. when you have put Starbucks coffee grounds on first. The aroma is earthy.

Oh make sure you don't get anything but PINE shavings. I think they sell cedar and other kinds. Maybe fir is ok. but not cedar or redwood.

My other favorite cheap mulch is straw. Another thing I had leftover from the chickens. This might not be easy to get unless you live close to a farm area. But it's straw (not hay) has no seeds. It spread out easily and covers a huge area and looks sort of like a summer nativity scene.
I'll try to post a photo when I get back from town.
Rahma

Here is a new flower bed I'm working on in which I spread straw mulch over. First I dug it out really well, then watered it and sprinkled alfalfa meal and coffee grounds over the dirt, and topped it off with straw. There is some of the wood shaving mulch at the edge. Only half done as you can see from the pitchfork at the back.
Only cost was a few new plants. I had the flat rocks somewhere else which wasn't working.
It's still a ways from how I want it to be, but you should see the Before photo!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:51331}}

I agree with alisonn on the shredded leaves. Works wonderful. I started using them last year and left a test garden with shredded mulch. Come spring the beds mulched with shredded leaves looked great and the few weeds that came up pulled up easily. The bed I left shredded mulch on was loaded with weeds and the trowel had a hard time getting into the soil to dig them out.

Its a thought for this fall. (unless you have some neighbors that are just now doing spring cleaning.)

Good luck

Carey

I've not had problems with weeds using lawn clippings either. The only problem was with a great increase in earthworms which attracted skunks, raccoons and 'possums who cultivated my garden to the point of uprooting a rosebush, searching out all those worms!

Wow, is this just cool and a half to have so many ideas being shared for cheap compost? My leaves have been raked, crushed and applied to the soil. I didn't get near as many this year because we had a few very windy days in Nov., my neighbors leaves and mine in the front yard blew away so I got just half as much. Normally I would use grass clippings but where I placed some, it turned into a weed patch. I didn't say it here but on another forum, a big problem that I have is that our home backs up to the Mojave Desert and also is right in the path of the winds that roar up the Cajon Pass. You can imagine with the loose soil in the desert and the numerous weeds, staying ahead of them takes plenty of effort. I'm not a big fan of chemicals either. We have a mulching mower so we leave the grass clippings and do weed prevention instead. I thought the wood shavings idea was great. You get a lot of coverage once one of those bundles is opened. Of course they would have to be balanced w/nitrogen. I did use the last of our wood pellets for the pellet stove we had and they will expand once water hits them, again nitrogen must be supplied. We don't see utility co's. out trimming around here. We are a new community that has been growning over 16 yrs, expecially the last 3. All of the utilities are underground so no issues with wires and trees.

I need to search out some other source ideas, like the Starbucks half a mile away. I do have access to several feed stores as people do have a variety of animals in the surrounding communities.

Thank you all for the ideas. I'm sure this will be a great source for many gardners stretching their pennies.

I work at a gas station and we have tons of cardboard waste that we recycle every day. We are glad to save cardboard for people if they come in and ask for it, so there are probably some places in your area that would do this for you, too. Big Box Stores usually are annoyed by saving boxes because it is so much trouble but if you try a place like a gas station or C-Store, they have a small number of staff, so it is easy to keep track of someone needing cardboard. You might give that a try. :)

Wood mulch

Here is a link that might be useful: cheap organic mulch

I don't think that paper products make a good mulch. Because when they get wet they feel like mud and block the breathung of soil, wont let the water to go down freely.
Best mulch is leaves; maple, oak, pine needles, or a mixture of them(avoid black walnut). They last for the saeson and then when you turn over your garden they mix well and become composted. Tree chips are ok for mulching like shrubs, around trees but not in the garden. Because when they get mixed with garden soils will have a lot of air pockets around then and wont compost easily. Plus wood stuff is a good breading ground for fungi.

So my advice to you is to use either brown leave(whole or chopped by lawn mower) or semi-composted of the same stuff(look black).

Not that only they prevent weeds, keeps plant root cool, save water, but also are fluffy and let air to get in and excess moisture to get out. Paper products just won't do this. Saw dust is also good but not wook shaving. Coffee grind is not a mulch but it is an excellent composting material and soil amendment.

Another good mulch would be plant compost, mostly made of leaves chopped wood, garden clippings. The best source for this type of compost could be your municipal/county composting. They usually sell them fairly cheap.

How in the world could you use shredded paper...I can not see how it would stay down. I have been using my newspaper down first and then I did buy inexpensive wood mulch for on top. HD and Lowes has huge bags for less than $4.

Now I assume you live near at top of Cajon Pass...I lived at the bottom area for a long time. I live in Moreno Valley now and I do know what you mean by wind and dirt from Palm Springs. I put down the landscaping cloth at first and then wood mulch. The dirt filled up on top of it and then the seeds from neighbors weeds and grass got in and it was horrible getting it cleaned out. I found the newspaper with mulch on top works better. I have my beds lined with cement block and I do get some weeds going for the moist soil under the block. But that is nothing like the landscaping cloth. I am gona also try cardboard out back in the hard sand beds after I put down chicken wire to stop the gophers from getting my plants. Lost 4 good grape vines over last fall.

I am 66 yrs old and have a truck. I uses a very small car to haul my mulch.

I have started using the spent blossoms off of my many hibiscus bushes...it is colorful too! Hibiscus is edible and is perfect for mulching in a vegetable garden!!!

For weed barrier, if you have any sort of livestock operation around you, ask them to save feed sacks for you.

Some are layers of paper, some are a woven plastic fabric. Either kind makes a nice weed barrier. You'll have to weight them down with rocks if you have wind.

Or you can go to the local humane society and ask them to save dog food bags for you. They are layers of heavy paper with a plastic liner.

The sacks will get you started and over the years, you can convert to more organic types that enrich the soil.

Starting right out from scratch and doing a lot of really nice mulch would cost a bundle, but you can build up to it.

If you've got a bit of cash and some space, you can order an entire truckload of pine shavings. They are sold as horse bedding. It's a lot cheaper than buying it by the bales.

If you buy pine shavings, I suggest that you let them age before you use them.

i asked a company that was trimming for the electric company and they will give you a full load but nothing else.