See link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Fairfax County Mulch

What mom and I used to do...back when I was a city girl.. was to watch for people to put out bags of leaves when they started their spring yard clean up...I still get the urge...We know people thought we were crazy, but we'd stop and toss the bags in the back of our cars and make off like a bandit with the goods...If you see a little red pick up in you area doing this, it is probably my brother.

If you don't have a place for a compost pile you can leave the leaves in the bags, especially black bags. Add a little water and a handful of 10-10-10 and set them in the sun. They will break down to compost in a jiffy...Of course you can mulch with leaves just as they are, or if you have a way to grind them, they will stay put even better... We ground ours by running a pile of them with an old lawnmower and blew it against a fence...

"O"

I've picked it up at the Yates Ford Road spot. They just drop a few truckloads there a few times a year and no one is there to care how you get it out. Not far from Manassas.

On the Fairfax County link above, there is a column for "Mulch Hauling Companies". Early last year (I think it was last year...my mind is slipping) I had Miller & Sons deliver a big ole truck full (around 15 yards) for $85 to my home in Sterling (Loudoun County). I think the price may have gone up a little since then. I would do it again, but that is a LOT of mulch to try and use up on a 1/4 acre plot. Just last month I forked out $120 to get 4 yards delivered and you can often find me driving around in my Matrix with four 25 gallon totes filled with mulch from the Baron Cameron location (an upgrade from the Corsica that could only hold 3 bins, two of them in the backseat)

- Brent

Another idea is just to throw yourself in front of any passing tree service truck that wanders down your road and plead for whatever is in the truck. I've gotten several piles of woodchips as big as a Honda Odyssey that way. Of course, the chips aren't colored and they come mixed with leaves, occasional bits of trash and stuff. Still a pretty good deal (free) and it all rots anyway!

Following up on the tree service angle, call up a bunch and get yourself on their list. There are several in the area that will dump large amounts of shredded wood for free whenever they are working in your neck of the woods. Works out well for everyone, because they would otherwise have to pay money to dispose of the load.

Suja

Does your county or municipality offer free leaf mulch in the spring? Falls Church does, but that may be for residents only. Otherwise, I second the recommendation for the Fairfax transfer station on West Ox. I paid a hauler $75 for a half-truckload a year or two ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't use anywhere near that amount right away, so I left the rest sit where it was dumped. Last weekend I finally dug into it, and it had turned into the blackest, richest compost I've ever seen. It /almost/ looked like Midwestern black topsoil. Ah, the memories...

We own a tree service and we are always willing to GIVE away the chips to anyone within the area that we are working. Call some and let them know you need them. They should be happy to give you some!

I have composted horse manure out here in Western Loudoun, if you're interested. Free! I use pelleted bedding so there is minimal wood, and we turn regularly. I still have a good amount of aged compost left -- my usual takers didn't use it all up...

Oh Janetvdv - where in Western Loudoun? I have a garden in Middleburg in need of organic matter...

Janetvdv
If you want to sell or get rid of your composted manure please let me know.
It is getting very hard to get and soil here in haymarket is very poor.