Hi!
I have heard that the county sells or gives away trucks of compost/top soil /mulch. Is it true? If so, how do I get hold of it?
thank you
Anna
free or cheap compost/top soil from your county?????
I haven't heard that, but I have a pile of manure/stall shavings that are composting you are welcome to come get! ;)
Cobb County charges about $30 for a pickup truck load so I don't know about free in your county.
I have been using cotton trash in my beds. A rose grower in Thomasville said he used in his roses and most other flowers. I have mixed it with horse manure and it is great for the flowers.
Hi Jenks, thank you for your offer but you are too far away from me and I don't have a truck. :o)
LOL! np!
hcmcdole, you load into your own truck or they deliver?
eco,
In my own truck. Not sure if the county will deliver.
Most places that deliver will charge a delivery charge which might be okay if you have a bunch delivered.
For example, Home Depot used to charge $50 for a delivery but if you were getting wood for a deck or a shed/barn then it is well worth it.
I had 5 tons of gravel delivered from a local stone center for a $35 dollar charge which beat 5 trips in my truck. I still had to go pick up another 2 tons in my truck so I messed up on my estimates on this project (gravel floor for a greenhouse).
wow, is that a 2 story greenhouse? guess gravel weighs more than you'd think huh? lol
No, the gravel is just to level the floor and used for drainage. The size was 14'x18' but one corner was over 10 inches deep while the diagonal corner was maybe 4 to 5 inches deep. The bad thing is we erected the greenhouse first, then wheelbarrowed nearly 7 tons of gravel up a small hill (from the driveway to the greenhouse) and filled it through a single width door. Hindsight being 20/20, we should've had the gravel on hand after we put the foundation in, then erected the greenhouse.
A ton of gravel over an area of 14'x18' would only be about an inch thick.
Here is the front of the greenhouse before the sides went up.
This message was edited May 25, 2006 1:58 PM
What a cute greenhouse, butch. where did you get it from?
I ordered this online from some company in VA. It took several weeks for it to come in because - come to find out they were only the American distributors. It actually is built from a Canadian company. It was a Cross Country design.
Here is the web site I bought it from:
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/country-twin.shtml
14' x 18' is a pretty big space, your right.
How's it working out?
Thank you Butch.
We moved two years ago. Sold the old house this past December so I hope the new owners enjoy the greenhouse. I had it for 3 years and enjoyed it but it soon became too small.
Most comments I've read about greenhouses is that they always buy too small. That was true for me too. Even though it was plenty big to begin with, it soon becomes overfilled just like a house. The last winter I had it, I couldn't get everything in there even with storing the big pots in the garage. I used our shed (12'x16') to hold most of my bromeliads but the kerosene heater I bought for this space didn't work too good (it would light but fizzle out after I left it for the night). Needless to say I lost over half of my bromeliads.
The next greenhouse has to be at least twice but I could go for even more.
Hope you got a lot of land then! lol
Back on the free compost/mulch question, some counties and/or municipalities do give it away free (if you're lucky enough to live in the city of Morrow they BRING it to you). Most just allow you to come and pick it up. We did this, and it's backbreaking. It means you shovel the stuff 3 times--once to get it into the truck, once to get it into the wheelbarrow, and once to get it from the wheelbarrow to the bed. If you know where your re-cycling center is, mulch is probably there. Or, contact your county agricultural extension service office for information. Google to get phone or website info, or just look up your county info.
Thank you Soup, i will check that.
City of Loganville gives it away free to residents! You can pick it up anytime yourself. If the guys are there...they will help load it for you at NO CHARGE! Delivery is available within the city but cost a nominal fee. Big storms means tones of newly shredded mulch. Unsure about compost.
Thank you everyone. I will check on Monday.
Dekalb county gives it away.. you shovel Google, "dekalb county GA free mulch"
City of Smyrna gives away free leaf mold. Will load for you. Smyrna Public works dept.
GA market Bulliten has free manure listings.
:)
Susan
thank you Susan!
Dekalb has now limited the places to pick up the mulch. Nothing available close to downtown. My hubby won't go that far to load it into trash cans (it could take us all day just to get enough to do the garden!!). We don't have a pick up truck.
I can't carry much in the bike basket either :)
GGG
No riding in a bike and filling up the basket?!! :) Boy I'd be in the best of shape if I rode!
:)
Susan
If you look around I'm sure you can find free or next to free mulch. I get mine from Sea pines plantation on Hilton Head. They actually deliver it for free.
Just watch what you're getting. I got a load from my EMC when they trimed the trees on my road. Some were big chunks, a lot of pine and termites :( It took 2 years before I'd consider using it, would not do it again.
My favorite thing is to use newpaper (worms love it) and then cover with cypress mulch or a lot of pinestraw.
ugh Vi... yes, check the source first.... Lots of folks use the composted sludge available in my county and I know it's supposed to be fine, but I haven't ran out of other stuff yet I guess and I haven't used it.. It scares me for some reason.
Newspaper is wonderul, but don't make the same mistakes I have made... Don't lay them out over you area and then leave them to be as is... they will be blowing down the street and all over your neighbor's yards. They need a little bit of weight to keep them in place.. Also, too many sheets and you will PREVENT water from getting to the plants and it will act as a barrier.
:)
Susan