Get Free Wood Chips: 8 Tips and 3 Tricks

Wood chips are a great resource for gardening. But why spend money to get them when you don't have to? I use a lot of wood chips and I get all mine for free. In this video, I give tips and tricks for getting free wood chips from 2 different sources. The first is where you go get the free wood chips, the second is where the free wood chips come to you.
So, first, where can you get free wood chips? Here's the first trick: Your city or county government may have a Free Wood Chip Program.
Tip #1: Find out if your local government has a Free Wood Chip program and learn its details in advance of when you need the chips.
Tip #2: Scout out the wood chip pickup locations and see which one will work best for you.
Tip #3: Determine in advance what quality of wood chips you are willing to accept.
Tip #4: Keep an eye on the wood chip pile at the site that works for you. When you see something good, then go get the permit. Don't get a permit before you've sen the quality of what's available.
I'll admit that getting wood chips from your local government may be free, but you still have to do get the chips and that costs money for gas, and your time, and maybe you don't have a way to haul those wood chips around. What if you could get the wood chips delivered to you for free? Here's the second trick: There is a lot a tree trimming going on by arborists, tree trimming companies, and even local utilities like the electric utility.
Tip #5: Your county cooperative extension office may have a list of mulch and compost sources for your area. Here's one for my county. Or contact your local utilities. Or just look up tree trimming companies for your town and start calling them.
Tip #6: Get on all the lists now or as soon as possible. If you want to do a favor for your friends and family, get them signed up right away, too.
It may still take awhile for you to get any free wood chips delivered this way. So here's the third trick -- Listen for the sounds of opportunity. What is that? The sound of chainsaws and industrial sized wood chippers.
Tip #7: Make it easy for the crew to give the wood chips to you. What do I mean by that? A busy, hard-working crew wants clear and simple directions to where they should drop their wood chips. They want easy access for whatever equipment they have, whether it's a small trailer or a big boom truck. They don't want to drive over rough ground or soft ground. And they sure don't want to run into overhead wires! So have an easily accessible drop off location already figured out.
Tip #8: use a team approach to get your chips. Make sure everyone in your household who is old enough knows the drill about talking to the head of the crew and has the instructions for specifically where to drop off the wood chips. Team up with your neighbors, too, especially if any of them are home a lot and could talk to the crew, or if any of them have a space that's easier to drop off a load of chips. You can all share the free wood chips. After all, part of a pile of free wood chips is better than no wood chips at all!
I hope you can use these tips and tricks to get all the free wood chips that you can use! if you have any tips or tricks for getting free wood chips, please let me know in the comments!
My video on mulching fruit trees with wood chips and cardboard: • Fruit Trees: Mulching ...
My playlist on gardening topics:
• In the Garden
My channel: Haphazard Homestead
/ @haphazardhomestead
Music:
"The Forest and the Trees and "Guts and Bourbon" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons...

[@HaphazardHomestead]

What's been your experience (good or bad) in getting free wood chips? Do you have any tips and tricks for getting free wood chips? Does your town or county have a free wood chip program?

[@denkinaga]

sounds better on +1.25 speed :) thx 4 video

[@kokai83]

because you mentioned getting woodchips from the county, I went to look at my counties site and found out I can get 30 liters of compost for free :) it's no wood chips but hey i'll take it:)

[@HaphazardHomestead]

That's a great deal for you. I'm glad you got something useful from my video, even if it wasn't what you expected. And good on your county government working for you! :D

[@davidschmidt270]

Thanks for the tip of listening for the sound of opportunity 👏👏👏👏

[@dwaykin6660]

The sound of opportunity was amazing. Great video, detailed and thorough, well done.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

Thanks! I hope you can hear the sound of opportunity near you, too -- just not when you are trying to relax in a moment of quiet. ; )

[@georgegibson707]

I have got many truckloads dumped at my house over the years. I have found it easiest and best to just wait and listen for jobs within earshot. Also it is quite important to speak to the person in charge, even better the owner of the company. Because sometimes the workers will actually prefer to drive back to the depot dump (I think it gives them a rest and a break) even though it will cost time and money. The boss on the other hand will be very happy to save time and money, by dumping closeby.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

You make a good point about talking to the person in charge. Listening for the "sound of opportunity" is my favorite way to get free wood chips, too. I just got another load last week, this same way. I've had 100% success in talking with crews in my neighborhood over the years, covering probably close to a dozen loads. The more wood chips, the better, for everyone! : )

[@georgegibson707]

I have got about a dozen big loads over the years too. Yes they are a great resource for a gardener, long may they continue. I heard in Europe they burn them industrially and so are not freely available. I really hope that practise doesn't happen to us.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

I hope these wood chips stay in their neighborhood, too! They have more value for keeping our local gardens productive, especially as the cost of wind and solar energy keeps dropping. Happy gardening!

[@Hi-gb9cf]

Great, great information on different ways of acquiring wood chips! Here in Nor Cal, Cal Trans will literally leave piles of wood chip off of the side of road. They leave the piles to breakdown over time. I have friend that will pull over and pick them up. Although, I'm a super picky wood chip collector. I prefer wood chips that are about 2 years old and well on their way of breaking down. There is a park by my house with a huge pile and the rangers are happy that I pick them up. It works out great for both parties!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Growing with Joe That's great! The folks that generate the wood chips really do struggle to get rid of all of them -- which works out well for us gardeners! I like watching a pile of wood chips break down. There can be some really interesting mushrooms and they change as the pile changes. It does pay to be picky about the chips! Thanks for commenting!

[@davidschmidt270]

Dang your lucky bro!!!

[@Adamweb1]

Nicely made video. Great efforts. Thanks and God bless you and your family.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Adamweb1 Glad you enjoyed my video and thanks for the kind words. I hope you have plenty of wood chips in your future!

[@michaelwauschektechnoshama8259]

Very easy explaining able especially if your new of gardening

[@HaphazardHomestead]

Thanks, Micheal! I hope you can get yourself plenty of wood chips. They are so great for a garden!

[@mumbaibalconygardenerhobbies]

Great information n tips even though I can't use any of them. How I wish we had a wood chip programme here!!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Mumbai Balcony Gardener | Avid Life Observer Thanks! You do a good job with your worms and compost, though!

[@TheCallie1981]

thanks.. . got a couple tips haven't heard before!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

You're welcome! I hope you get plenty of free wood chips, too!

[@drippingwater7531]

Very concise and informative video! I'm going to make calls right away.Thank you.

[@joybickerstaff194]

Hi ya Hap! I appreciate ur tips and tricks on getting wood chips, several years ago I saw a crew trimming trees from power lines right n front of my house and had asked if they would dump their load, they said sure, but didn’t. I will check the places u suggested. What’s ur advice/knowledge on wood chips being n the garden??? Thank u

[@LCJfarms]

great tips we can get free compost at our dump when they are available I have not looked into delivery yet

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+LCJ farms That's great about getting compost at your dump. Let me know if you get on some tree trimming company or utility lists and get some chips! They would break down pretty quickly in your area!

[@Sandra-nx3pl]

thank you for the tip....!!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

I'm glad that my video was helpful. I hope you get plenty of wood chips yourself!

[@jerrywhite799]

Nice

[@bobgunner3086]

I wonder too if it might be easier to get woodchips from tree services in the last summer and early fall as opposed to the spring. Seems everyone wants wood chips in the sprint to prep their landscaping and garden beds.

[@nicholaslewis3277]

That's great! Thanks

[@sansomspressurecleaningpoo9519]

Good video thanks.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

I hope you get plenty of wood chips! :D

[@Mrbfgray]

That cat looks almost identical to one of mine including the weight. :D

[@quercus4730]

Did I miss it or did you not mention types of wood chips you don't want. Good video, Thank you.

[@brendaviars306]

i would appreciate any assitance in getting free woodchips or seedlings this is my first garden any instructions with knowledge you care to share

[@coolvideo28]

Great video

[@nut913]

I like how it's your local government and it's a wasteful department that could be easily absorbed to save more money.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

haha - I don't know how my town organizes their departments -- some department probably could absorb some other department! But some group has to manage physical resources for the city infrastructure. So I'm glad they chip all the wood from trimming in the parks, street medians, school yards, and other city property and make that available to all of us, instead of making us buy our own trees back from a landscaping company. They do the same for leaves in the fall, too. It helps more people have successful gardens and helps our region's food security. I hope your community can do something similar.

[@Wurmo]

My city only allows a free delivery of a sq yard minimum of wood chips. No loading your own pick ups. :(

[@melodycapehartmedina2264]

Great tips! Was wondering about how many fruit trees you have from all you gave away and see you have a lot. Are they Dwarfs, because they don't look real tall?

[@melodycapehartmedina2264]

***** Hey Girllll, I love seeing that broad brim hat. Not many can rock that look, must be perfect with your TX big hair (a must have here).I am so glad you shared this channel! I truly admire all who share so much with other's!

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Melody Capehart Medina I'll have to go out and get a count on my fruit trees. The ones you see in this video are all semi-dwarfs, mostly apples and a couple pears. I have 20-25 others, too, scattered around the place. (My 'Mother's Day video shows their spring blooms from a lot of them.) Anyway, in my view, semi-dwarfs provide the best combination of productivity, the space required, and the ability to handle tough conditions. Dwarf trees require watering here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. They just don't have a big enough root system. Full-sized trees have much bigger root systems, but they take a lot more space (I have some in other parts of the homestead) and are harder to pick. Semi-dwarf trees offer the best of each.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Melody Capehart Medina I went out and counted... Depending on how you count, it looks like I've got 30-35 fruit trees other than the ones in this video. Some are old, some are pretty new. Some are really great, others vary from year to year, and others need to be grafted over to something else or join the wood chip pile! : )

[@melodycapehartmedina2264]

+HChrisH200 - Haphazard Homestead Great tip on the watering of Dwarfs. I had not heard that and good to know. I have a major height issue so not ladders for me, the closer to the ground the better. As far a yield though would it be better to plant two dwarfs to equal the same as full sized?

[@HaphazardHomestead]

+Melody Capehart Medina That may depend on the specific variety, but I don't think 2 full dwarf trees can equal 1 full sized tree. Semi-dwarf trees are much more productive and can generally be pruned to be easily accessible. There are exceptions -- a Gravenstein apple is 'vigorous' to put it mildly. A lot of the fruit tree catalogs have nice charts that show what the ultimate size and yield will be of different varieties put on different rootstocks. That may be worth a video or even a whole series! : )

[@jeffdinter6208]

Check out chipdrop

[@MrSemilla123]

Wont they attract termites and mice and roaches etc.?