My favorite type of mulch is the kind that I get for free: wood chips, shredded leaves, saw dust, plant clippings, pet droppings & beddings, hay and stable beddings mixed with manure.
The last time I paid for mulch was 30+ years ago.
I always check the city and suburbs' recycling centers and park districts where they dump their woodchips.
I watch announcements on the neighborhood website and Freecycle and craigslist for Christmas tree shredding and mulch.
I watch road signs and tree trimming trucks and ask the workers for the woodchips. They are always happy to give away woodchips.
I also get pet droppings and beddings from neighbors.
My most favorite activity during a lull in the garden is hauling horse manure that is mixed with bedding from a stable in the suburb.
I make sure to get dark mulch from the back of the pile where the manure has been aged and any weed seeds that might be found in the horse manure have been heated and killed. This is my best mulch source for the past 20 years.
After some trials and errors, I discovered that hauling mulch in buckets worked best for me both for loading and unloading. And the Toyota Prius is marvelously roomy. It can haul 26 buckets of manure/mulch. 🐴🐴
