Oakley Residents Offered Free Wood Chips to Help with Drought!
Need some wood chips/mulch for your landscaping? The City of Oakley and Diablo Water District have teamed with West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA) to offer free wood chips to spread as mulch around trees and shrubs.
The wood chips are from trees pruned and/or removed from the Oakley/Brentwood area. The chips are organic and coarse, and mixed with leaves and twigs, and the quality varies. It is not like the commercial bark products you purchase from a landscape store, but provides the same benefits ‐ retains moisture in the soil (minimizes evaporation), discourages grass and weeds from growing, protects roots from extreme cold or heat, reduces soil compactions, and slowly decomposes and releases nutrients into the soil.
Wood chips are available for pick‐up Saturday, March 23, 2019 ‐ 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., at the City Yard at the corner of Neroly Road and Main Street (entrance on Neroly). Depending on the response, more dates may be established. Residents need to bring their own tools/shovels and bags/containers to load and carry the mulch, and a tarp to cover if necessary. Initially we’re asking the public to not take more than 5 yards at a time. Supplies are limited.
Kelley Gilleran, Certified Arborist, WCA, said, “It’s best to apply a 4’ foot circle of chips around your tree and/or shrubs, at least 3” inches deep, and keeping it a few inches from the trunk.”