The City of Oakley will once again offer free wood chips! This time around we have teamed up with our friends at Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery (MDRR). This partnership brings a special offering of free compost as well as wood chips.
Wood chips and compost will be available for pick-up on Saturday, October 15th, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the City Yard at the corner of Neroly Road and Main Street (entrance on Neroly Rd). Oakley residents need to bring their own tools/shovels and bags/containers to load and carry the mulch and/or compost, and a tarp to cover if necessary. There is a 5-yard limit per resident per day. 5 yards total of any combination of chips and compost. A valid Oakley ID may be required.
The arborist chips are from trees pruned and/or removed from the Oakley/Brentwood area. The chips are organic, coarse, mixed with leaves and twigs, and the quality varies. It is not like the commercial bark products one might purchase from a landscape store but provides the same benefits – retains moisture in the soil (minimizes evaporation), discourages weeds from growing, helps protect roots from extreme temperatures, reduces soil compaction, and slowly decomposes while releasing nutrients into the soil. 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 away from the trunk.
The compost is derived from locally sourced materials that are collected by MDRR. This is a finished compost perfect for use in your gardens to add amendments and nutrients into your existing soils. Although compost can be used as a mulch, it is best used to improve existing soil conditions. Mix compost into the top 6-inch layer of your soil within planters and garden beds. You can even directly sow seeds into compost.