Free mulch available in Silver Spring

UPDATE, April 3, 2013:
The Silver Spring Mulch Preserve is closed.  We continue to offer mulch in Derwood and Poolesville.  Visit our Neighborhood Mulch Preserve page for details.

Our "Neighborhood Mulch Preserve" in Silver Spring [link removed] is (re)opened for business! We had closed it for a few weeks while figuring out some restocking issues. Consider taking some of this mulch for your next project. And, did I mention that it's available at no charge? Come early and often; bring your own containers and shovels/pitchforks!

I heard the mulch is green... What you're offering looks pretty brown to me...

You're right: it is brown in color. It's called "green" because it's freshly-ground mulch. That's fine for applications like covering pathways. However, don't use it around your prized petunias until it's aged for at least a few months. Why not? Fresh mulch uses nitrogen as it decomposes. If spread around tender plants, the mulch would compete with them for that nitrogen, and chances are that the plants wouldn't fare so well.

What is the mulch made of?

The ingredients are simple: the brush Montgomery County residents set out for curbside pickup, and the brush delivered directly to the Shady Grove Transfer Station.

Where do I get your mulch?

Here are the details for the Silver Spring location.