Bark Mulch

[nor'easter1]

any body sell the scraps out of the yard as mulch. Thinking about doing it. Wondering what kind of market I should approach. Do I want ot sell to distributors or nurseiers. Thinking of delivery by the truck load only. What kind of market is this. Thanks

 

[nor'easter1]

Yah sorry about the word scraps, I mean all of the chips that we pull off jobs. What is the selling value of that stuff.

 

[B.Secord]

Chips

In my part of the world, there are few trees and less chippers, we have found that just because we can supply a good product, that doesn't mean that anyone is willing to pay for it. We are presently going through a severe drought, and people are looking for multch, you would think that they would be willing to pay, but no way!!!!

I always give the owner of the tree the option of keeping the wood, then the chips, or we will clean the whole thing up. In my area good hardwood is, or should be at a premium, so we keep all the ash, spruce, and birch that is 4" and larger, for the wood. Poplar and all ornamental woods are chipped and stock-piled as chips. Elm has to be disposed of at the land fills, and burned.

Fire wood is also a hit and miss proposition, my bussiness is located in an agricultural community, and money is tight, almost to the point of being foolish.

No one waters tree
Tree dies
No one does anything
Tree falls on building
They call me to take it off building
They want me to work for free
My banker still wants me to pay for equipment

If you can make money off the wood or the chips GREAT, if you can't, just be happy you got paid to remove the tree!!!

Brent

 

[treeman82]

Well, there is a place in Brewster off of 202 that does that. They do land clearing, and they also have a yard where people pay to drop stuff off. What they do is, they take the material at their yard, and the chips from their machines. They bring it all back to the yard and run it through tub grinders to make mulch. Then they sell off that mulch to contractors. It does involve a couple of extra steps to do, and more $. However it widens your market to many more groups, and ups your price.

 

[BruceL]

Wood waste

You can grind and dye the waste. Dye comes in a powder form now that can be added to chips with a shovel. You would then have to grind which would cost around $60,000 to get into.

The dyed mulch in CT sells for about $10 - 17 a yard wholesale.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

In both firewood and chip, the only ones I know who make money are thos who can afford the economy of scale.

I used to keep a list of people who I could dump for cash. Then I found out was loosing more then I made by going out of the way to dump. If I could do one more job that day I would usually make more in comission.

Most people want what they can get in stores; no stringy twigs, no leaves...and they complain even if you give it to them for free. Then you dump it and they come running "I don't want that much, put some of it back!"

 

[treeman82]

The place in Brewster will come in for $4,000 / day with basically the equivalent of a 3680 Beast, and an excavator with the claw and grind up chips, stumps, brush, what have you. If you are only having them come in for 1 day, then you pay a trucking fee. If they are there for several days, then they wave the fee.

 

[kurtztree]

I had a hard time with the home owners to . They would say yeah I'll take two loads then you get there with one and they say I don't want that much. So I thought forget it. I went to the nurserys around town and now I got nice places to dump chips even if its wet. No more homeowners get chips unless they pay.

 

[topnotchtree]

My chipper is pretty light. I can tow it just about anywhere. I have pulled it right into back yards and unhooked it near a woodline. Broadcasted chips thruout (spelling?)woods. I can charge less cause I dont have to deal with chips, and lots of times puts chipper closer to trees! And the chips seem to dissappear on the forest floor.

 

[topnotchtree]

Are you guys finding it harder to dump for nurseries? With all the diseases seemingly spreading, I would think they would be hesitant of letting people dump chips near their trees.