Neighborhood Mulch Preserves

The Neighborhood Mulch Preserves are an integral part of the Division of Solid Waste Services' effort to decentralize the management of yard trimmings, in this case, brush.  This program helps the County reduce the costs of transporting this material and of processing it into compost.  Plus, the Preserves provide convenient community access to a free, valuable resource for  yards and gardens: mulch!

Brush -- twigs and branches collected curbside from residents on their recycling day -- is hauled to the Shady Grove Transfer Station.  At the Transfer Station, the brush is passed through a tub grinder, which shreds the woody material into pieces roughly 2 to 4 inches long.  The resulting mulch is then transported to the distribution sites listed below.  (In January and February, the mulch is largely composed of recycled Christmas trees, making that a great time to pick up a high-quality -- not to mention fragrant! -- mulch for use later in the year.)

Can you deliver mulch to me?

• Individual residents
  • Mulch Preserve users must load and transport their own mulch. Please bring your own tools and bags/containers.
• School or community beautification projects
  • We may be able to deliver mulch, depending on our staff and truck availability. Note that there is a 4 cubic yard minimum (a pile about the size of a Volkswagon Beetle). Sorry, this delivery service is limited to public projects; we are unable to deliver to individual homes. Contact us for more information, or call 240-777-6400.

Mulch Preserve Locations

Derwood/Rockville/Gaithersburg | Poolesville | Silver Spring

We regret that several Mulch Preserve locations have been discontinued due to illegal dumping.

Derwood/Rockville/Gaithersburg

Montgomery County Recycling Center
16105 Frederick Rd., 20855
Monday-Friday: 7:30 am to 7:30 pm
Saturday: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Directions:

• If heading North on Route 355:
  • cross King Farm Boulevard
  • turn right into the Transfer Station/Recycling Center property at the next traffic light
• If heading South on Route 355:
  • cross Shady Grove Road
  • turn left at the next traffic light
• Once on the property, follow the driveway back into the property, and take the last right turn before the Public Unloading Ramp.
• The mulch pile is to the left of the Recycling Center building.

Poolesville

E. E. Halmos Park
(Bodmer Ave Entrance), 20837
Open: Daylight hours
Directions:
- take Rte 28 W to Rte 107 N
- make left on Fox Ave
- turn right onto Hughes Rd
- turn left onto Bodmer Ave

Silver Spring

Colesville Maintenance Depot
14335 Cape May Rd, 20904
Open: Daylight hours
Directions:
- North on Randolph Rd
- Just off of New Hampshire Ave., right onto Cape May Rd.
- Depot located about 2 blocks on right.

How can you use free County mulch?

The free mulch provided by your Neighborhood Mulch Preserve is good for:

• use on woody plants such as bushes, shrubs, and trees
• use as a cover material on walkways or other areas where you want to control vegetation.
• a carbon-rich addition to home compost piles

What free mulch is NOT good for...

Free mulch provided by your Neighborhood Mulch Preserve is not the same product that you buy from garden centers or nurseries! Please observe the following cautions when using it:

• Free mulch is "green" mulch and must be aged for at least 6-8 months before it can be used for your flowers, vegetables, or other plants with tender or shallow root systems.
• CAUTION! Mulch may contain allergens, poison ivy, termites, and/or carpenter ants. Composting/curing may eliminate most of these problems. You should wear proper clothing when handling this mulch, such as: a long sleeve shirt and pants, gloves, eye protection and a dust mask. The Division of Solid Waste Services makes no guarantee concerning the quality of the mulch, nor assumes any liability for injury or property damage as a result of the use of this mulch.

For more information about using mulch, contact us by email or call 240-777-6410.   Additional information about environmentally-friendly landscaping and water conservation is available from the Department of Environmental Protection.