Neighborhood Mulch Preserves

Neighborhood Mulch Preserves are part of our effort to decentralize the management of yard trimmings, in this case, brush.  This program helps us 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 Processing Facility and Transfer Station.  Here, 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 mostly from recycled Christmas trees. That's 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?

Sorry, we do not deliver mulch.

You must load and transport the mulch you wish to take. Please bring your own tools and bags/containers.

Where are Preserves located?

Montgomery County Recycling Center /
Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

16105 Frederick Rd.
Derwood, MD 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.

E. E. Halmos Park

(Bodmer Ave Entrance)
Poolesville, MD 20837
Open: Daylight hours

Directions:

• Take Route 28 West to Route 107 North
• Turn left onto Fox Avenue
• Turn right onto Hughes Road
• Turn left onto Bodmer Avenue

How can you use free County mulch?

The mulch from our Neighborhood Mulch Preserves 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

Mulch from our Neighborhood Mulch Preserves is not the same product that you buy from garden centers or nurseries!

Please observe these cautions:

Age the mulch before applying it. Our mulch is "green". It must be aged for at least 6 to 8 months before it can be used for your flowers, vegetables, or other plants with tender or shallow root systems.

Wear protective clothing. Mulch may contain allergens, poison ivy, termites, and/or carpenter ants. (Composting/curing may eliminate most of these problems.) 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.

Contact us for more information about using mulch.  

The Department of Environmental Protection has additional information about environmentally-friendly landscaping and water conservation.