In my area, they only shred Xmas trees for free mulch. You can even see bits of tinsel left in there. But they get shredded, then by the time we go to get it, (May) it has had a bit of time to "settle down". But, it's mostly needles, and not that much wood. So, what's gonna grow in it? Another thing that happens is old pallets, and lumber from build sites get separated. and shredded, but these get sold in bags. Call and ask what they shred.

Here are some very interesting articles I found regarding inherent problems with hardwood mulches - robbing Nitrogen and Artillery Fungus. Be sure to read about the Artilery (Shotgun) Fungus: http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=766&bhcd2=1176401499 http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3304.html http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/july97/fungus.html http://aginfo.psu.edu/PSA/ws2000/green5.html "Hardwood tree bark (oak, maple, etc.), even from large trees, contains a large concentration of cellulose that is not protected from rotting. Therefore, hardwood bark mulches, like ground wood from almost all tree species, rot readily and cause most of the nuisance mold problems in the landscape. The finer the product is ground, the more severe the problem can be! These materials are low in nitrogen content. The fine particles (less than 3/4" diameter) in such mulches cause nitrogen immobilization in soil. The microflora that decomposes the wood particles takes up the nitrogen required for growth of plants. The result is that the plant becomes starved for nitrogen. Some mulch producers screen all particles smaller than 3/8" out of high-wood-content or hardwood-bark mulches, which avoids most of the nitrogen immobilization problem. The best way to avoid all these problems and bring about beneficial effects by mulching is to add nitrogen to woody and hardwood bark products followed by composting to lower the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Blending of grass clippings with wood wastes before composting is one way to achieve this. Addition of poultry manure or urea to supply 1.2 lbs. available nitrogen per cubic yard of material satisfies the nitrogen need also. Some landscapers add 10-15% by volume composted sewage sludge to hardwood bark or wood wastes, and this makes an ideal product that has performed very well in landscapes. These amended products should be composted at least six weeks. This process kills plant pathogens, eggs of insect pests, and produces a nitrified product that releases plant nutrients rather than ties up nitrogen. As mentioned above, the microorganisms that have colonized these products reduce the potential for growth of nuisance fungi and provide control of many plant diseases."

I agree with The Virginian. I'm trying to replace some of my lawn with shrubs and flowers, so whenever I need a new area cleared, I lay down cardboard, then whatever organic material I can get my hands on. One of my neighbors gives me his grass clippings, so that usually goes on first. Last fall, I collected 30 bags of leaves one afternoon, and shredded that, then laid it down over the grass clippings. I've been having a ball all spring, watching various kinds of birds pick through it, looking for bugs. Besides eliminating the need to cut off the sod, by the time I plant an area, the top few inches is actual soil. (Under that, unfortunately, is pure, heavy, clay.) Shredded leaves, raked out evenly, look just as nice as mulch, IMHO.

I second LikesFerns. The free mulch thing is over-rated, I believe, after so many mentions on gardening forums. I cannot throw much money at gardening, either. I contacted a local tree trimmer in Stillwater where they give away mulch for free, but only if we come over and pitch it into our own truck by ourselves. They load for a small fee on any size load. Not too bad. I've never been able to get any because I don't have the disposable money for gas. And when I'm over that way I'm spending my money on something more important, like seed. *shrugs Maybe one of these days....