Jill, I remember it pricing out to about a dollar a bag, or less, and the bags were the standard size, so 2cu ft.

Last year's first load of free mulch, from the tree guy...

This pile was about 25 ft long, 10 ft wide, and approx 5ft high. I had it spread in about 2 months, marking out the beds between and around my trees.



The 2 batches of wood/leaf chips from the utility trimming (still working on this pile, but it's down to 1/3 of what it started as). This was right after it was delivered...
This pile was about 8ft long and 5ft high at its peaks, and maybe 8ft wide





AND IT WAS ALL FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish I could use more wood chips, especially free ones. My lot however is deeply sloped to a storm drainage area and when we get heavy rains it would all wash away. I use the non-floating kind where I can to avoid loosing it all.

People have no idea just how sloped my property is! Sometimes I just want a place that's perfectly flat. And that has lovely, deep topsoil! Oh, well!

I am in the club too

On the other hand, there's one advantage. It doesn't flood by the house. If the rainfall is heavy and prolonged, the water runs downhill. Only near the dry creek can the flash flood do any real damage. I still remember the time somebody's canoe ended up on the corner of the property by the creek.

I'm weird but shoveling mulch by the wheelbarrow is one of my favorite things to do. My back and legs, hate it but ignore them.

The tarp idea is great. However our composted leaves come in a dump truck.
Great article,I always learn som new way to do a job that was difficult.

I tried this method with compost & discovered it's much heavier than mulch!