I signed up for chip drop. I never got anything from them. I hired an arborist to remove some hazard trees. I first checked to make sure he used a chipper (not all do). I told him I wanted all the chips and that I could use more. I told him he could drop more by any time it was convenient for him. I have lost track of the number of loads he has given me. Sometimes it's a full load and sometimes just a partial load. In fact, he left 2 loads today! I've had enough chips to start a fairly large garden that was previously covered in bermuda grass by using free cardboard and woodchips.
I forgot to add that ChipDrop charges arborists $20, so if you let your local arborists know they can drop at your place for free, you can definitely snag extra loads of chips...it's a good deal for arborists and gardeners, both!
we were in the same boat with an arborist we just used. an arborist we asked to drop chips they had when in our area. they came to dump and drove across my lawn just after a rain and completely tore up all the sod. then dumped on the torn up sod. free chips, ruined lawn.
Solved my biggest "bad" drop w/ Social Media local neighborhood group. "Who wants some chips, here is what I have.. come get them w/ your pickup. They're here now." Boom, gone in 4 hours.
I have a little chip drop tip I found out by accident, in case anyone is reading... Signing up just before a major windstorm resulted in a stunning chip drop pile for me. Beautiful chips, all native species to my area. There were so many downed branches from the storm that out of area contractors came in to help clear roads. I think everyone who wanted one must have gotten a chip drop within days of that storm.
I second this to be true. As I just signed up with Chip Drop. And due to the storm we just had, I received my file fast. The arborist even confirmed it to my neighbor and I that it is due to so many trees that have been damaged they have a lot to give. 😊
FYI while coniferous trees may not acidifier soil. They certainly can create hydrophobic compost. 4 years ago we had 10 yards of compost we purchased dropped off and they did not inform us they used extreme amounts of pine from the local lumber mill and I still have 10 yards of soil that will absolutely not accept water. It takes me 48 hours with full immersion to make this soil wet. It's a factor to consider if anyone's thinking about doing the back to eden method.
I’ve used chip drop several times. I found one group of young guys that were fantastic to work with. I needed tons of chips to cover a really large area, so I worked with these guys all summer long. Here’s what I learned. When they freshly sharpen the blades, the wood chips are perfect! As the blades become dull, that’s when you end up with shredded sticks. It’s no fun to deal with. AVOID Crepe Myrtle and Locust trees in the summer!!! Believe it or not, the wood chips, yes, small wood chips, can sprout roots! I received a load of Crepe Myrtle chips and spread them about a foot deep. Then I spent weeks picking out baby trees that sprouted from the gazillions of chips. The tree guys looked at me like I was crazy when I told them about it and were shocked when I had several different sizes of chips that sprouted the next time they brought me a load. I finally just started flinging the chips in a thin layer so the sun would dry them out and kill them. It was a nightmare. The guys were super nice and never brought me more Crepe Myrtle’s again. 😂
I've been putting off getting my 2nd drop request in because it is a little intimidating not knowing when and how much you are going to get! I ended up "donating" the $20 and got a drop within a few days. I elected for "woodchips with logs". In my drop, I got a beautiful large log covered in moss and ferns. It probably weighed 200lbs. I won't do that again, but I am happy to have it in my garden.
What a fabulously honest discussion. As a new homeowner of a 0.4 acre lot, i will be utilizing this service which is active in our area. VERY informative. Thank you!
As a person who exclusively heats with wood, I'm like... They gave you $800 worth of firewood for free in the current market 😅 I'm stoked about getting the logs and am requesting full loads! (Also have allll the equipment for bucking/splitting)
Best tool for moving large amounts of mulch/wood chips that I have found is a "10-tine fork" like an 'ensilage fork' with 1.5 inches between the tines. The overall "shoveling area" is about 16 inches wide and about that long too. You can load a big wheelbarrow very quickly.
I think people need to educate themselves before taking on anything. I just signed up for chip drop to take everything. I have a two acre field thy can dump on. Any overhead lines are over 14' high. I also have equipment to move large logs. The only thing I would like is to have them deliver bigger logs since I have a sawmill.
About 5 years ago I used a chip drop. Ive lived in the same house for over 35 yrs in the Portland, Oregon area and while there was no problem with the raw wood chips themselves the load brought in both an invasive snail population and a 'bind weed' type plant that I had never had before and now can't get rid of.
I agree so much about using wood chips. It now I am going to laugh a bit at the thought of them being delivered to your house. Lol. I live in the country and could only dream of them being delivered. We have to go to our dump where they have a enormous pile close to two stories high. If we are lucky there will be someone there who will load our truck with a bucket. One bucket usually fills out full size bed. Then I offload it at home. I use them in front of my barn for the mud in my pigs pen as a base for my chicken coop. I fill my garden paths atleast a ft deep knowing that next year I will take the paths into my garden beds to refill again. I use on top of fresh manure that I spread directly into grass for new garden beds in a modified lasagna style. I leave them in piles to breakdown and use as humus in my garden along with leaves, manure and compost. The chips we get are fairly lg. But they break down within two yrs generally.
You are an ANGEL for posting this... My first time getting chips and you just SAVED ME a BOATLOAD OF GRIEF... From unrealistic expectations 🙋🌹GA USA 👍 EXCELLENT PRESENTATION 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Chip Drop left a load at least 8 feet high and covering my entire 2 car driveway a length of 12-15 feet. I could not get in or out of my driveway. That would be ok if...it wasn't just me - an over 60 disabled female - moving those chips! I did move all of the chips and sift what went in the garden proper.
I live in S California, and it's hard to get the drops during spring and summer as no one is trimming their trees (as well as everyone else wanting chips). The drop I got a few months ago was gorgeous, and I responded to the text the arborist sent to me informing me of the coming drop. He let me know I can reach out to him directly when I need more chips. I am excited about the potential of a mutually beneficial relationship as I know he provided me with a great massive load of chips!
I live about 45 minutes north of Vancouver WA, and just discovered chipdrop in spring of 2022. I signed up and did not receive anything for months! I finally saw local arborists around my neighborhood and asked them to drop their chips in my driveway. They were more than happy to do so. Oddly enough, I finally got a chipdrop delivery about 2 weeks later 😅. I stay signed up for chipdrop continuously, as it seems not as common in my area, and drops not as frequent. But asking the arborists has been an immediate success, and I have a quarter acre to fill, so I will continue with both tactics.
It definitely seems like certain areas are more likely to get deliveries than others. Definitely seems like in less urban areas contacting your local arborist directly is a better strategy or a good complimentary one!
THANK YOU for sharing…. I just made my first order from Chip Drop. It would cost me too much money driving back & forth to the landfill for free wood chips and messing up my car or shopping at the big box stores for small amounts of wood-chips.
I personally always add a tip to my chip drop orders and I often get my drop within 24 hours. Nothing wrong with waiting, but the tips can really expedite things
Chip drop has been a great source for wood chips for me so I thought it would be great to order some logs. I naively pictured them to be fairly small. I arrived home to see about 30 giant tree trunk “logs.” Each weighed hundreds of pounds and some were as tall as my 10 year old. We had nothing that would cut through them. Our chain saw didn’t even make a dent. Many of them were blocking my neighbor’s driveway and we had to move them out of their way. It took four adults working together to slide or roll each one of them. Inch by inch we moved them few feet over onto our property. We strapped some of them onto our refrigerator dolly and they were still so heavy that four of us could barely move them.
Oh my goodness that sounds awful!! I have heard from multiple folks who had no idea the logs could he so huge. I’m glad they updated the website but I feel like enough folks make a really burdensome mistake that they should communicate even more clearly what “logs” mean to them.
One important thing you have forgotten. When giving directions on where to drop the chips, make certain that your written directions are short, simple, and direct, so that someone with English as a second language can understand. Also put pictures with your request too, that helps. If your directions are convoluted, long winded, or complex, and/or the pictures are missing, that puts your order behind all the orders that have good directions and pictures. Chipdrop cancels orders after 25 days. At least now they might email to warn you to renew, and that is a fairly recent change. Before chipdrop, I worked with a neighborhood tree trim company who would deliver chips within 3 days when ever I called. Then one day I called, and the office told me that they had told the Arborists to use chip drop only. 😡 Now, when I stop a tree trim truck out in the neigborhood, and I ask for chips, every crew tells me to use chip drop, and I tell them I am hoping to avoid using chipdrop. I have a lot of frustration with chip drop, as they have essentially become a monopoly. 🤦
Same thing in Charotte, NC!!! I've easily gotten 20 loads and tell them they can always come back, BUT, they never do unless I resign up with Chip Drop!
I have a garden and also use hard wood logs to grow mushrooms. I just found chipdrop and saw that it's very active in central Pennsylvania, so to me it's a godsend. I've always had a hard time with the saw mills, and seldom see any arborists around trimming that I could ask. So here's hoping I get my chips and logs soon. I got tons of landscaping to do, and a food forest in the making. Any logs I can't use for mushrooms or landscaping, I'll just burn, or use for cooking if I can. I'm super excited, and can't wait to see what comes.
Excellent guide. We have used chipdrop multiple times on our rural property in southern Oregon, with great results. We actually said some logs were okay, because our property is covered with logs already due to the 2019 blizzard, and a few more don't matter. We've been very happy, and have never paid a penny nor waited more than a few weeks. On the other hand, we don't use it on our in-town property because there isn't anywhere to drop except the street, and I don't feel confident that I can move a potentially huge load of chips in a timely manner by myself. We've had good luck with the drivers dropping where we'd asked them to, and some have even called ahead of time.
I've been signed up for many years now and never gotten any, despite offering $40. Seems like a great program in some areas--sure wish it was in ours! One time, a few years ago, after an ice storm, someone posted on our local gardening page about a tree cutting company that was looking for places to drop wood chips, and we got a load that way. Those are long gone, of course. Maybe one day we'll find another source.
I’ve been signed up here in Springfield, Oregon since 2017 with Chip Drop. I confirm it every month. City of Eugene just dumps chips at community gardens in town for anyone to make use of so that’s where I get them a five gallon bucket or two.
I personally requested a load with logs. Of course I also have a 30 ton log splitter and about 600 sq ft of garden areas to mulch as well as my chickens run. So the bigger the better. Plus logs are great for either the wood burning stove or firepits.
We didn’t have to split them! Chipdrop was only a couple of months old and they had not explained about the logs and so the owner found two guys who wanted the wood and they came with chainsaws and cut it all up and took it away. I don’t think they would do that now, but originally there was nothing on their website about what a “log” actually looked like.
I've signed up! I have great luck putting out a "Wood Chips Wanted" sign, and having several acres of easy access places to dump them. And no overhead wires, and when it hasn't rained, firm ground. :) I have had chip trucks stuck in the soft earth here before. And after a while, wood chips make the earth very soft and spongy, so much so the trucks will sink to the axel. But I have a farm and can help pull them out if that happens. Whew!
I love my ChipDrop delivery. We have a really narrow drive with a 90 degree turn at the end. I was super surprised that they could get that huge truck in there and turned around. I had tossed them $40 because of the difficult drive.
This is the information I was looking for. Also, I'm not far from you, same zip code, so it was perfectly relevant. I happen to love the smell of decomposing organic matter so can take what I get.
Five or so years ago our tiny rural town was all a buzz...with the chainsaws. The electric company contracted an arborist company to trim or entirely chop down trees all over our half mile square town. I literally followed one of their trucks up to our gas station to ask for the wood chips. I got two truck loads! My twin boys had the most fun climbing to the top. There were a few larger bits, but nothing larger than my arm. It really worked out! Also, we do happen to have one tree removal company just outside of town. We had to have a large maple brought down. Our guy ran most of it through the chipper so more wood chips!
I had to wait over a year but was very happy with the chips. I did get the "with logs" one, but as a 60+-year-old, I had no problem moving them to my backyard. I also think it took so long because there were not many arborists that participated.
I just started using free woodchip here in New Zealand & the shaded side of the house got about a foot or so of woodchip where it made that side of the house much more pleasing to look at!
Hey thank you! I JUST placed my first order of chips and willing to receive logs. I’m planning a Hügelkultur garden and want logs to lie around for another year to be ready to “plant.” I may regret this choice but I’m gonna try. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
We live in the country, not far from a town. We get a load about every two years. The guys are friendly and hard-working. We give them gift cards to fast food restaurants in the area. Everyone is satisfied, and they remember where to drop the chips on future jobs.
Hi Angela, thanks for this very informative video. I've not used Chip Drop yet but have often considered signing up. I appreciate all the details you provided. Have a great week! From another Angela 😁
I was on chipdrop renewal list for like 8 months last year and must have missed a renewal email. This email was a reminder to put in a new request! I think there’s a landfill one county over that has a mulch collection area, maybe they’re just dropping there.
I have an arborist who lives in my large neighborhood. Once a year I give them a call and they drop off a huge load. They are great and will NOT dump loads with weeds and junk. Some years I have to wait a few weeks and others are dropped the next day.
Such good info you give. I got my first chip drop last year and its great, a little bigger chips than I expected, but it's fine for pathways that I wanted them for. Just thanks for the educated information, it really helps me feel good about what I'm doing.
Eucalyptus is also allelopathic. There's lots of it where I live, so chances of getting that variety with Chip Drop are very high. Especially after a wind storm.
Lots of helpful info! Thanks for mentioning that mulching with black walnut or rhododendron chips can inhibit the growth of the mulched plants. Do you know if the same is true of English Laurel?
We let our pile sit and vape. My kids called it "Mount Pine" And used sleds to slide down the pile. It was a blast. We used 1/2 and 1/2 sat for three years and disappeared/ decomposed leaving a great fluffy soil
In my area, I found if I put any species exceptions, even black walnut and cedar, then I won't get a load and as soon as I pull that out I'll get one. Also, I have about an acre and a large space off of my driveway so I can take loads that are 50+ yards and I put that in my notes and I think that also helps me. I usually get mixed species, I've never gotten trash or invasives thankfully. There have definitely been growing pains with chipdrop.
This is all just great info. A lot of this I figured out on my own, and I've had three loads so far of about 20 c.y. which I've used all over my property to mulch. One load had a lot of arbor vitae-type leaves in it which decomposed very rapidly, but I layered it thickly. One odd fact is that for some reason the area under my big leaf maples seems to decompose the fastest - the 6" layer I put down two years ago is almost bare dirt again.
I got a drop a couple years ago, and it only took a couple days to get the chips. I want a new load this year. I've been putting in for a drop since May, and nothing so far.
We just had some trees chopped down. Asked the arborist we used to drop chips they had when in our area. they came to dump and drove across my lawn just after a rain and completely tore up all the sod. then dumped on the torn up sod. free chips, ruined lawn.
Just tried recently. Got notice that I was getting a drop last weekend, no show. Still got charged and had to submit for refund. Will keep trying because I need A LOT for a new food forest area in one corner of my property.
Wish this was available here. After Fiona could have gotten so many loads but they dumped branches without chipping in old landfill sites. We do have a district heating system for some municipal buildings that uses wood chips as fuel so most arborists dump there. Hoping to get some from a few local mills instead.
Some small quantity of chips is OK, but a large amount will cause a precipitous drop in nitrogen in the soil. Be sure to liberally supplement it. Questions call or look up your state college extension service for details.
Great video. Spot on with Chip Drop. I’ve received just over 20 loads from them, and I’m happy with what I get. I always leave a $20 donation; I figure I’d get the load rather than a nearby requester that doesn’t want to donate. And, $20 for a 10-20 yard load of chips is still a great bargain. Here’s a tip for possibly getting more chips…when the arborist is dumping at your property, find out if they are working in your area. If so, they’ll probably keep bringing you chips until they’re finished with the job, or until you tell them to stop. I don’t even know how many extra loads, for the single $20 donation, I’ve received over the past couple of years. Anyways, it’s all good. Happy chip spreading, all….have a great day!
I have 23 acres, a large tractor, chainsaws and a splitter…my house is a new build so the yard is struggling and im not a green thumb. New zone 8a in charlotte nc. Can someone tell me what i can do with these woodchips if i sign up? I do have about 2 miles of trails i cut in on the property (bare dirt), i have about 1 acre of “lawn”…but the lawn is a lot of weeds and bermuda grass… Can you put mulch over a leach field?
I’m hoping to use these chips for some landscaping projects, how long will they last before turning into “dirt” so to say. I’m willing to do a top dressing of treated mulch but it’s a very large space
I've had a local company drop an entire truck load in my back yard. I couldn't get to it for a year and there was still 3/4 the stack still ready to use. The lower layers decomposed to dirt fastest due to pressure and weather. I believe if you cover the pile it will decompose more slowly, but you might want to research that.
Hi! I have ordered a truckload of woodchips from chipdrop. I would like to know if I can use the chip drop for a walkway to my backyard. Will there be splinters in them that can hurt your feet if we walk barefert on them as my grandkids run to the back yard over them. Also can i put stepping stones on them or will they sink and become uneven?
I can't give an address or drop location request other than my home address. We have a pasture next door and I don't know how to indicate it on the sign up page. I can't contact anyone to let them know. Help
My driveway is the only way in and out of my garage which has my Tesla and its charger in it, so of they block the garage door I'm either unable to leave or unable to get back into the garage to charger the car... That is worrisome.
Hi Angela, do you ever worry about poison ivy in a drop? I recently received a load of chips from a utility co, and they said there is a “little bit” of poison ivy in it. There’s none in it that I can obviously notice. Also, if you got a drop with walnut in it, would you recommend just letting it sit for a while before using it around plants? Would composting it with lawn clippings speed up the breakdown process? Any thoughts? Thanks!
that's a good question! I have yet to see any poison ivy, although it's not common here where I live, at all. Definitely a good thing to remember to look out for! Thanks for the reminder
I've been a member of Chip drop for over 10 years and have never gotten a load. It gets so frustrating. I can hear a chipper miles away, and I stop everything and chase down the noise and offer my house for a dump, I've gotten 2 loads in 4 years
Can you suggest a way to mulch a slope? Im.worried ots just going to slide down the hill. It's an area of front yard we do not want grass any longer. Landscape fabric has been placed on it already. Just waiting on a chipdrop.
I signed up for chip drop. I never got anything from them. I hired an arborist to remove some hazard trees. I first checked to make sure he used a chipper (not all do). I told him I wanted all the chips and that I could use more. I told him he could drop more by any time it was convenient for him. I have lost track of the number of loads he has given me. Sometimes it's a full load and sometimes just a partial load. In fact, he left 2 loads today! I've had enough chips to start a fairly large garden that was previously covered in bermuda grass by using free cardboard and woodchips.
I forgot to add that ChipDrop charges arborists $20, so if you let your local arborists know they can drop at your place for free, you can definitely snag extra loads of chips...it's a good deal for arborists and gardeners, both!
@@ParkrosePermaculture I wasn't aware of this. We'll definitely let the drivers know in the future.
Thankyou very informative
we were in the same
boat with an arborist we just used. an arborist we asked to drop chips they had when in our area. they came to dump and drove across my lawn just after a rain and completely tore up all the sod. then dumped on the torn up sod. free chips, ruined lawn.
I never got my order when I paid for it.
Solved my biggest "bad" drop w/ Social Media local neighborhood group. "Who wants some chips, here is what I have.. come get them w/ your pickup. They're here now." Boom, gone in 4 hours.
I have a little chip drop tip I found out by accident, in case anyone is reading... Signing up just before a major windstorm resulted in a stunning chip drop pile for me. Beautiful chips, all native species to my area. There were so many downed branches from the storm that out of area contractors came in to help clear roads. I think everyone who wanted one must have gotten a chip drop within days of that storm.
Word. Thanks.
That just proves “timing is everything” !!!
I second this to be true. As I just signed up with Chip Drop. And due to the storm we just had, I received my file fast. The arborist even confirmed it to my neighbor and I that it is due to so many trees that have been damaged they have a lot to give. 😊
Yes, that definitely helps. I signed up after a tornado and got a load quickly.
FYI while coniferous trees may not acidifier soil. They certainly can create hydrophobic compost. 4 years ago we had 10 yards of compost we purchased dropped off and they did not inform us they used extreme amounts of pine from the local lumber mill and I still have 10 yards of soil that will absolutely not accept water. It takes me 48 hours with full immersion to make this soil wet. It's a factor to consider if anyone's thinking about doing the back to eden method.
Very helpful to know thank you!
Have you tried the products to make soil “wettable”? Can also use Dawn.
I’ve used chip drop several times. I found one group of young guys that were fantastic to work with. I needed tons of chips to cover a really large area, so I worked with these guys all summer long. Here’s what I learned. When they freshly sharpen the blades, the wood chips are perfect! As the blades become dull, that’s when you end up with shredded sticks. It’s no fun to deal with. AVOID Crepe Myrtle and Locust trees in the summer!!! Believe it or not, the wood chips, yes, small wood chips, can sprout roots! I received a load of Crepe Myrtle chips and spread them about a foot deep. Then I spent weeks picking out baby trees that sprouted from the gazillions of chips. The tree guys looked at me like I was crazy when I told them about it and were shocked when I had several different sizes of chips that sprouted the next time they brought me a load. I finally just started flinging the chips in a thin layer so the sun would dry them out and kill them. It was a nightmare. The guys were super nice and never brought me more Crepe Myrtle’s again. 😂
Thanks for clearing up the myth about pine needles not actually changing soil pH long term. Very good to know.
I've been putting off getting my 2nd drop request in because it is a little intimidating not knowing when and how much you are going to get! I ended up "donating" the $20 and got a drop within a few days. I elected for "woodchips with logs". In my drop, I got a beautiful large log covered in moss and ferns. It probably weighed 200lbs. I won't do that again, but I am happy to have it in my garden.
What a fabulously honest discussion. As a new homeowner of a 0.4 acre lot, i will be utilizing this service which is active in our area. VERY informative. Thank you!
As a person who exclusively heats with wood, I'm like... They gave you $800 worth of firewood for free in the current market 😅
I'm stoked about getting the logs and am requesting full loads! (Also have allll the equipment for bucking/splitting)
Best tool for moving large amounts of mulch/wood chips that I have found is a "10-tine fork" like an 'ensilage fork' with 1.5 inches between the tines. The overall "shoveling area" is about 16 inches wide and about that long too. You can load a big wheelbarrow very quickly.
I think people need to educate themselves before taking on anything. I just signed up for chip drop to take everything. I have a two acre field thy can dump on. Any overhead lines are over 14' high. I also have equipment to move large logs. The only thing I would like is to have them deliver bigger logs since I have a sawmill.
About 5 years ago I used a chip drop. Ive lived in the same house for over 35 yrs in the Portland, Oregon area and while there was no problem with the raw wood chips themselves the load brought in both an invasive snail population and a 'bind weed' type plant that I had never had before and now can't get rid of.
Yikes
I agree so much about using wood chips. It now I am going to laugh a bit at the thought of them being delivered to your house. Lol. I live in the country and could only dream of them being delivered. We have to go to our dump where they have a enormous pile close to two stories high. If we are lucky there will be someone there who will load our truck with a bucket. One bucket usually fills out full size bed. Then I offload it at home. I use them in front of my barn for the mud in my pigs pen as a base for my chicken coop. I fill my garden paths atleast a ft deep knowing that next year I will take the paths into my garden beds to refill again. I use on top of fresh manure that I spread directly into grass for new garden beds in a modified lasagna style. I leave them in piles to breakdown and use as humus in my garden along with leaves, manure and compost. The chips we get are fairly lg. But they break down within two yrs generally.
You are an ANGEL for posting this... My first time getting chips and you just SAVED ME a BOATLOAD OF GRIEF... From unrealistic expectations 🙋🌹GA USA 👍 EXCELLENT PRESENTATION 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Chip Drop left a load at least 8 feet high and covering my entire 2 car driveway a length of 12-15 feet. I could not get in or out of my driveway. That would be ok if...it wasn't just me - an over 60 disabled female - moving those chips! I did move all of the chips and sift what went in the garden proper.
I live in S California, and it's hard to get the drops during spring and summer as no one is trimming their trees (as well as everyone else wanting chips). The drop I got a few months ago was gorgeous, and I responded to the text the arborist sent to me informing me of the coming drop. He let me know I can reach out to him directly when I need more chips. I am excited about the potential of a mutually beneficial relationship as I know he provided me with a great massive load of chips!
tipping them also goes a long way
I live about 45 minutes north of Vancouver WA, and just discovered chipdrop in spring of 2022. I signed up and did not receive anything for months! I finally saw local arborists around my neighborhood and asked them to drop their chips in my driveway. They were more than happy to do so. Oddly enough, I finally got a chipdrop delivery about 2 weeks later 😅. I stay signed up for chipdrop continuously, as it seems not as common in my area, and drops not as frequent. But asking the arborists has been an immediate success, and I have a quarter acre to fill, so I will continue with both tactics.
It definitely seems like certain areas are more likely to get deliveries than others. Definitely seems like in less urban areas contacting your local arborist directly is a better strategy or a good complimentary one!
I wonder how this will turn out in Florida. Arborists are a rarity here.
THANK YOU for sharing….
I just made my first order from Chip Drop. It would cost me too much money driving back & forth to the landfill for free wood chips and messing up my car or shopping at the big box stores for small amounts of wood-chips.
I personally always add a tip to my chip drop orders and I often get my drop within 24 hours. Nothing wrong with waiting, but the tips can really expedite things
I picked up Cedarwood chips once just up the street from me. They smelled gorgeous!
Chip drop has been a great source for wood chips for me so I thought it would be great to order some logs. I naively pictured them to be fairly small. I arrived home to see about 30 giant tree trunk “logs.” Each weighed hundreds of pounds and some were as tall as my 10 year old. We had nothing that would cut through them. Our chain saw didn’t even make a dent. Many of them were blocking my neighbor’s driveway and we had to move them out of their way. It took four adults working together to slide or roll each one of them. Inch by inch we moved them few feet over onto our property. We strapped some of them onto our refrigerator dolly and they were still so heavy that four of us could barely move them.
Oh my goodness that sounds awful!! I have heard from multiple folks who had no idea the logs could he so huge. I’m glad they updated the website but I feel like enough folks make a really burdensome mistake that they should communicate even more clearly what “logs” mean to them.
You guys do live in the land of GIANT trees!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I just learned about chip drop.
Greetings from England. Beautifully explained - lovely to hear clearly-articulated, properly-formed sentences with worthwhile content. Thank You.
One important thing you have forgotten. When giving directions on where to drop the chips, make certain that your written directions are short, simple, and direct, so that someone with English as a second language can understand. Also put pictures with your request too, that helps. If your directions are convoluted, long winded, or complex, and/or the pictures are missing, that puts your order behind all the orders that have good directions and pictures.
Chipdrop cancels orders after 25 days. At least now they might email to warn you to renew, and that is a fairly recent change.
Before chipdrop, I worked with a neighborhood tree trim company who would deliver chips within 3 days when ever I called. Then one day I called, and the office told me that they had told the Arborists to use chip drop only. 😡
Now, when I stop a tree trim truck out in the neigborhood, and I ask for chips, every crew tells me to use chip drop, and I tell them I am hoping to avoid using chipdrop. I have a lot of frustration with chip drop, as they have essentially become a monopoly. 🤦
Excellent point on making the directions simple and clear! And adding photos! Thanks for the reminder!
Same thing in Charotte, NC!!! I've easily gotten 20 loads and tell them they can always come back, BUT, they never do unless I resign up with Chip Drop!
@@southbridgeforestHOAAgreed! It feels like the wood chip mafia sometimes.
I have a garden and also use hard wood logs to grow mushrooms. I just found chipdrop and saw that it's very active in central Pennsylvania, so to me it's a godsend. I've always had a hard time with the saw mills, and seldom see any arborists around trimming that I could ask.
So here's hoping I get my chips and logs soon. I got tons of landscaping to do, and a food forest in the making. Any logs I can't use for mushrooms or landscaping, I'll just burn, or use for cooking if I can. I'm super excited, and can't wait to see what comes.
Excellent guide. We have used chipdrop multiple times on our rural property in southern Oregon, with great results. We actually said some logs were okay, because our property is covered with logs already due to the 2019 blizzard, and a few more don't matter. We've been very happy, and have never paid a penny nor waited more than a few weeks. On the other hand, we don't use it on our in-town property because there isn't anywhere to drop except the street, and I don't feel confident that I can move a potentially huge load of chips in a timely manner by myself. We've had good luck with the drivers dropping where we'd asked them to, and some have even called ahead of time.
I've been signed up for many years now and never gotten any, despite offering $40. Seems like a great program in some areas--sure wish it was in ours! One time, a few years ago, after an ice storm, someone posted on our local gardening page about a tree cutting company that was looking for places to drop wood chips, and we got a load that way. Those are long gone, of course. Maybe one day we'll find another source.
I’ve been signed up here in Springfield, Oregon since 2017 with Chip Drop. I confirm it every month. City of Eugene just dumps chips at community gardens in town for anyone to make use of so that’s where I get them a five gallon bucket or two.
Thanks so much for this comprehensive guide. Well organized and really helpful. I'd guess your garden is a wonderland!
I personally requested a load with logs. Of course I also have a 30 ton log splitter and about 600 sq ft of garden areas to mulch as well as my chickens run. So the bigger the better. Plus logs are great for either the wood burning stove or firepits.
Great info Angela. Those rounds...holy cow! I wanna hear how you guys broke those down. Good firewood once seasoned I bet.
We didn’t have to split them! Chipdrop was only a couple of months old and they had not explained about the logs and so the owner found two guys who wanted the wood and they came with chainsaws and cut it all up and took it away. I don’t think they would do that now, but originally there was nothing on their website about what a “log” actually looked like.
I've signed up!
I have great luck putting out a "Wood Chips Wanted" sign, and having several acres of easy access places to dump them. And no overhead wires, and when it hasn't rained, firm ground. :)
I have had chip trucks stuck in the soft earth here before.
And after a while, wood chips make the earth very soft and spongy, so much so the trucks will sink to the axel. But I have a farm and can help pull them out if that happens. Whew!
I love my ChipDrop delivery. We have a really narrow drive with a 90 degree turn at the end. I was super surprised that they could get that huge truck in there and turned around. I had tossed them $40 because of the difficult drive.
This is the information I was looking for. Also, I'm not far from you, same zip code, so it was perfectly relevant. I happen to love the smell of decomposing organic matter so can take what I get.
Great video. I'm in Atlanta, tipped them $20 and said no black walnut. They came in ~5 days. Really good experience. Lol people don't understand mold
The city is bringing me 4 tons. I'm so excited. Good-timin. Thank you for this video.
Five or so years ago our tiny rural town was all a buzz...with the chainsaws. The electric company contracted an arborist company to trim or entirely chop down trees all over our half mile square town. I literally followed one of their trucks up to our gas station to ask for the wood chips. I got two truck loads! My twin boys had the most fun climbing to the top. There were a few larger bits, but nothing larger than my arm. It really worked out!
Also, we do happen to have one tree removal company just outside of town. We had to have a large maple brought down. Our guy ran most of it through the chipper so more wood chips!
This was so helpful!! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Yes! So very helpful information!
I use to have a source for woodchips but lost access when I retired. I will try this. I added about six inches of soil to my garden over the years.
Your video was so helpful before my first drop. Thank you so much.
I had to wait over a year but was very happy with the chips. I did get the "with logs" one, but as a 60+-year-old, I had no problem moving them to my backyard.
I also think it took so long because there were not many arborists that participated.
I just started using free woodchip here in New Zealand & the shaded side of the house got about a foot or so of woodchip where it made that side of the house much more pleasing to look at!
Excellent video - straightforward with a lot of information.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey thank you! I JUST placed my first order of chips and willing to receive logs. I’m planning a Hügelkultur garden and want logs to lie around for another year to be ready to “plant.” I may regret this choice but I’m gonna try.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!
That was incredibly informative. Well done!
Thank you.
Great video. I have the same requirements: no black walnut & no rhododenrons. Other than that, I'm just happy to get the chips.
thank you
We live in the country, not far from a town. We get a load about every two years. The guys are friendly and hard-working. We give them gift cards to fast food restaurants in the area. Everyone is satisfied, and they remember where to drop the chips on future jobs.
Hi Angela, thanks for this very informative video. I've not used Chip Drop yet but have often considered signing up. I appreciate all the details you provided. Have a great week! From another Angela 😁
I was on chipdrop renewal list for like 8 months last year and must have missed a renewal email. This email was a reminder to put in a new request! I think there’s a landfill one county over that has a mulch collection area, maybe they’re just dropping there.
I have an arborist who lives in my large neighborhood. Once a year I give them a call and they drop off a huge load. They are great and will NOT dump loads with weeds and junk. Some years I have to wait a few weeks and others are dropped the next day.
Such good info you give. I got my first chip drop last year and its great, a little bigger chips than I expected, but it's fine for pathways that I wanted them for. Just thanks for the educated information, it really helps me feel good about what I'm doing.
We ordered a load twice now. So fantastic! Thank you for telling us about this
Thank you, great information
Eucalyptus is also allelopathic. There's lots of it where I live, so chances of getting that variety with Chip Drop are very high. Especially after a wind storm.
Lots of helpful info!
Thanks for mentioning that mulching with black walnut or rhododendron chips can inhibit the growth of the mulched plants. Do you know if the same is true of English Laurel?
Thanks for the reminder, just put in a new request. I still have some in the yard, maybe enough to do my paths on the back but thats it.
Great information, thank you for sharing
Thank you for the great info.
We let our pile sit and vape. My kids called it "Mount Pine" And used sleds to slide down the pile. It was a blast. We used 1/2 and 1/2 sat for three years and disappeared/ decomposed leaving a great fluffy soil
This was very helpful!
In my area, I found if I put any species exceptions, even black walnut and cedar, then I won't get a load and as soon as I pull that out I'll get one. Also, I have about an acre and a large space off of my driveway so I can take loads that are 50+ yards and I put that in my notes and I think that also helps me. I usually get mixed species, I've never gotten trash or invasives thankfully. There have definitely been growing pains with chipdrop.
This is all just great info. A lot of this I figured out on my own, and I've had three loads so far of about 20 c.y. which I've used all over my property to mulch. One load had a lot of arbor vitae-type leaves in it which decomposed very rapidly, but I layered it thickly. One odd fact is that for some reason the area under my big leaf maples seems to decompose the fastest - the 6" layer I put down two years ago is almost bare dirt again.
Very helpful! Thank you!
I got a drop a couple years ago, and it only took a couple days to get the chips.
I want a new load this year. I've been putting in for a drop since May, and nothing so far.
I don’t know if we have this in my community but it’s worth a try. Thanks, Angela, for the valuable information 🤟🏼😊💐
We just had some trees chopped down. Asked the arborist we used to drop chips they had when in our area. they came to dump and drove across my lawn just after a rain and completely tore up all the sod. then dumped on the torn up sod. free chips, ruined lawn.
Poor communication from what I can tell.
Very solid info! I've had much better experiences dealing with local arborists than Chip Drop.
Just tried recently. Got notice that I was getting a drop last weekend, no show. Still got charged and had to submit for refund. Will keep trying because I need A LOT for a new food forest area in one corner of my property.
Oh no!! That’s a bummer and I hope they fix it!!
I thought they were free?
I hate we just moved and now I need chips for all the beds that came with the house in of course the peak spring gardening for my area lol
I signed up but never got anything
Thanks so much
I live in rural western Washington and have been on the list for several years with no luck...still hoping though as I continue to stay signed up 🙂
Wish this was available here. After Fiona could have gotten so many loads but they dumped branches without chipping in old landfill sites. We do have a district heating system for some municipal buildings that uses wood chips as fuel so most arborists dump there. Hoping to get some from a few local mills instead.
I live near Klamath Falls. There are apparently zero requests within 30 miles. Am i going to get anything?
Very helpful! Ty ❤
Some small quantity of chips is OK, but a large amount will cause a precipitous drop in nitrogen in the soil. Be sure to liberally supplement it. Questions call or look up your state college extension service for details.
Awesome video with great useful information.👍🏾
Thank you! This was so helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Spot on with Chip Drop. I’ve received just over 20 loads from them, and I’m happy with what I get. I always leave a $20 donation; I figure I’d get the load rather than a nearby requester that doesn’t want to donate. And, $20 for a 10-20 yard load of chips is still a great bargain. Here’s a tip for possibly getting more chips…when the arborist is dumping at your property, find out if they are working in your area. If so, they’ll probably keep bringing you chips until they’re finished with the job, or until you tell them to stop. I don’t even know how many extra loads, for the single $20 donation, I’ve received over the past couple of years. Anyways, it’s all good. Happy chip spreading, all….have a great day!
Who gets the tip? Initial request to chip drop - do they pass it to arborist?
@@cherylj7460 the $goes to the arborist, I believe. ChipmDrop might take a cut…not sure.
Any tips for moving the chips to your garden?
Wheelbarrow
I wonder how much for log you will get? I want to get log but I wonder if I gonna have room for them all if it too big truck.
I have 23 acres, a large tractor, chainsaws and a splitter…my house is a new build so the yard is struggling and im not a green thumb. New zone 8a in charlotte nc.
Can someone tell me what i can do with these woodchips if i sign up? I do have about 2 miles of trails i cut in on the property (bare dirt), i have about 1 acre of “lawn”…but the lawn is a lot of weeds and bermuda grass…
Can you put mulch over a leach field?
Do you only get a drop when you request a drop?
I’m hoping to use these chips for some landscaping projects, how long will they last before turning into “dirt” so to say. I’m willing to do a top dressing of treated mulch but it’s a very large space
I've had a local company drop an entire truck load in my back yard. I couldn't get to it for a year and there was still 3/4 the stack still ready to use. The lower layers decomposed to dirt fastest due to pressure and weather. I believe if you cover the pile it will decompose more slowly, but you might want to research that.
Anyone ever had an issue with nasty bugs or critters coming in the drop?
Tree borders. Devastated my tree grove.
Hi! I have ordered a truckload of woodchips from chipdrop. I would like to know if I can use the chip drop for a walkway to my backyard. Will there be splinters in them that can hurt your feet if we walk barefert on them as my grandkids run to the back yard over them. Also can i put stepping stones on them or will they sink and become uneven?
I signed up without doing my research first. How do I unsubscribe so that I do not get woodchips right now? This may not be for me after all.
Helpful video! Thanks!
I can't give an address or drop location request other than my home address. We have a pasture next door and I don't know how to indicate it on the sign up page. I can't contact anyone to let them know. Help
Is it possible for you to show the areas you put it & how many inches??
It’s basically the whole garden! Paths and perennial beds.
Another cheap option if you're concerned with the ascetics of the chips, considering using a spayed dye
My driveway is the only way in and out of my garage which has my Tesla and its charger in it, so of they block the garage door I'm either unable to leave or unable to get back into the garage to charger the car... That is worrisome.
Hi Angela, do you ever worry about poison ivy in a drop?
I recently received a load of chips from a utility co, and they said there is a “little bit” of poison ivy in it. There’s none in it that I can obviously notice.
Also, if you got a drop with walnut in it, would you recommend just letting it sit for a while before using it around plants? Would composting it with lawn clippings speed up the breakdown process? Any thoughts?
Thanks!
that's a good question! I have yet to see any poison ivy, although it's not common here where I live, at all. Definitely a good thing to remember to look out for! Thanks for the reminder
I first ordered July 2023. I have never received any chips. 🤷♀️
Gotta keep updating it!
I've been a member of Chip drop for over 10 years and have never gotten a load. It gets so frustrating. I can hear a chipper miles away, and I stop everything and chase down the noise and offer my house for a dump, I've gotten 2 loads in 4 years
have you found poison oak in the chips?
I have not! The worst things I've found are trash, English Ivy, and bamboo.
Can you suggest a way to mulch a slope? Im.worried ots just going to slide down the hill. It's an area of front yard we do not want grass any longer. Landscape fabric has been placed on it already. Just waiting on a chipdrop.
terrace gardening research might help
Does this work in the uk ?