Brush Chipping

Brush Chipping Curbside  Brush Chipper at Work

Public Works will provide brush chipping on two scheduled events, one in the spring and one in the fall.  Exact Dates will be posted on the city web page and notices published in the newsletter and newspaper. We have two chippers and expect to complete each session within one week from the scheduled start date.  ALL CHIPPING ITEMS MUST BE AT THE CURB BY 7:00 AM. CREWS WILL MAKE ONLY ONE PASS THROUGH YOUR AREA OF THE CITY.

Please follow the guidelines below:

No firewood or firewood sized logs

Brush must be stacked at the curb

No bagged or containerized brush

No branches larger than 6” in diameter

Tree or shrub root balls must be removed.

No garden waste, corn stalks, leaves or any other raked materials.

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO CUT THE BRANCHES IN TO SMALL PIECES.

PLEASE STACK BRANCHES SO CUT ENDS FACE THE SAME DIRECTION.

Should your items not meet the above criteria, Public Works crews will not pick them up. CREWS WILL NOT RETURN TO PICK UP THESE ITEMS.

Wood Chips  -   Mulch 

Free chips are made available to the public during spring and fall brush chipping.  A designated site will be determined and interested parties may load their own chips.  If residents would like a load of chips delivered to their home, contact Public Works at 515-223-6231. (A load of chips is 7 cubic yards equal to approximately 6-7 full size pickup truckloads.)

Amount of Organic Material to Cover 100 Square Feet of Area.

Inches of Material

Organic Material Needed to Cover 100 Square Feet

6

2 cubic yards

4

35 cubic feet

3

1 cubic yard

2

18 cubic feet

1

9 cubic feet

1/2

4 cubic feet

Properly composted wood chips can be used as long lasting mulch that weathers to a silver-gray color. Unfortunately, the wood chip material Clive offers free to the public is fresh material rather than composted or aged material. The chips decompose slowly, but as they decompose, microorganisms use nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be available for plant growth.