One more tarp post

I do love my tarp. In this case I have some yard debris wrapped up tight. The load here was much bulkier before I packed it in here.

I decided to post this picture of lasagna to show how I load up my yard debris. Pasta is to tarps as tomatoes, meat and cheese is to yard debris.

You cannot see it here, but there are 6 layers of yard debris between 7 tarps, including my super-tarp. Why am I making such a big deal out of this? Because loading up your bed lasagna style saves a lot of time and energy, both in loading but more so in unloading. It also makes it easier to really pack it in.

I'll just pretend that most readers can figure this out without an extensive explanation. I impressed a number of landscapers, especially those working on a smaller scale like myself when they see how fast I unload at the dump, and all by myself too. I just pull each tarp out one at a time, each with a manageable load rather than one heavy one.

This last photo is from a previous post showing how I spread and secure my tarp when getting a load from a backhoe. For yard debris, I am not this elaborate. I don't use the blue cab tarp shown here and I only use 2 bungee cords though really i don't need any, it just keeps things in place in case the wind blows. What is pretty key here is packing down each layer, something that is harder to do without tarps.

The Final Tarp System

I have perfected a way to keep your pick-up truck bed and everything else tidy and also to save time unloading. If you are one of those weird people that has a truck and are anal about keeping it clean but love to garden, you MUST read this. I worked out this system over the past few years, perfecting it this spring.

WARNING: Please be aware of the weight capacity of your vehicle. Most things I haul are pretty light. A load of gravel that is the same VOLUME as mulch is much heavier and can do considerable damage to your suspension. When in doubt ask how much it weighs and consult your owner's manual.

What follows is a detailed explanation with photos that explicitly shows you too how to be a master of mulch and other bulk things, just like me. The 1st photo shows the final set-up. The key is to use 2 tarps. One should be larger than your truck bed, the other may be smaller. I have a compact truck. If it were full sized, I would need slightly larger tarps. I will trust you to do your own math, but get 2 new unscathed tarps for this. I have tarps I use for other things but these are my truckbed tarps.

The tarps however must be firmly secured. For this you need 3 four foot bungee cords, 2 carabiners and a weight, I use a brick. This picture shows where one carbiner and bungee cord goes. Remember, the cab tarp goes on top of the bed tarp. The brick(weight) goes on top of the cab to keep the cab tarp from blowing over.You kinda need rearview mirrors on both sides of your truck. If you don't have that well, I guess that will be a puzzle for you to solve. It's a good idea to make sure your windows are rolled up too.

The 3rd bungee cord goes under your tailgate, which should be kept open. You want the large tarp to fall outside the bed, sorta like a piecrust.

Here you see what an inexact science it is to dump a load of whatever into the bed of a truck. Some operators are pretty good. My guy knows whats up but some are pretty sloppy. Anyway, he doesn't worry about messing up my truck when I come around.

I did a post last fall showing my tarp method, but not with these improvements. If you compare, you'll see that this is superior.

I should do a post about saving time and effort when doing a drop-off. I developed a lasagna method of filling my truck with yard waste which I am certain more landscapers would use, especially small scale ones, once they realized how much time it saves.

I love my tarp

I guess I am allowed to only upload 4 photos at a time. Well gee.
OK, I love my tarp. If you are reading this you probably haven't read my 1st post about my wonderful supertarp.

I took all these pictures just to show how wonderful it is.

Here I have a few wheelbarrows shy of a yard of compost in my bed and you can see how the tarp works.

This next 2 pictures(above) show how I attached a carabiner type rings to my tarp, actually a bunch of them, which I use in conjunction with bungee cords and other things to keep things the way I want them. They let me quickly attach and detach things.

Next we have my wheelbarrow sitting on a smaller, cheaper tarp. This lets me toss my stuff faster and sloppier. Hmm, how many readers have I lost with this post?

Anyway this compost here is a must for gardens. You can either make your own by collecting various biodegradable things, or get it elsewhere. I explain below how more or less, commercial compost humus is made and how I arrange my tarp when getting a load. I decided yesterday that I might get a second tarp, about 6X6 to rest on my cab and slightly overlap the main tarp. I may or may not want another bungee to secure that one. I dunno, you can never have enough bungee cords or tarps. They all wear out eventually so I generally keep well stocked.

Tired

I am tired. I did 2 yards of compost today. The picture you see is not from today but last May.

Typically I go to this place and they dump a load in my little truck just like that. I told them it's OK to dump it on the roof of my truck. I guess some people don't like dirt on their roof, but I find it easier and they just can't dump it tidily in my bed.

I have a special tarp I call my 'supertarp' that I always keep in my truck. I have other tarps for doing other things but this one just lives there.

I have a special way I keep it spread on the bed so that the compost stays neater. I use at this point 3 bungee cords to hold it in place. In this picture you can see one bungee cord stretched from the tarp to someplace off screen which is my rearview mirror, there was another bungee cord attached the same way on the other side.

I've modified my method since last May by keeping the tailgate open and using a third bungee to keep the tarp secure at the gate. I also attached the other 2 to the actual corners of the tarp and higher up.

Not only does this keep my truckbed neater but it also makes it easier and faster to unload. I don't have to scrape my bed at all because when the compost gets thin, I pull the tarp and the dirt just slides down.

So anyway, compost humus, one small truckload is bout a cubic yard. If you have a garden, especially if you are breaking new ground, topping it with some compost helps a lot.

The compost comes from various sources, a good portion from landscapers dumping the yard debris from cleaning up things, this is weeds, branches, grass cuttings etc. This stuff is taken somewhere where it is composted with some other stuff, sometimes they accept roadkill, sometimes it's something else, like one place uses a lot of potato peels from a potato chip factory. Anyway, I do not know the specifics but they compost the stuff like you might if you had the space and were so inclined. It's good stuff.