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Tom Gardner[_2_] · 03-06-2014, 04:00 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 03/06/14 10:36, wrote:
We're about to move house and one of the first jobs I will have to do is trim the holly hedge that surrounds the property. It's a bit of a monster, probably about 50m in length and about 3m tall so is going to produce a ton of clippings which I will need to dispose of. I was thinking of shredding them to save space but most of the shredder reviews I've seen don't seem to work too well on fresh/green stuff and I really don't want this lying around for weeks whilst I wait for it to go brown!

Can anyone recommend a shredder that will cope with the fresh clippings and the odd thicker branch but will also not break the bank.

I suppose the only other alternative is to burn them, does holly burn well ?

I recently bought this from Screwfix

Item Name Item No. Price Qty Total
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Titan TTB353SHR 80kg/hr Electric Garden Shredder 39931 £89.99 1 £89.99
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I've used it with laurel branches including leaves, brambles, holly,
old man's beard, and just about anything else I encountered while
razing a garden.

It chips the large or hard stuff well, including wood, holly stems,
bramble stems and similar.

It chews up the greener stuff to some extent:
- leaves up to and including laurel and holly and bramble go
through but aren't well macerated; some of them will go through
unscathed. Nonetheless they are fine for a compost heap.
- old man's beard is partially macerated; there will be sections
that are 4" long but which have usually been sliced
along their length. Good stuff to mix with grass clippings
on a compost heap. If there's a large amount of old man's beard
it is probably faster for me to cram it into a green recycling
bag and let the council take it away (free!)

Leaves and old man's beard tends to block the outlet. This can easily
be cleared simply by putting a stick up the outlet and waggling; no need
to open it up. I've rarely had to open up the top to remove something
that was stopping the blade rotate.

It tends to snatch brambles down into the cutter, so welding
gloves and eye protection are mandatory.
(And thanks to whoever suggested welding gloves!)