On 25/08/2016 11:19, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 25/08/16 09:54, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:32:22 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?

I used to have a Leylandii hedge, although not quite as many or as
tall as yours (probably 15 trees at 3-4 metres high). It needed
clipping every year and seriously topping every two or three years. I
shredded all the clippings and toppings and stored them for a year or
so in those 'big bags' the builders' merchants use for bulk deliveries
of sand etc, and then used them as mulch, say 2 inches deep. Nice and
sterile (no weed seeds, unlike my ordinary garden compost), and never
had any problems with it. The 'was-green' stuff disappeared quite
quickly into the soil, although the woody bits, typically 1 inch x 1/2
inch, took longer to go, but did eventually.

Thanks for that. You've confirmed my impression that it's too good to
waste. I used to keep those builders bags and got rid of them last year
after never finding a use for them!

I'm replacing the conifers with holly. The fence they are up against
will have a public footpath/cyclepath next to it in a year or two (it's
been private land) and I need something to dissuade any fence hoppers,
IYSWIM. Other possibilities are berberis and pyracantha, but I've got
one of the latter thugs and it needs pruning. Not many other evergreen
spiny things come to mind. If I can, I'll get the developers to put in
Rosa rugosa, blackthorn, and hawthorn as a native hedge on the other
side. Or maybe I'll spread a few seeds around... ;-)

If concerned just add some nitrogen, breaks it down quicker, but I have
never had problems putting it straight on the ground green.

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea