as one of the other repliers I just dump it on my vegetable plot in Autumn.
Last year it was about 10 cm thick and was all but disappeared by the Spring

Gordon Filby
in Karlsruhe, SW Germany
"ned" wrote in message
...
Snowman wrote:
I've recently been bought a garden shredder, so am happily pruning
trees and shredding most of the branches - including the smaller
parts of a big branch that fell off an ash tree. But what do I do
with the shredded material, which is a mixture of chopped wood and
leaves? Can I just spread it around the garden as has been suggested
to me, do I need to compost it first, or is it suitable for both? Or
does it depend on what has been shredded?

I use a lot of shreddings on paths (away from the house). They give a
lovely soft woodlandy feel underfoot. But you might get a few grumbles
from 'the housekeeper' if you try it too close to home. ;-)
As a deep mulch the decomposing heat makes a good weed suppressant.

--
ned