In article ,
Ted Richardson wrote:
I have cut down a large ivy, and there is about half a tonne at least of
leaves branches and thick trunk.

Getting rid of it is a problem, Which do you consider the best way:-

Hiring a shredder and composting it or pay for it to be taken away

It depends. There is also a third way: NOT hiring a shredder and
composting it. Shredding woody material speeds up its composting,
but isn't essential - I don't do it. A good rule is that sapwood
will break down in a year or two, but heartwood is best separated.
Conifers are an exception, and yew is almost uncompostable.

Any branch big enough for firewood can be used for that. I would
actually compost the leaves and small (sapwood) branches, use what
firewood is worthwhile, and burn the stuff in between. Note that you
need a traditional compost heap, to add some nitrogen, and ensure that
it remains damp and aerated.

I have composted small amounts of clippings in the past with the other
compostable material, but I don't whether such a large amount of ivy
composted by itself would prove toxic to the soil.

Why on earth should it? If it did, every time an old tree fell down
in the UK, there would be a sterile patch ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.