"Robert" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
: In article ,
: Robert wrote:
:
: If they are composted in a compost heap that has generated sufficient
heat,
: it shouldn't matter where you use it provided there is no disease on
the
: tree
:
: I compost mine on a cold heap, and the tree had fungus. There are very
: few diseases that will transfer through a compost heap, and effectively
: none from prunings. Almost the only ones that will are soil-borne ones
: with resistant spores, like white rot of alliums - but, with most of
: those, you either have them in your soil or you don't, so it doesn't
: make any difference whether you put them in the compost!

Many thanks everyone for your messages, very helpful.

We did not leave the trees very long but have only pruned 2 out of the five
and not pruned them too hard. This year after cropping we will decide
whether or not it is a good idea to prune the others in the same way. They
are very mature trees, easily more than 20 years (at a guess).

We will save a few chippings for BBQ in the summer...good idea thanks.

And it sounds like composting will be fine, so we will compost the rest.

Thanks again.

Helen