You blew it. You should have used the shredder when you had it. Wood will
eventually break down if in contact with the soil (not buried), but it takes
a long time. Eventually or solar system will break down also, but that will
take even longer.

--
Compostman
Washington, DC
Zone 7
"Noctaire" wrote in message
...
I have a pile of sticks and tree limbs from some trees we cut down along a
fenceline. I had a chipper shredder on loan for a while but could not get
the time to get through them all -- I've left 'em in this pile for over a
year and they're still intact.

I'd REALLY like to encourage these puppies to break down so I can add some
topsoil and even the area out for some PLANNED plantings rather than the
unexpected ones (like pokeweed, which by the way has taken over a large
area
of my yard these days). Any suggestions on how to get these breaking down
without renting a chipper shredder?

James