On Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:19:02 -0000, "shazzbat"
wrote:

The tree fellers are busy across the road, at long last cutting down a row
of leylandii which this morning were about 10 feet taller than the houses.
They are shredding the branches into a truck, and I'm sure if I asked them
they'd let me have a load. I'm wondering about their suitability as a mulch
for the fruit bushes on the allotment to keep the weeds down. Anybody done
this, and is there a down side? OK, there's always a down side, what's the
down side here?

Steve

IME, it's always better to use composted wood chippings as a mulch. As
fresh wood rots down it can draw nitrogen from the soil which isn't a
good thing. Don't forget, as well, that pine is very acidic and if you
put a lot on your soil you'll lower the pH as it decomposes and gets
incorporated into the soil by those little wriggly things.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay.