Shredded conifer mulch
 

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?

--

Jeff

Shredded conifer mulch
 

On 25/08/16 09:54, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:32:22 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?

I used to have a Leylandii hedge, although not quite as many or as
tall as yours (probably 15 trees at 3-4 metres high). It needed
clipping every year and seriously topping every two or three years. I
shredded all the clippings and toppings and stored them for a year or
so in those 'big bags' the builders' merchants use for bulk deliveries
of sand etc, and then used them as mulch, say 2 inches deep. Nice and
sterile (no weed seeds, unlike my ordinary garden compost), and never
had any problems with it. The 'was-green' stuff disappeared quite
quickly into the soil, although the woody bits, typically 1 inch x 1/2
inch, took longer to go, but did eventually.

Thanks for that. You've confirmed my impression that it's too good to
waste. I used to keep those builders bags and got rid of them last year
after never finding a use for them!

I'm replacing the conifers with holly. The fence they are up against
will have a public footpath/cyclepath next to it in a year or two (it's
been private land) and I need something to dissuade any fence hoppers,
IYSWIM. Other possibilities are berberis and pyracantha, but I've got
one of the latter thugs and it needs pruning. Not many other evergreen
spiny things come to mind. If I can, I'll get the developers to put in
Rosa rugosa, blackthorn, and hawthorn as a native hedge on the other
side. Or maybe I'll spread a few seeds around... ;-)

--

Jeff

Shredded conifer mulch
 

On 25/08/2016 09:32, Jeff Layman wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

Assuming you have the space to store both the logs and the copious
amounts of small stuff that will result from shredding then apart from
the need to season the logs for a couple of years (and burn other
hardwoods with them) and compost the tailings no real problem.

I have seen big piles of conifer trimmings get seriously mad hot to the
point of self ignition so don't put it anywhere it could cause damage if
it went up in flames. I reckon 2-3m high conical piles is OK. It will
get steamy and smell strongly of oil of wintergreen if you get it just
right (even when there is a hard frost on the ground).

I wouldn't mulch with the uncomposted stuff as it will tend to rob
nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes. Better off coomposted.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?

Once it has been composted it is no different to any other bulk organic
material - although maybe a bit courser (I don't shred I just compost as
is). I tend to use trimmings off my conifers as fire lighters.

I try to burn a fair proportion of hardwoods with it too.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Shredded conifer mulch
 

On 25/08/2016 11:19, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 25/08/16 09:54, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:32:22 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?

I used to have a Leylandii hedge, although not quite as many or as
tall as yours (probably 15 trees at 3-4 metres high). It needed
clipping every year and seriously topping every two or three years. I
shredded all the clippings and toppings and stored them for a year or
so in those 'big bags' the builders' merchants use for bulk deliveries
of sand etc, and then used them as mulch, say 2 inches deep. Nice and
sterile (no weed seeds, unlike my ordinary garden compost), and never
had any problems with it. The 'was-green' stuff disappeared quite
quickly into the soil, although the woody bits, typically 1 inch x 1/2
inch, took longer to go, but did eventually.

Thanks for that. You've confirmed my impression that it's too good to
waste. I used to keep those builders bags and got rid of them last year
after never finding a use for them!

I'm replacing the conifers with holly. The fence they are up against
will have a public footpath/cyclepath next to it in a year or two (it's
been private land) and I need something to dissuade any fence hoppers,
IYSWIM. Other possibilities are berberis and pyracantha, but I've got
one of the latter thugs and it needs pruning. Not many other evergreen
spiny things come to mind. If I can, I'll get the developers to put in
Rosa rugosa, blackthorn, and hawthorn as a native hedge on the other
side. Or maybe I'll spread a few seeds around... ;-)

If concerned just add some nitrogen, breaks it down quicker, but I have
never had problems putting it straight on the ground green.

--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea

Shredded conifer mulch
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:32:22 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?


Be VERY careful putting it on the stove!

Pine logs can explode violently due to the oil inside.

Shredded conifer mulch
 

Fuschia wrote:
On Thu, 25 Aug 2016 09:32:22 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

In the next month or so I'm having a conifer (leylandii) hedge taken
out. There are around 20 trees 6 or 7 metres high.

The trunks and larger branches will be cut and stored for the
log-burning stove. But I'm wondering if the smaller woody and green
stuff would make a good mulch for the flower beds once shredded. I have
around 100^2 metres of beds, so reckon around 7.5^3m of mulch could be
used to cover them to a decent depth. I could store some more if needed,
as I reckon at least 10^3m of shredded material will be produced from
the trees.

There seem to be mixed comments on numerous webpages about the use of
shredded conifer as a mulch, but I reckon it will do more good than harm
(especially with the weeks of drought we seem to get now). Anyone used
this material as a mulch in the last few years?


Be VERY careful putting it on the stove!

Pine logs can explode violently due to the oil inside.

Leylandii are a long, long way from pine. We have burnt probably
several tonnes of them over the past twenty years or so (we haven't
quite finished felling the Leylandii yet!).

Although technically Leylandii are softwood in practice it behaves
much more like a hardwood, it's close grained and quite hard. It's
incredibly robust outdoors, we have poles which have been used as
markers laid on the ground which have lasted well over ten years.

Leylandii actually burns quite nicely, as with any wood you have to
keep it for long enough to make it reasonably dry, a year is OK. We
also have some pine trees and burning that there's no comparison
(still, if it's properly dried, it's OK).

--
Chris Green
·