Shredding/chipping leylandii

[Andy Dingley]

Doing it inside a container is probably the most sensible.

I love Leylandii as firewood (open hearth or closed stove), but I certainly don't do it in big lumps...

[meow2222]

If its just a little hedge, not much use for anything, but for tall hedges its a waste of good wood. If you dont want to build anything with it, I'll bet you could find people on freecycle that would, especially if you cut them to 8' lengths.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have a ride on lawnmower. Antyhing over 1" diameter gets chainsawed, anything over 2" gets on the winter fires, the rest gets run over with the lawnmower.

A set of new blades is only £20 and an hour to fit....;)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yes, they are serious fun.

Nov 5th is a good time.

[The Medway Handyman]

If that shreds a 40mm branch then I'm a Dutchman. No chance!

We removed a tree yaer before last. Cut it into useable pieces & bought a cast iron Chimira. Great! Outside sitting on the decking with a large drink, logs crackling away!

[Merryterry]

Our Council, Wychavon, have a free service for this. They will send a guy round with the machine and take it away. You must supply bags. Worth asking your local authority

[meow2222]

I got a basic =A370 one that does 4cm, and got through a pretty big pile with it. But it was ---ing noisy and slower than I'd hoped for.

NT

[roybennet]

Domestic garden shredders are useless and a waste of money. I have been down this route in the past and I can tell you that it is worth paying a tree surgeon to do the work for no other reason than he disposes of the trimmings. I can trim these trees in no time flat with my chain saw but then I reduce myself to nervous wreck trying to dispose of the mountain of trimmings piled around the garden over the subsequent weeks and months.

[Mary Fisher]

Same here. It should only be burned in a container to be safe.

We shred the leafy parts and either compost them or just spread them on the ground for the chickens to turn over and incorporate but the woody parts are burned.

I wouldn't burn them in the bread oven though, no matter how well dried they were.

Mary

[Andy Dingley]

Leylandii often don't burn well in a closed stove. If you've limited volume above the firebed and don't have separately controllable top air, then you'll not burn the vapourised resin. As well as not burning usefully, it'll give you big creosote buildups in the flue and the risk of a chimney fire.