I have just reduced 15 conifers, can I use the cuttings as compost?

Hi Ian, it will make good top dressing for mulching next year, leave it in the bags, what you will give away will be useful for yourself.

Ooooh yes,,I agree with Doctorbob....keep it for yourself!

Thanks GoY's I just thought I would check first and now I'm pleased I did. Why do conifers smell so citrus like? Carol (Mrs. Digs) thought I was shredding oranges! ! !

The most citrusy (is that a word?) is Cupressus macrocarpa and it's varieties. Lovely!

I'm not sure Fractal (if citrusy is a word) but it does role off the tongue well eh?

Yes Ian Citrussy is the word, the Mum-in-laws neighbour has seven huge conifers and he is slowly getting rid, they are over 30 foot high and he is taking them down himself, albiet slowly bit by bit, brave man, And he is also shredding them and they do smell quite lovely. So after reading your question I will go get some of his shreddings.

Ahhh you see Bob, you learn something every day here on GoY. Citrussy might be a word but is citrusy?

Lol!

Is fresh conifer good for composting or use in the cultivated garden? I thought that the resins suppressed growth. Where we have been trimming and shredding leylandii in the new 'allotment' I have been using the shreddings to make the paths between the beds, but keeping it off the beds.

I agree about using it as a mulch, but why wait until next year? Just wondered. Also PLEASE will someone tell me what lol means. I keep trying to find out but no one tells me.

'lol' means 'lots of laughs' or you could substitute 'love'! It is used as an alternative to a smiley.

Sorry, Bulbaholic, my sons tell me lol means laugh out loud (similar, though). I'm still wondering what LMAO means, though?

Anything composted and heated up will change the substance completely. Many of the bags of compost you buy is often a mixture of all sorts of trees. The council compost recycled can contain a very wide range of organic materials.
As a mulch on top of your ground the open surface of the material will retain moisture in your ground leaving nature in time to neutralise it.

Thanks again Dr. Bob. I have bagged it all up and put it to one side. Come spring, once I'm sure the wildlife have finished using it as a winter hotel, I will put it through the shredder again and then use it as a mulch, as I think this was one of the (many) problems that affected my veg this year.

Bamboo, LMAO means Laugh My As* Off. A more polite version is LMSO, replace As* with Socks, Happy to help.

Cheers, Ian.

Your welcome. :~))

Actually Ian I put them both through the spellchecker and both flagged up as wrong spellings hehe probably our own made upwords and it dont matter which way its spelt.

Still it smelt nice.

Mmmmmm I can imagine.

I'm a bit late but thank you Bulbaholic and Bamboo for telling me about LOL and LMAO. I think I'll stick with LMSO.

with rubbish not being collected and dumps closed, we threw larger conifer cuttings over our back fence into the patch of woodland. the woodland has not been built over because the brewery that owns it were delayed until there were too many in the local area. looking through the ground layer cats stalk the panorama. conifer is slow to break down, but left for months the pile began to reduce in height until forgotten.

at the start of spring we noticed cats lying just beyond the fence. they were sleeping on the mound of conifer cuttings, perhaps for comfort. then we realised that in the cold early spring they were resting on the heat emanating through the decomposing needles. an impromptu assembly beyond the edges of a woodland.