Uses for Prunings
How to make waste pruning material work for the garden and hurdle-weaving prep.
Last weekend we took advantage of the dry weather and pruned a lot of growth from the apple tree at the end of the garden, it is fruiting well so by carefully avoiding damaging any apples, it was time the tree had a haircut. It is a big old tree and although we will need to get a professional in to take care of the top, we could use the long-reach loppers to tackle the sides.
There are two things to remember with pruning fruit trees:
Summer / Autumn pruning reduces / maintains growth
Spring pruning encourages growth
As we want to keep the tree at it’s current size, now is a good time, also pruning in dry weather helps the ‘wounds’ heal before any damp can get in which could lead to infections or rot. The hazel also had a trim.
As you can imagine, there was a sizable pile of cuttings, thin, bendy branches of around 5 feet in length…so what to do with them? I am going to use them to weave hurdle-style edging barriers to put along the top of the main veg bed which borders a path, they won’t be very high but it will look great (hopefully) and will define the two areas nicely - I also love the look of woven wood, traditional and rustic.
So, the first job is to remove the leaves, buds and tiny twiggy bits - quite a pleasant job sitting on the bench snipping away, the kind of repetitive work that seems therapeutic and productive.
A lot of the leaves will easily pull off by hand, but I use secateurs to snip any thicker bits away, these leaves will go onto the compost pile where they will gently rot down and add a really useful dose of nitrogen.
After snipping the branches clean I have piled them up in a shady spot until all are done and I have my supply of weaving material. If they dry out before I want to use them, a simple soak in water will restore their pliability. I will write another newsletter in due course showing the weaving process!
There are many other uses for off-cuts and pruning waste, of course it can always be disposed of in garden rubbish collection bins, or be taken to a recycling centre that accepts green waste, but you can get creative. Here are some ideas…
Plant supports - use pliable sticks and twigs to make rings to contain tall flowers, obelisks to grow sweet peas or beans up or for use as pea sticks in the spring, they will thrive climbing up the higgledy-piggledy branches, simply sink them into the soil, cut-end down for a real country garden look.
Firewood for your stove, chiminea or fire pit - ideally season the wood for 6 months to dry it out before using it, the ashes can then be spread on the garden, around fruit trees and shrubs especially.
Wildlife refuge - a ‘messy’ pile of sticks, leaves and twigs is wonderful for the wildlife in your garden. Hedgehogs and small mammals can nest in it over winter, birds have a supply of nesting material, insects will make a home in the small spaces, frogs and toads can use it for shade in the summer and somewhere to hide from the cold in the winter…fabulous.
Compost - woody waste will take longer to break down, but it is well worth the wait, leaves are a rich source of nitrogen too. The use of a garden chipper / shredder will cut any thin branches into small pieces which will rot down faster, just add them to your compost bin or heap.
Mulch - another use for that shredder, if you have chipped a load of thin branches, use the wood chips as a mulch (much like you would use bark bought from a garden centre). Mulch is brilliant at helping keep weeds under control, it protects roots from frost and keeps moisture in the soil.
No such things as waste in the garden eh? If you know of any fun uses for prunings, mention them in the comments :)