Has anyone found benefits in using a chipper / shredder for olive prunings? I'm fed up with burning huge quantities of prunings and seeing all that energy going to waste. Was wondering if chippings could be spread out to season and then burnt indoors on the woodburner. I'd love to hear of others experiences before lashing out on an expensive machine.

I use my two donkeys who eat everything up to about 2cm thick, then I burn the rest in my wood burner. Goats do the same job.

Goats +1
and they even distribute their 'fertiliser' around my finca for me as well

Hi Pete,
I tried a chipper/shredder, one of the bigger electric home-use models (2400 watt): terribly slow and useless for any more the a very small quantity of prunings. Also they stuck real often on thick parts. I started to build wood-walls on my land by stacking the prunings so I don't have to burn anymore. Lovely for birds and small wildlive.
Mark

Had a 4 stroke one a few years ago.Brilliant for olive and pine cuttings as they are relatively straight and can be fed in easily.Not the same with carob branches.The chipping do make great mulch for flower beds and pathways, don't know about burning though.Great for chipping carob pods for horse and dog food suppliment.

WOODCHIPPERS ARE FANTASTIC FOR MULCHING BUT THE BRANCHES MUST BE FRESH. ONCE DRIED THE MACHINE WILL STRUGGLE.
HOWEVER YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT IT IS COMPLETELY COMPOSTED AND NOT STILL ROTTING. THIS
CAN CAUSE DISEASE. AVOID IT TOUCHING YOUR VALUABLE PLANTS. IF YOU WANT IT TO DECOMPOSE OR COMPOST QUICKLY BURY IT FOR 12 MONTHS, KEEP IT WATERED, DIG IT UP OR DIG IT OVER. JOB DONE.
TIP
ALMOND HUSKS MAKE A GOOD MULCH.....DRY OR COMPOSTED.
ANDY

I've noticed that some of the roundabouts have bark chippings as a mulch, does anyone know where it can be bought? Also, is it possible to hire a decent woodchipper?

I too have struggled with what to do with olive prunings.
Yes there are ways of chopping (small bits) up, but then they do not rot very quickly, it is often too dry for the fungi. We use a trituradora on a tractor as well as goats and burning anything worth it in the house woodburner.

Mulch is used for paths etc as it stops growth (it takes Nitrogen in before it releases any goodness).

The municipal compost place near Camarles will take them in and will make them into compost, but charge 23€ a tonne  to accept them. You pay about 10€ a tonne for the compost which is good value.

That municipal compost place sounds interesting, where is it exactly.

Hi all,
I make long (3m) thin (10 cm) bundles with the straight bits tied together with twine and then make wicker fences out of these around my gardens.. keeps the dogs out and the smaller life forms entertained and homed.
I also use the husks from the almonds as a mulch just getting going with this now.
I didn't know you could feed carob to dogs... good idea.