Composting wood waste

[Allan]

I have a trailer load of a mixture of sawdust and small wood shavings to use in the garden and much more is available. Obviously it is going to need composting to make it suitable as a soil improver. I can put some in with the additions to the compost heap, but much will have to be mixed with a nitrogenous source whether sulphate of ammonia, or a manure, we have some sheep manure for part of it. Has anybody had practical experience, not just hearsay and theory.
Allan

[peter]

Allan, not quite, but almost .

In my mothers 3/4 acre wooded garden a couple of years ago I coppiced a large quantity of hazel during the winter and shredded it.

Bagged shreddings just went very very mouldy, clouds of grey dust when decanted.

General open heap went brown and soggy.

Mixed evenly in equal parts with lawn mowings in an old coal bunker and kept watered, it got very hot, went to quite nice stuff, not compost exactly, more like soil conditioner .

[Jenny Green]

I've composted several shredded leylandii. It was a while ago now, but to echo Peter, the heaps got very hot and needed quite a lot of water, but did compost down pretty well

[Allan]

I found this one. I think it gives sufficient detail to get started, but a little maths to do first
Allan
http://www.amgron.clara.net/shavings/shavings.htm