re the chipper/shredder. I have a pecan grove (7 trees) and various oaks and pines, etc. We pick up a lot of fallen limbs. We made a cage for them near the fence with old fencing and we just pile them up high for a period of time (1-2 years). While it's building up, it provides a wonderful habitat for birds and furry animals (we've seen bunnies). Every so often we rent a chipper (about $100 for a weekend) and chip it all up and use it for mulch. We get about two years of mulch out of one weekend's worth of chipping.

So if you didn't want to invest in a chipper, this could be the way to go.

Karen