Tree Cuttings as Compost

[Brom]

I've just spent the morning trimming branches off the trees that grow at side of our lane. They are mostly elder and grow really quickly. None of the branches were very big so we decided to put them through the wood chipper and use them as a weed suppressant covering on the flower beds. However, because of all the leaves the resultant chips look more like compost. Now I am undecided, do I use it as groundcover, or compost it for next spring? I would prefer to use it as compost as it would, no doubt, help break down the heavy clay soil that we are blessed with. So, a quick couple of questions for all you compost gurus out there, Is it worth composting, and, if so, what's the best way to go about it?
I've added a pic of the chipped material, as you can see it contains a lot of green leaves.

[darcyvuqua]

Use it as mulch this year to suppress weeds then dig in at end of season well that's what I would do a guru will no doubt tell me I'm crazy and give you a proper answer soon

[Brom]

Darcy,
Doesn't sound crazy to me at all. The outside veg patch is new this year so bound to be lots of weeds, covering it from now until spring may be the way to go.

[alldigging]

Mulch. Or compost. Whatever you have need for.

[Veggielot]

From the look of it you could do either. The more woody it is the less suitable for composting as it takes longer but apart from that do what you need/want the most.

[Brom]

thanks everyone, your comments are very much appreciated.
Looks like mulch it then dig it in at the end of the year is the way to go.

[Two_Sheds]

I'd use it as mulch, and I wouldn't dig it in. I don't dig anything in: the worms do all the work. Human digging destroys worm tunnels

[Angeldon]

While we're on the subject can I ask what chipper you use - I've been trying to find a reliable machine for doing exactly this and would appreciate a recommendation.

[Brom]

Angeldon,
I bought a MacAllister MSQ2800 from B&Q about a year ago mainly because of the price. It was on offer at £79 instead of the usual £140 (not sure of the exact price, but think this may be correct, however, it was reduced considerably). I took a bit of a chance with it as I didn't know much about chippers/shredders except that they were expensive. The blurb says it will chip branches up to 42mm diameter, it does, but with a bit of a struggle.
I found it to be good with woody material, less so with softer leafy waste as the roller tends to clog a little.
There are better on the market, but at a cost. This one didn't make the Which Report best buy list, but for the price I paid I can't complain, it does what I want it to.