My quest to write this article was born out of desire to help farmers and gardeners mitigate challenges experience stemming from the use...
So, it was actually the sawdust used with intention of conserving moisture since this was done during the peak of dry season.
For the readers’ benefits,
reading through this article would now give you a better way of putting sawdust
to use if need be without producing adverse effect. Let us take a look at the
pros and cons of using sawdust. You may want to read: Why you should use single growingmedium for veggies
Demerit of using sawdust
High in carbon: If you plough sawdust into your soil especially
using high sawdust-soil ratio, plant would find difficulty in growing there for
a year or more. Pure wood materials like sawdust and wood shavings are
very-high in carbon and this carbon will absorb all of the plant-feeding
Nitrogen in your soil in the process of decomposing. Though, after it does
decompose, the soil would be far rich in soil humus and organic material but
before then, using it is tantamount to digging your own plant graveyard. This
is exactly what happened to my ‘Ugu’ talked about above; seedlings were growing
fine but immediately after mulching the transplants with sawdust, growth
stopped and yellowing of leaves commenced followed by seedling death. For
gardeners, it’s even unsafe to compost it. As I often pointed out, the best
compost is made by combining carbon-rich "dry brown" material, like
shredded Fall leaves, with "wet green" sources of nitrogen, like
grass clippings and kitchen waste. Sawdust is a 'dry brown' material, but it's
a much more highly concentrated form of carbon than leaves therefore its use
should be discouraged. If there is any reason to be used as mulch, it must be
combined with high Nitrogen source materials like blood meal, poultry waste
etc. but to what extent is the stress if you can find alternatives.
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| Pepper bed mulched with sawdust |
Sources of sawdust: One
major problem with the use of sawdust is; not knowing the source. You walk up
to a sawmill market, pack the sawdust into a bag and up you go to your farm to
put it to use. Waoh! Do you bother asking from which wood was the sawdust processed?
Even if you asked, would you have gotten any answer anyway? Who cares since you
are getting the sawdust for free! The rule of thumb is; if you must use
sawdust, don’t use pressure treated wood, old railroad ties or other toxic wood
in any form. Example of toxic wood is walnut wood. Black walnut—the type most
often used in woodworking contains
juglone, a naturally occurring compound that stunts the growth of (or just
plain kills) many other plants, especially tomatoes and other popular backyard
crops. Although the concentrations are highest in the roots, there is some
juglone in every part of the tree, and compost made from black walnut sawdust
might send some of your most prized plants to their grave early. I probably had
an hunch that the one I used for my ‘Ugu’ was from wicked black walnut wood.
You may
want to read: Understanding the world of ISFM/IPM to turn around the fortune ofyour garden
Merit of using sawdust
That I have underlined all the
negative sides of sawdust does not mean it has no good side. The use to which
it is put determines the side its falls; whether with good or bad outcomes.
Use in broadcasting tiny seeds: If you are into planting of local
leafy veggies like ‘ewedu’ (corchorus),
amaranthus or you wish to plant onions,
carrot, lettuce directly on the field (not advisable though), you may want to
use sawdust as a filler mixed thoroughly with the seeds then broadcast on the
field. Using this would ensure that the seeds aren’t closely packed on the soil
therefore ensuring enough spacing between plant stand after germination.
Courtesy: www.hybridveggies.com
Amend soil: As an option, you may want to add small amounts of
sawdust to your soil to increase organic matter and improve its texture. This
is because sawdust is very slow to decompose; it works especially well in
moist, heavy soils like clay, where soil amendments tend to break down quickly.
After final decomposition, a soil containing decomposed sawdust is very rich.
You may as well pack thoroughly decomposed sawdust for this purpose.
Cover farm walk-way, mulching & Prevent erosion: If you have a
small to medium farm size or a garden and controlling weeds seem to be your
foremost headaches, then sawdust, the villain is at your rescue especially if
you can get the one from walnut tree. Sweep it between the cracks and crevices
of concrete sidewalks and in between stepping stones to help prevent weeds from
popping through or even spread on the walk way. In this form, it also would
help to prevent erosion and watching away of top soil. Eliminate existing grass
and weeds to expose the soil. Apply a thick layer of sawdust and tamp it firmly
into place. Walked-on sawdust compacts quickly. You would need to refresh your
pathway every few years.
Growing medium: Who says sawdust can’t be used as growing medium?
If you have ever considered growing your own mushrooms, sawdust can make a good
growing medium. Unlike green garden plants, mushrooms lack chlorophyll and rely
on other organic materials for their food. That it does not have chlorophyll
means it won’t need Nitrogen anyway. In
the forest by nature, logs work well for this. In the garden, you can use a
mixture of sawdust and woodchips. However, you must note that this is not only
the key to success in growing mushrooms, successful cultivation requires
monitoring temperature and light.
Repel slugs: Are you an
organic farmer? Sawdust can help to keep slugs at a distance especially if you
are into cultivation of leafy veggies like lettuce, cabbage, kale, cauliflower
etc. Clear around the susceptible crops, raise the foliage from touching the
soil and apply several inches around the base of the stems. You may also read: Cabbage cultivation
Store root parenating organs:
Sawdust could be used to store root planting materials for the next planting
season. Root veggies like carrots, beets, turnips, ginger etc. can be carefully
wrapped in very dried sawdust and kept far away from moisture and water. The
sawdust helps in retaining moisture in the organs to prevent outright
dehydration that may render the organs useless.
I strongly believe you have
certainly find a use in one way or the other for that sawdust just wasting away
in your neighborhood. If you have any question or comment, do leave such behind
and you shall receive prompt response. Thanks again for reading. Cheers!
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