It was very informative on the do's and don'ts of what sawdust can be used for and how to handle it in your garden. I know from my early wood working experiences that sawdust can be a major pain if you just sweep it up and dump it in a flower bed. I mean, it's like wood chips only on a much smaller scale, right?
Wrong!
Turns out sawdust is very high in carbon and can suck up essential nutrients in the soil. And it can take up to a year or longer before it finally starts breaks down, so you definitely don't want it near any of your precious flowers or veggies.
And sawdust from black walnut is the absolute worst thing in any garden. It contains juglone that acts almost like a weed killer since it stunts growth or worst case...actually can kill your tender flowers and vegetable plants.
Which leads me to wonder, why couldn't you put a layer of sawdust (I think pine would be preferable) on your garden paths for weed control. That way you get rid of those pesky piles of sawdust from all those fun building/wood-working projects and have some nice, neat paths and walkways for practically no cost. Beats waiting for bags of cypress mulch to go on sale.
A word of warning for my neighbors in low lying areas that get those torrential downpours like we do.
Make sure you install a good garden border or edging along your pathways so the sawdust doesn't wash or float into your beds. Then after a suitable period of time, you can rake up the decomposed sawdust and use it for a top-dressing or soil amendment.
Your plants will thank you!
~ Happy gardening from Clamshell Cottage ~
