30 09.18

Got some sawdust? How to use them more effectively in the country

0

The use of sawdust in the garden is quite common. However, there is no consensus on the benefits of their use. Some gardeners say that sawdust can improve the composition of the soil, while others are at risk from the use of sawdust. True, probably somewhere in the middle, but you probably need to study the properties of sawdust and the ways of their possible use in a summer cottage.

The benefits and harms of using sawdust

The main benefits from the use of sawdust include:

• looseness of the soil - sawdust makes the soil "fluffy", does not allow a crust to form on its surface;
• preservation of moisture in the soil is achieved through the use of sawdust, which absorb water;
• the ability to fight weeds;
• fertilization of the soil - sawdust will become fertilizer only after it has rotted.

The disadvantages of sawdust include:

• acidification of the soil - complaints from summer residents are not uncommon that after the use of sawdust, crops in the soil do not grow well. This is due to their ability to absorb alkali;
• nitrogen consumption - sawdust takes nitrogen both from the soil and from the plants themselves. However, understanding the nuances of such a process, this minus can easily be turned into a positive factor.

How to use sawdust in a summer cottage

Sawdust is such a versatile material that it can be used in any kind of activity in the country.

So, they can be used as:

• mulching material, in order to retain moisture, protect the soil from overheating, weeds and various diseases. In order for the sawdust mulch to bring the maximum benefit, they need to be poured into a bucket of water and 200 g of urea added. Such a composition will be of great benefit to the soil;
• fertilizing plants. To maximize the benefits of sawdust for horticultural crops, they must be mixed with manure and left to re-heat during the season. Periodically, this mixture should be spilled with water. For the next season, the organic fertilizer will be ready for planting;
• material for filling tracks. Due to the property of sawdust to absorb water, the paths between the beds will always be dry and tidy, and it will be possible to walk on them even in late autumn. Also, sawdust will prevent weeds from growing on the paths, and the edges of the beds will be protected from drying out and the formation of a crust of the earth;
• material with which the level of the beds on the site is increased. To do this, you need to remove the top layer of the earth, fill it with sawdust, prepared by analogy with the mulching composition, and pour a layer of previously removed turf on top;
• a soil substitute during the period of germination of seeds of garden crops. This is done this way: sawdust is poured into a special container, on top of which the seed is laid out, cover this container with a film and placed in a warm place (the temperature should be about +30 degrees). After a real leaf appears at the seedlings, they need to be dived into separate pots;
• a potato crop accelerator. To do this, you need to pour sawdust into the box, spill them with water, put the previously sprouted potatoes on top and sprinkle them with another layer of sawdust. When the sprouts reach 10 cm, the potatoes need to be planted in the holes. This method allows you to get the harvest 1-2 weeks earlier than usual;
• insulation for plants. To do this, you can spread sawdust around the plants, which will be packed in bags. The material itself will not pick up moisture and will not freeze, and due to its high heat transfer it will warm the plants during the cold season;
• household material. With the help of sawdust, ceilings are insulated and walls are plastered, vegetables and root crops are stored in them. Sawdust is great as fuel for a smokehouse or as bedding for pets.

A good summer resident benefits from everything, even a seemingly unnecessary material such as wood shavings. It can be a good fertilizer, material for mulching or seed germination. Sawdust for the garden, the benefits and possible harm of which will be discussed further, with skillful use, can become a good assistant in solving many summer problems.

Sawdust in the garden - use and application

Sawdust for the garden is used by summer residents for:

1. Loosening the soil. Bulky shavings conduct air well into the soil, which improves root respiration of plants.
2. Sawdust mulch protects the soil from excessive moisture evaporation, weed growth and freezing of plant roots in harsh winters.
3. Soil fertilizers. Over-matured sawdust for the garden, the benefits and harms of which are balanced in the compost, is an excellent top dressing for many horticultural crops.
4. Germinating seeds. The seeds of many garden crops germinate easily in a mixture of sawdust and saltpeter.
5. Regulation of soil acidity. This additive increases the acidity of the soil, which will benefit hydrangeas, blueberries and azaleas.
6. Draining marshy and damp places. Wood sawdust absorbs moisture up to five times its own weight.

What do sawdust give in the garden?

As we have already learned, plant sawdust can be used in completely different ways. In skillful hands, sawdust will become a good helper for the garden, the benefits and harms of the use of which depend on the fulfillment of certain rules:

1. The introduction of sawdust under the autumn digging makes the soil looser, which is great for heavy and clayey soils.
2. Environmentally friendly sawdust in the compost heap will bring benefits. They will increase the yield of your beds by 20-25%.
3. With excess moisture in the soil, you can dig grooves in the aisles and pour sawdust there, which will absorb a large amount of unnecessary moisture.
4. If you cover the ground in the garden with sawdust, avoiding tree trunks, then you will forget about weeds.
5. Well, covered with sawdust and polyethylene, grapes, clematis and other delicate crops survive the cold winter well.

The use of sawdust in the garden is not limited to fertilization, shelter for the winter and mulching the soil. The benefits of such soil have long been appreciated by gardeners for growing seedlings. Seeds are spread on a layer of wet sawdust mixed with nitrogen fertilizer at a distance of about 4-5 cm from each other. Then they are covered with another thin layer of wet sawdust and film and removed to a warm place. After germination of seeds, the seedlings are exposed to coolness and wait for the appearance of the first true leaves. After young plants must be planted in normal soil.

Wood sawdust as fertilizer for the garden

It is better not to use fresh sawdust as fertilizer for the garden. Such shavings draw out a good part of nitrogen from the soil, which is so necessary for vegetation to develop. Wood "waste" needs to be overheated to become useful for green spaces:

1. Layer by layer, raw sawdust, manure, bird droppings, plant tops and grass, ash or dolomite flour, in a word, everything that is on the site are laid out in the compost heap.
2. Once a week, the pile is poured abundantly with water and mixed.
3. For greater enrichment, you can pour out herbal infusions and biological products.
4. After such procedures, at least 2 months later, and preferably after 6-12 months, the finished fertilizer can be applied to the soil.

Almost all crops can be mulched with sawdust - vegetables, berries and fruit trees. This mulch will protect plantations from weeds and some pests. The procedure is best done with rotted sawdust. In the spring, they are laid out for planting, cooked 1-2 years ago. The thickness of the layer is made from 4 cm for berries and increased to 20 for fruit trees.

Is sawdust good for the soil in the garden?

The benefits of sawdust in the garden, when used correctly, are absolutely obvious, we discussed it above. This cheap stuff is available at any garden center and pet store. When buying proven fertilizers, you can be sure that there are no harmful impurities that can harm the garden. It is better to prepare the material for making the soil - let it perepot. Then you can use less mineral fertilizers. But there are situations when fresh sawdust will also be beneficial.

Fresh sawdust in the garden - benefit or harm

The use of fresh sawdust in the garden is mainly associated with decorative functions and crop preservation:

1. Falling asleep of garden paths. It looks very good, protects against weeds and keeps your shoes clean in bad weather.
2. It is good to sprinkle the ground under the bushes with a thin layer of sawdust - raspberries, strawberries. So the berry will be cleaner and mold and fungus will not get to your fruits.
3. Fresh sawdust will help preserve the tubers of cannes, dahlias, begonias in winter. In dry sawdust in the cool, they will survive the winter perfectly.

Over-matured sawdust in the garden - benefit or harm

Over-matured sawdust for the garden is used as part of the compost. Above, we have already considered that for the introduction of a prepared fertilizer, your vegetables: potatoes, squash, tomatoes and zucchini will tell you "Thank you!" in the form of a good harvest. If there is no full-fledged compost, but there is sawdust, and that's good too. Within two weeks, fresh shavings are poured with a solution of water and urea and covered with polyethylene. A good organic fertilizer saturated with nitrogen is ready.

Coniferous sawdust in the garden - benefit or harm

Coniferous sawdust in the garden is used much less often, but you should not completely abandon them. Spruce and pine shavings are more common than other needles. They are much stronger than deciduous ones, they deplete the soil with nitrogen. In addition, they acidify the earth more actively. For some crops, this is good - conifers love this, but such changes will be harmful to cabbage, beets and potatoes. With the right ratio, softwood shavings with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, lime or dolomite flour will only benefit your garden and garden.

What plants like sawdust?

Many novice summer residents often ask the question: "For what plants are sawdust useful?" The answer to it comes from the ability of sawdust to oxidize the soil:

1. Carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers love slightly acidified soil.
2. The heat from the overheating sawdust will spur the seeds of squash, squash and pumpkin to grow.
3. Onions, garlic and beets can also be mulched with a thin layer of sawdust.
4. Berries - strawberries, raspberries and wild strawberries react well to mulching with sawdust. The necessary moisture is retained under the layer of shavings, the berries do not get dirty on the ground, and garden pests (snails and slugs) are not afraid of them.

Sawdust itself is not a hazardous product. The harm of sawdust in the garden can be caused by their improper use:

1. Do not use sawdust with traces of chemical liquids - varnishes, paints, solvents and others.
2. As already mentioned several times, sawdust acidifies the soil, so they are recommended where ph is shifted towards alkali or for plants that prefer acidic soils.
3. Fresh sawdust takes useful trace elements from the soil. Therefore, they are used in combination with nitrate, urea or manure.
4. Covering plants for the winter with a thick layer of shavings also needs to be careful - the bottom layer will begin to rot, and the top will remain unchanged. This will adversely affect the root system of plants.

Cheap and useful fertilizer - sawdust for the garden, the benefits and harms of which are mainly due to the correct use. With the right ratio of nitrogenous fertilizers and lime, they will be a good fertilizer and mulching material. And the dry material will perfectly decorate summer cottages, protect garden soil from weeds and preserve the tubers of some plants in winter.

Pine sawdust in the garden benefit or harm

Sawdust in the garden: harvesting, use, benefits and harms

Probably, many people think that dreams of a waste-free household will remain dreams. However, there are things that can be used even when it seems that they are already unusable. Such material is sawdust. Few people know how to properly use sawdust in the country, at home, in the garden. Most gardeners and gardeners do not know exactly how sawdust affects the soil, having only the information that sawdust acidifies the soil, and refuse to use this material in their plots. But our ancestors knew about the use of sawdust in garden plots. In this article, we will talk about how to use sawdust in the garden, about the benefits and dangers that they can bring.

What are useful and which sawdust is better to use in the garden

Due to its availability, sawdust has gained popularity among gardeners and is widely used in the garden. Most often, sawdust is used as fertilizer, or gardeners carry out mulching with sawdust, or use it while loosening the soil. Sawdust has a beneficial effect on plants in the garden due to the fact that during decomposition they release carbon, which activates the soil microflora 2 times. In especially arid regions, sawdust can be used to trap moisture, but if trees suffer from constant flooding, then a trench is dug around them and covered with sawdust.

You can use sawdust from almost all trees made from any part of the tree to prepare fertilizer / mulch for your garden. The only limitation is pine sawdust, their use is a difficult process, since they slowly decompose on their own, and also slow down the decomposition of other components due to the high level of resin content. However, using pine sawdust in the garden is beneficial.

How to use sawdust in the garden and in the garden

Increasingly, the owners of summer cottages are using sawdust as fertilizer, because this is a valuable material that can be found right on their site. Often on sites and forums there are questions about whether it is possible to pour sawdust into the garden, how to mix sawdust with other fertilizers, how to prepare sawdust for mulching, etc. Next, we will tell you more about how to use sawdust for the garden and garden, and also consider not only benefit, but also harm.

Mulching the soil with sawdust

Sawdust as mulch is often used by gardeners and gardeners. Experienced owners advise: if you do not know all the features of the soil (namely, the level of acidity), then you can try to mulch one bed. This will not bring any special losses, but in the future you will know for sure whether sawdust mulch is suitable for your site. The use of sawdust in the country as mulch is not limited only to mulching in the open field, they can also be used in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Sawdust mulching can be carried out in spring or autumn. It is pointless to use sawdust fresh. It is better to use completely rotted or semi-rotted material.

Important! Under natural conditions, the reheating procedure can take up to 10 years, so there are ways to more quickly prepare sawdust for use.

The most common and simple way to prepare for mulching is the following: 3 buckets of sawdust and 200 g of urea are poured onto the film and water is poured on top so that it completely wet the sawdust, then the layer is poured with urea and repeat the procedure. Thus, several layers are obtained, which are then hermetically wrapped and kept in this state for two weeks. After this period, the sawdust can be used. Sawdust can be scattered not only near the plant itself, but also in the aisles between plantings. A logical question will be whether it is possible to mulch all plants and, in particular, tomatoes with sawdust. Mulching with tomato sawdust can increase yields by 25-30%, as well as speed up the ripening process and prevent diseases, for example, phytophthora.

There are often disputes among gardeners about whether it is possible to sprinkle strawberries with sawdust. Can. The main thing is to sprinkle, not to add to the ground. Sawdust mulch prevents berries from rotting, making it ideal for strawberries.
When it comes to using sawdust, it is important not only what can be mulched / fertilized with sawdust, but also how to use it. So, for example, vegetable crops are mulched with a thin layer, only a few centimeters, shrubs - 5-7 cm, and trees - up to 12 cm.

Using compost with sawdust

Now that we figured out whether it is possible to mulch with sawdust, let's talk about how to use sawdust in combination with compost / manure and other organic matter. Many people are afraid to use pure sawdust for a vegetable garden or garden, but there are ways to make this application easier and more beneficial using compost. Compost, due to its availability, is an indispensable material for growing both fruit and vegetable crops on your site, and if it contains sawdust, then the benefits will increase several times. To prepare such a compost, it is necessary to mix manure (100 kg) with 1 cubic meter. m of sawdust and withstand a year. Such fertilization will significantly increase the yield.

Important! Rotted sawdust can only be mixed with rotted manure, fresh - with fresh. This will improve the quality of the compost.

Application of sawdust for seed germination

Sawdust, in view of the fact that they can retain moisture for a long time, interested gardeners and gardeners not only as a material for mulching or fertilizer, but also as a material for germinating seeds. In order for sawdust to serve well in germination, you only need to use rotted sawdust from deciduous trees, while materials from coniferous trees cannot be used.

A very important advantage of germinating seeds in a sawdust substrate is that it is then much easier to transplant a plant from sawdust without harming it. In order for the seeds to germinate, they must be poured onto a layer of wet sawdust and sprinkled on top with another layer, but the second layer should be thin enough to only cover the seeds. If the second layer is not done, then the seeds will have to be moistened much more often. The container with seeds is covered with polyethylene, leaving a small hole in it for air to enter, and placed in a warm place.

Sawdust as a loosening agent for soil

If there is no time for processing into high-quality nutritive material based on sawdust, and there is a lot of raw materials (sawdust), then they can be used to loosen the soil. There are three ways to use sawdust for loosening:

1. Sawdust is mixed with mullein and added to the soil when growing vegetables in greenhouses (mix 3 parts sawdust, 3 parts mullein and dilute it with water).
2. When digging soil in the beds, rotted sawdust can be added to it. This will help the soil stay hydrated longer and will solve the problem of heavy, clayey soils.
3. When growing vegetables that have a long growing season, sawdust can be added to the soil between rows.

Important! If, when digging up the soil, sawdust is added to the soil, then in the spring such soil will thaw faster.

Using sawdust as a covering material

The "waste" after processing the wood can be used to protect plants as a shelter. The most proven method is when plastic bags are filled with sawdust and the roots of the plant are covered with them. Plants such as roses, clematis and grapes are left to winter in place of growth to protect them, the shoots are bent to the ground and covered with a layer of sawdust. If you want to achieve 100% confidence in the safety of your plants in winter, you can make a more durable shelter: put a cap over the plant (you can use a wooden box for this) and fill it with sawdust on top - in this case, frost will obviously not harm.

Sawdust can also be used as a wet shelter, but this is fraught with the fact that in severe frosts, the sawdust will freeze and form an ice crust over the plant. Such a shelter is not suitable for everyone, although garlic perfectly tolerates the winter under wet sawdust of coniferous trees - they not only provide warmth, but also protect the culture from diseases and pests.

Sawdust can also be used to provide the root system with thermal insulation, for this they simply need to be poured in a thick layer on the bottom of the planting pit.

Features of the use of sawdust in greenhouses and greenhouses

For greenhouses and greenhouses, sawdust is a very valuable material, because they are excellent for indoor ground and mixed with plant residues and manure as compost. You can use sawdust in greenhouses and greenhouses both in spring and autumn. It is better to introduce rotted sawdust, which does not draw nitrogen from the soil. The effect of sawdust in greenhouses is that in combination with manure or other organic material, the soil warms up faster, and the plants absorb nutrients better.

How to use sawdust indoors:

• in the fall, lay the beds with organic residues (leaves, tops, straw);
• in the spring, put a layer of manure on top and sprinkle with limestone flour and sawdust;
• mix all the material in the garden (you can use a rake);
• put a layer of straw on top, on the straw - a layer of earth with the addition of mineral fertilizers and ash.

Important! For better heating, such a mixture can be spilled with boiling water or covered with foil.

Sawdust in the garden: benefit or harm

Despite the fact that sawdust is increasingly used by gardeners / gardeners, their use in the country is still a matter of controversy. Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of sawdust.

Sawdust benefits:

Disadvantages:

• fresh sawdust applied to the soil with fresh manure can draw nitrogen out of it, as a result of which the yield will be lower;
• if sawdust with manure lie for a long time in one heap and do not mix it, then a fungus can start in such a mixture;
• it is impossible to use sawdust in too dry areas.

As you can see, the advantages of using sawdust are much greater than the disadvantages. After all, the effectiveness of the material largely depends on the correctness of its use, and in the hands of a loving gardener, any material will be useful.

Was this helpful?

agronomu.com

The use of sawdust for the garden: the benefits and harms, which are better, the rules of use

Various production wastes are often used in the household.

Often they can successfully replace purchased products and turn out to be no worse in quality.

Waste from sawing wood (sawdust) can be very useful in the garden.

After all, with their help:

• fertilize the soil, making it more fertile;
• create favorable conditions for the germination of seedlings and seedlings;
• fight weeds;
• regulate the acidity of the soil;
• protect plant roots from drying out and frost;
• make paths cleaner and easier to move.

Use before planting

Most types of seedlings must be planted at the very beginning of spring, when the air temperature at night often drops to negative values.

Because of this, the temperature of the soil does not exceed +5 degrees, so the roots develop poorly in it, and the plant is sick.

If it is not possible to set up a greenhouse, then filling fresh wood waste into grooves or holes may be a good solution.

Sawdust should be poured 3-5 cm below the level of the roots, so make the seats a little deeper.

After digging a hole or groove and placing some sawdust on the bottom, pour it with any fertilizer that contains nitrogen and phosphorus, you can also put a few grains of urea.

In this case, the bacteria that ensure the decomposition of wood waste and raise their temperature will take these substances from the fertilizer soaked in the soil and the top layer of the soil will be provided with constant heating, and also will not lose the microelements necessary for plant growth.

For such a bedding, wastes from sawing wood of deciduous fruit species (pear, apple, apricot, etc.) are better suited. If there are no such sawdust, then any other deciduous waste can be used, mixing it with a small amount of manure or dung to speed up the decomposition of the wood.

If only coniferous sawdust is available, then they must be mixed in equal parts with manure, and also treated with aerobic bifidobacteria. These drugs are sold in garden stores, and you can also buy them on the Internet, for example, here. The cost of a package sufficient for processing 25 m2 is 4–4.5 thousand rubles.

Pour a mixture of garden soil and humus on top of the sawdust, because in most cases the garden soil is very depleted, so the plant will not be able to develop normally in it.

There are many useful substances and microelements in the mixture of earth and humus, so the planted seedlings will not suffer from a shortage of them.

Do not mix soil with unmixed sawdust, droppings, or manure, as this will burn the roots of the plants and you will not get a crop.

If you have completely rotted sawdust, then they can also be added to the mixture of soil and humus, they will improve the structure of the soil, so that the earth will be better filled with water, air and various nutrients.

In addition, rotted sawdust will provide the plant with additional nutrients, in particular calcium and phosphorus.

This planting method can be used for any garden plants, however, for the best result, you need to take into account the acidity of the soil.

You can determine it using analyzes or by plants on the site. If they grow there:

• sorrel;
• horsetail;
• buttercup;
• oxalis;
• blueberry,

then the earth is very acidic and pits or grooves for planting need to be shed with a solution of slaked lime, and the bottom layer of sawdust should be sprinkled with wood ash.

If on the site appeared:

• heather;
• fern;
• cornflowers,

it is enough to spill the holes or groove with a lime mortar.

Most root vegetables, as well as cucumbers and tomatoes, like moderately acidic soil, so if the above plants are not on the site, then sawdust poured into the bottom of the hole, groove or furrow will slightly acidify the soil, so that the seedlings will grow better.

Over-matured sawdust does not change either the acidity or the amount of nitrogen in the soil, therefore, mixing them with soil and humus, you only add additional fertilizers, so adjusting the acidity or amount of nitrogen is not required.

The same method of adding sawdust to the bottom of grooves or holes can also be used to plant seeds directly into the ground. However, for such a planting, a greenhouse is needed, because the time for planting seeds falls on February and March, so the discussion of sawdust will not be able to warm up the earth and air to the desired level.

Planting seeds on sawdust allows you to meet the deadlines and avoid transplanting from pots into the soil, traumatic for the roots of plants, because, unlike the earth, sawdust has a very loose structure, therefore, when transplanting, the roots are preserved intact.

If you are going to grow seedlings in separate containers, and then transplant them into open or closed ground, then completely rotted sawdust must be mixed with earth and humus. This will provide the maximum amount of nutrients and elements necessary for the growth of seedlings.

1. Vegetable garden ru.
2. Dacha.
3. Country forum.
4. Forum of gardeners and truck farmers.

Sawdust is a good material for obtaining fertilizers, and depending on the method, its composition, characteristics and the time during which they turn into fertilizer change.

Here are the main ways to get fertilizers:

• natural decay;
• decay with droppings or manure;
• decomposition with the addition of bifidobacteria.

The natural decay process takes several years, and its speed depends on the type of wood, humidity and temperature.

Soft deciduous species rot the fastest. The process takes a little longer in waste of hardwood of medium hardness. Sawdust of coniferous and hard deciduous species rotted the longest.

The addition of dung or manure to wood waste accelerates their decay, and also makes the finished humus more useful.

In addition to glucose, calcium and phosphorus, it contains nitrogen and other useful substances. Adding bifidobacteria to the mixture of sawdust and droppings or manure allows you to get ready-made humus for several months.

Such fertilizers can be applied from autumn to spring. In the summer, when the plants are gaining strength and bearing fruit, it is undesirable to do so. After all, the earth must take in fertilizer and mix with it, otherwise in the root area there will be areas where the content of nutrients exceeds not only the norm, but also a safe value.

This is how vegetables soaked in nitrates are obtained - the fertilizer was introduced at the wrong time and, it did not have time to dissolve in the ground. As a result, the roots of the plant were not in the ground, but in the fertilizer and absorbed too many nitrogen compounds.

Mulching

After watering, the water not only permeates the soil and goes into the depths, but also evaporates from the surface.

The evaporation process directly depends on the wind speed and air temperature, so the earth dries up quickly on sunny or windy days.

As water evaporates, soil moisture drops and plant roots lose their ability to absorb nutrients and trace elements necessary for growth.

The roots can only absorb an aqueous solution of these substances.

A layer of sawdust laid on top of the soil (mulch) reduces the rate of evaporation of moisture, so that the plants absorb the aqueous solution more efficiently and need less watering.

Fresh sawdust negatively affects the acidity of the soil, and also draws out nitrogen from it, therefore, immediately after laying the mulch from the sawdust, the soil must be watered not only with water, but also with a solution of nitrogen-containing and alkaline fertilizers.

In addition, these fertilizers need to be applied 2 more times throughout the season - in mid-spring and mid-summer. Read more about this process, as well as about various combinations of fertilizers, in the article (Sawdust mulch).

The chemical methods of struggle used in the fields are not always applicable in the garden, because domestic animals often run around it, which can be poisoned. Therefore, gardeners are forced to look for other methods of struggle, one of which is filling the earth with a thick (5–10 cm) layer of sawdust.

This is similar to mulching, however, they cover not only the space around the trunk of the plant, but also the entire garden.

Wood waste, laid in a thick layer, deprives the shoots of weeds of sunlight, because of which they cannot grow and soon die off.

Slugs are one of the most dangerous and tenacious pests living in vegetable gardens. Fresh sawdust mulch sticks to the body of the slugs, due to which they lose their ability to crawl and soon die from dehydration.

Such mulch should be sprinkled once a week with a thin layer, and also water with the remains of coffee dissolved in water, which is harmful to slugs.

If you only have rotted sawdust, then due to the softening of the wood during the decay process, they can no longer stop the slugs, therefore, they are useless in the fight against this pest.

Backfilling tracks

During the rain, the paths between the beds become limp and turn into a difficult-to-pass porridge, so many gardeners fill them with various materials.

Wood waste is better suited for this task than crushed stone, broken slate or bricks, because they not only remove dirt, but also improve the structure of the soil. In addition, the lower layer of the dump gradually rotted and after 1–4 years, depending on the moisture content and the type of wood, it turns into a good fertilizer, which is received by nearby plants.

If, over time, you decide to change the shape or location of the beds / plantings and dig up the garden, then in this case, sawdust will be useful.

They will improve the structure of the soil, making it looser, and also fill the soil with nutrients.

To reduce the negative impact of wood on the soil, spill the paths covered with sawdust with urea and slaked lime or ash solution 3-4 times a year.

These preparations compensate for the loss of nitrogen by the soil, and also regulate the acidity of the soil to an acceptable level.

When choosing between conifers, including pine and deciduous sawdust, consider the different decay times. Deciduous trees turn into humus much faster, and the softer the wood, the less time it takes for this process.

Waste from sawing alder or poplar will rot in 1-2 seasons, and oak or conifers - in 3-5 seasons.

You can not divide the garden into beds and paths, covering the entire area with sawdust. The optimum layer thickness is 10 cm. In this case, it is advisable to use rotted sawdust, because it is advisable to dig up the ground before winter and spring.

Fresh wood in the soil will acidify it and reduce nitrogen levels. If there is no rotten wood waste, then immediately after backfilling and in the fall, after harvesting, pour the sawdust with a solution of dung or manure, as well as an agent that accelerates the reproduction of bifidobacteria.

From spring to autumn, these sawdust will play the role of mulch and dumping, and bacteria will turn them into high-quality fertilizer by spring. After plowing the whole garden, you mix the soil with fertilizer, so that all plants will receive a more abundant and balanced nutrition.

Conifers and deciduous - which is better for the garden?

On numerous forums, users often ask the question - what kind of sawdust is better for the garden and is it possible to use coniferous or some other wood waste?

When used correctly, any sawdust can provide many benefits, however, improper use can harm and completely destroy the crop, making the land unsuitable for growing any plants.

Any waste from sawing wood makes the soil more acidic, and also draws nitrogen out of it, so it is necessary to apply fertilizers along with them to compensate for these changes.

Sawdust, both fully or partially rotted and fresh, improve the structure of the soil, which is especially important on clay soils. On especially heavy soils, consisting of solid clay, it is necessary to add sand together with sawdust.

Fresh wood waste in the process of decay is very hot, which leads to an increase in soil temperature and overheating of plant roots, so fresh sawdust should not be placed close to the roots.

Therefore, there is not much difference between coniferous and deciduous sawdust - when used correctly, they bring a lot of benefits, and mistakes can be harmful and lead to sad consequences. Most of the negative reviews about the use of sawdust in the garden are caused by their misuse, while those who applied them correctly are happy with the results.

However, it is important to understand the differences between deciduous and coniferous sawdust and how the latter affect the soil.

In most cases, coniferous sawdust means pine or spruce as the most affordable, as well as the cheapest. Pine and spruce are used for most joinery and carpentry work, so sawdust is ubiquitous.

Fresh pine and spruce sawdust, due to the high resin content, decays much longer than deciduous ones, and also draws out more nitrogen from the soil.

Improper use of pine and any coniferous sawdust causes much more harm to the garden than deciduous ones.

Due to the high content of resins, humus from coniferous sawdust contains more microelements necessary for plants, therefore it is better suited for balanced feeding.

If coniferous sawdust is placed in furrows, ditches or pits, then due to the greater need for nitrogen for complete decay, it is necessary to increase the amount of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

In addition, coniferous sawdust acidifies the soil more, so you need to increase the amount of slaked lime or ash.

It is not only possible, but also necessary to use pine sawdust in the garden, and other coniferous sawdust, taking into account their characteristics and compensating for the negative impact on the land. Only in this case will they be of great benefit.

Deciduous

Due to the lower resin content, humus from deciduous waste is slightly less balanced, but they rot faster. In addition, deciduous sawdust is less available, so dried and crushed branches and twigs of fruit trees are often used in the garden.

Using such material, be careful, because among the dried branches you often come across sick or affected by various pests.

Such sawdust cannot be used, because bacteria cannot process pests and pathogens, so fertilizing from them can infect your plantings.

1. Forumhouse.
2. Forum dacha.
3. Wonderful vegetable garden.
4. Mastergrad.

All this allows us to conclude that those sawdust that are easier and cheaper to bring to the garden are better suited. Whatever wood waste you use, you still have to use other fertilizers along with it.

In this article Where to get sawdust, we talked about the places where you can buy wood sawing waste, and also talked about various ways that allow you to save money on their purchase.

Only an integrated approach, in which the negative effect of wood on the soil is compensated, will lead to improved plant development, as well as more abundant and high-quality fruiting.

Related Videos

This video talks about the use of sawdust in the garden:

Summarize

Sawdust is a very useful material that will come in handy for any gardener. After all, they are used for:

• mulching;
• dumping tracks;
• plant feeding;
• improving soil structure;
• earlier planting of seedlings or seeds.

After reading the article, you learned how to properly apply this material and what mistakes are most often made by garden owners.

In contact with

classmates

rcycle.net

Sawdust for the garden: their benefits and harms as fertilizers

If it is necessary to make the earth loose, use sawdust for the garden, the benefits and harms of which have been studied by experienced gardeners. But it is not recommended to use fresh sawdust. First you need to prepare them. To do this, add urea or mullein infusion to the wood chips, cover with polyethylene, and then stir from time to time to speed up the reheating process.

After a couple of weeks, the shavings are ready for use as fertilizer. Much has been written in reviews about the benefits or dangers of sawdust in the garden. Experienced summer residents claim that they take nitrogen from the soil, and therefore from plants. They say that you should not use fresh sawdust in the garden, as the plantings will begin to wither.

The benefits of sawdust in the garden

Plants require loose soil to grow properly. The addition of rotted sawdust makes the soil a favorable environment for planting garden plants, the roots of which receive a sufficient amount of moisture and oxygen. The use of sawdust allows you to get rid of the crust during dry periods.

They contain a large amount of fiber, essential oils and active substances. The material is successfully used to eliminate soil moisture. To do this, ditches are dug in the aisle and sawdust mixed with lime is poured. Their regular use improves the composition of the soil, reduces the number of weeds, and increases the yield.

What is their secret and how do they work?

They form a natural ecosystem for the plants in the garden. It is important to use sawdust that has not been chemically treated or contaminated. Otherwise, they will become a real poison for horticultural crops. If rotted sawdust is used as mulch at the beginning of summer, then by the end of the season, as a result of loosening and the activity of earthworms, they will mix with the soil.

A thick layer of sawdust spread over the ground during the rainy season prevents moisture from evaporating from the soil surface. This negatively affects the state of fruit and berry crops.

Basic rules for the use of sawdust

Wood sawdust is excellent for mulching the soil. They are sprinkled with a thick layer after transplanting.

Advantages:

• the weed disappears;
• soil moisture is preserved;
• insect protection;
• the soil remains loose;
• favorable conditions for the reproduction of bacteria.

Mulching

Do you need sawdust for the garden in the fall? Everyone is trying to figure out their benefits and harms. As a rule, the soil is mulched for the winter. To do this, fresh sawdust is mixed with peat or manure and scattered on the beds. During the winter, wood decomposes and becomes a nutritious substance. In the spring, they dig or loosen the soil.

High warm beds

The benefits and harms of sawdust for the garden should be studied by every summer resident. How to make multi-layer high beds in the lowland of the site? For such purposes, it is convenient to use sawdust. The top layer of fertile soil is removed. A side is erected, covered with a film to preserve moisture in the garden. A trench is formed and filled with straw, hay or grass. Further, on top of this, sawdust soaked in urea is placed, then a layer of organic residues is placed and everything is completed with a fertile layer of earth.

Strawberry mulch

Do coniferous sawdust in the garden bring benefits or harm? Sawdust, used as mulch under strawberry bushes, protects them from contact with the soil. Thanks to them, the berries are protected from the effects of gray rot. For this purpose, fresh softwood shavings treated with urea are used. Mulch is applied in the fall to protect strawberries from freezing and create an obstacle for many weeds. Pine sawdust in the garden scares the weevil, the benefits or harms of which are recognized by practical experience.

Sawdust in greenhouse and greenhouse

Sawdust is a useful fertilizer for the soil in the greenhouse. They are sprinkled on plant residues and manure, which are warmed up in the spring and reheated faster. The air permeability of the soil increases, it becomes loose and nutritious. In the fall, straw, mown grass and tops are laid out on the garden bed.

In the spring, add fresh manure and sprinkle with lime with sawdust, mix with a pitchfork. Then the soil is laid, mixed with ash and mineral fertilizers. To increase the heating rate, pour boiling water over it.

Sawdust for an early harvest of potatoes

So, why do we need sawdust for the garden? What are their benefits and harms? Using sawdust helps to speed up the potato harvest. Tubers of early varieties are selected and germinated in the light. 10 cm of sawdust is poured at the bottom of the boxes, the tubers with sprouts are laid out and sprinkled with moistened sawdust. Set aside for 2 weeks.

Substrate care features:

• the optimum temperature is not higher than +20 ° С;
• sufficient hydration.

Before planting, the soil is covered with foil to warm up. Sprouts 8 cm high are watered with complex mineral fertilizer and planted in prepared holes. First, cover the potato planting with straw or hay, and then with a film.

Sawdust and plant insulation

To prevent the sawdust from getting wet, they are stuffed into bags. Then they are laid out around the plants. If sawdust is poured around the plant and not covered, then they will get wet and turn into an ice crust in winter. Rodents also like to hide in them, so they must be covered with polyethylene.

Sawdust for seed germination

The seeds are comfortable in moistened sawdust, but if the plant is not transplanted on time, it will die.

The germination technology is as follows:

1. Sawdust is poured into the container and the seeds are laid out.
2. Sprinkle with a thin layer of sawdust.
3. Cover with polyethylene and put away in a warm place (+25 ... + 30 ° С).
4. As soon as shoots appear, the container is removed to a cool place.
5. Remove the polyethylene and sprinkle with soil.
6. They dive when the first true leaf appears.

This technology can be used for the germination of all types of seeds.

Do-it-yourself fertilizer

Nutrient compost can be prepared in 4 months. Dense polyethylene is spread on the ground, shavings, weeds, foliage are poured. Add 200 g of urea and pour 10 liters of water or mullein. Cover with plastic on top to create a greenhouse effect. Under the influence of sunlight, the process of reproduction of microorganisms begins, and the sawdust quickly decays. The main thing is to monitor the humidity inside the heap and mix it periodically. Vegetables and raspberries can be mulched with semi-ripe sawdust.

After a month, the cut sawdust is ready for use in the beds. The constant use of this fertilizer will make the soil loose, similar in consistency to the one sold in flower shops.

Cons of using sawdust and warnings

So, we have already found out whether fresh sawdust in the garden brings benefit or harm. If you add sawdust without waiting for the moment when they are completely rotted, then the wood will take part of the nitrogen from the soil for the decomposition process, as we talked about above. And also the acidity of the soil may increase, the growth of beets and cabbage will slow down.

Before the beginning of winter, it is not recommended to cover the beds with a thick layer of sawdust, since the layer will begin to overheat from below, and no changes will occur from above until the onset of spring. Spruce or pine shavings contain a lot of resin, which garden plants do not like. Sawdust generated during construction works may contain chemicals. Therefore, they are used with caution.

fb.ru

Sawdust for the garden: benefits and harms

Mulching - surface covering the soil of the garden and vegetable garden with mulch, which can be crushed bark, needles of needles, sawdust and other natural materials. This agrotechnical technique avoids many health problems of cultivated plants on the ground and in the greenhouse. Using sawdust as mulch allows you to achieve amazing results in the growth and development of a plant, but only if you follow certain rules.

Properties of wood chips and shavings

Sawdust mulch is suitable for use on all types of soil. What is good about this material:

• Does not release moisture from the ground, thereby helping to maintain the balance of water during dry periods and in hot areas;
• Prevents weeds from germinating. This is one of the main reasons for using wood waste as mulch powder;
• Fresh sawdust is used as a bedding for berries - the smell of the tree scares some pests away from the fruit, and clean small chips keep strawberries and strawberries clean;
• Mulching the soil allows the roots of some plants to survive the winter;
• The sawdust serves as fertilizer. True, for this you need to fulfill some conditions.

It should be noted that mulching with sawdust cannot be done in the form in which they are. The fact is that wood does not saturate the soil with useful substances, but, on the contrary, pulls them out like a sponge. Sawdust material becomes useful if it is added to the main fertilizer mixtures or kept in a compost heap for a year or two. At this time, bacteria settle on the surface of the shavings, which saturate the wood with useful microelements released during rotting and reproduction of microflora.

What are the benefits and possible harm?

Sawdust is often used by gardeners to improve the quality of life of plants, but a person does not always know about the true benefits of the reception and is not able to accurately assess its harm. Nevertheless, in most cases, there is still a positive effect from their use. Sawdust in the garden - benefit or harm?

Sawdust pluses:

• With proper preparation, excellent humus is obtained, similar in properties to traditional manure, which, as you know, costs a lot.
• Sawdust scattered on the paths in the garden prevents weeds from spreading.
• They retain moisture in the soil, especially in spring. To do this, it is necessary to mulch the soil in the fall.
• Promotes natural aeration of the soil several years after use.
• Coniferous shavings and chips practically do not tolerate pathogenic microbes, which eliminates the risk of plant infection.

Harm of wood waste:

• Pure sawdust is not a fertilizer. According to some reports, they absorb minerals from the soil and the soil is depleted. To be more precise, nitrogen is pulled out of the fertile layer, which is necessary for the vital activity of microorganics.
• Fresh sawdust oxidizes the soil.
• When using sawdust of unknown origin, it is possible to infect plants with some diseases. To eliminate this disadvantage, you should not take material from unknown sources.

What sawdust to use

Shavings of different trees are not suitable for all plants:

• Waste of deciduous trees, except for oak, are suitable for all crops.
• Conifers saturate the soil with acid, therefore they are suitable only for lovers of such an environment - tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and others.

Several fertilizer recipes

Sawdust in its pure form is only suitable for filling paths in order to retain moisture and stop the development of weeds. In other cases, preparation of raw materials is required.

In order for sawdust in the garden to become useful, they need to rot. To achieve the desired condition, they will have to lie down for at least 10 years in a heap while bacteria process the wood into a useful substrate. To speed up the process, you should compost the sawdust. In combination with manure and additional additives, the fertilizer ripens faster due to temperature regulation in the desired range and maintaining a sufficient moisture level.

Recipe 1: wood and ash

Stack:

• Wood sawdust - 200 kg;
• Urea rich in nitrogen (up to 47%) - 2.5 kg per heap;
• Ash required for alkalization of the soil - 10 kg;
• Water - 50 liters;
• Grass, food waste and sewage - up to 100 kg.

The shavings and grass are laid in layers, ash is added and the "cake" is poured with urea dissolved in water. You can cover the pile with a polyethylene film, but small pores should remain in the surface: this way the temperature and humidity level will be optimal, and the oxygen access will remain.

Recipe 2: Fortified with Organic

For poor soil that requires a significant dose of fertilizer, prepare the following sawdust compost:

• Wood waste - 200 kg;
• Cow dung - 50 kg;
• Fresh cut grass - 100 kg;
• Organic waste (food, feces) - 30 kg;
• Humates - 1 drop per 100 liters of water (no more).

When this fertilizer ripens, a significant amount of nitrogen is released.

Fertilizer from fresh sawdust

As already mentioned, fresh sawdust does not benefit the soil as a fertilizer for the garden. If you have not done composting in advance, but it is necessary to saturate the soil, use a sawdust mixture with the following additives on a bucket of chips:

1. Ammonium nitrate - 40 g;
2. Granular superphosphate - 30 g;
3. Slaked lime - 120 g (glass);
4. Calcium chloride - 10 g.

The mixture must be infused for 2 weeks. To do this, spread polyethylene outside and sprinkle the ingredients on it.

Mix and leave to isolate the required elements and carry out chemical reactions. Then add the mixture to the soil while digging over the beds. The earth will receive a sufficient dose of ammonia, the acid-base balance of the soil is leveled, the release of nutrients will occur immediately after the first irrigation. Fertilize the soil in the amount of 2-3 buckets per 1 square meter of the site. This procedure promotes the natural loosening of the soil.

How to do mulching correctly

Sawdust in the country is useful not only for speeding up the composting process, but also for winter shelter of plants, their fertilization and protection from pests.

It is good to use prepared sawdust as mulch in the first half of summer, when seedlings and plants are just gaining strength and need protection from weeds, soil moisture loss and disease attacks. By the middle of summer, there will be no clear trace of the powder - rains and worms will mix it with the ground.

Basically, sawdust saturated with fertilizers is lined in the aisles. This must be done between the beds of tomatoes, potato rows, and other plants.

Other vegetables grown in the garden - onions, carrots, beets, garlic, turnips, also need a protective powder. It must be done after a dive, when the plantings are thinned out and have reached a height of 5-7 cm, for them a 3-4 cm layer of sawdust is lined.

Raspberries are one of the main lovers of mulching in the garden. It is necessary to preserve the soil moisture necessary for setting berries. Prepared sawdust is poured abundantly under the bushes.

Strawberries and strawberries

Can I mulch strawberries with sawdust? The answer is unequivocal - it is possible and necessary, just like strawberries. This procedure is useful for berries:

• Sawdust maintains the moisture balance in the soil;
• Delicate fruits remain clean without touching the ground;
• Slugs and snails do not crawl onto the berries.

For mulching, you need clean sawdust without impurities, but before the procedure, it is important to saturate the soil with minerals and fertilize well to prevent the depletion of the fertile layer. The material used can be mixed with urea in the above proportions.

The sawdust is moistened and spread under the bushes, under each branch and between the bushes. The layer thickness should be 5-7 cm. This work is presented in the video.

The bedding is done when the seedlings have already taken root and gained a height of more than 7 cm. Mulching strawberries with sawdust for the winter will help the perennial plant to survive the winter better and keep the root system intact.

How to cover roses

Gardeners say: “Rose is a child of manure,” therefore sawdust is necessary for it as fertilizer, but they are not suitable as a shelter for the winter, such mulch does not have sufficient heat-retaining properties.

Shelter of roses with sawdust can be used for wintering only in combination with other, more effective materials. The expert will tell you more about this in the video.

Sawdust for seedlings

Tomatoes and other seedlings do not come as seeds to the garden and vegetable garden, but in the form of ready-made seedlings. They can also be removed in small wood waste - such an environment is more favorable for delicate seed than soil. How to organize the process correctly:

1. Moistened fine shavings are poured into a flat container;
2. Seeds are planted, generously sprinkled with fertilizer, since there is nothing nutritious in sawdust;
3. Cover with foil, make holes for air and expose to the sun;
4. When sprouts appear, soil is poured on top so that the plant gets used to it.

The advantage of germinating seeds in woody material is a loose environment, which allows the root system of seedlings to develop intensively, but only if there is an adequate supply of nutrients.

In the household, especially during construction work, sawdust accumulates - waste from carpentry work. Some young owners, not understanding what priceless material for gardening fell into their hands, immediately send the waste to the fire, and then scatter the ash like fertilizer around the garden. Indeed, where can you use sawdust, how to use them and is it worth the candle? I hasten to reassure readers. There are many ways to use sawdust in gardening. Only they need to be used correctly. Let's try to figure out where and how sawdust is used.

Sawdust for use in the garden and vegetable garden. © Bills Garden Tips

What is sawdust?

Sawdust - waste from sawing wood and other materials (plywood, boards, etc.). The sawdust material is quite lightweight. The bulk density of wood sawdust is 100 kg per 1 m³ and 1 ton contains 9-10 m³ of raw materials with a standard moisture content of 8-15% (Table 1). This material is very easy to use.

Table 1. Bulk density of wood sawdust

Sawdust composition characteristics

The chemical composition of sawdust is characterized by the following content of chemical elements:

• 50% carbon:
• 44% oxygen:
• 6% hydrogen%
• 0.1% nitrogen.

In addition, wood contains about 27% lignin, which gives the trees the density of lignification and at least 70% hemicellulose (practically carbohydrates).

Natural organic material, when decomposed in the soil, is the supplier of the elements needed by plants. 1 m³ of sawdust contains 250 g of calcium, 150-200 g of potassium, 20 g of nitrogen, about 30 g of phosphorus. In some types of sawdust (mostly conifers), the wood contains resinous substances that negatively affect the growth and development of plants.

Sawdust is a sterile substrate, and when it enters the soil, it is immediately populated by microflora. Provided with organic material, the microflora for the decomposition of sawdust uses the nutrients of wood and soil, depleting the latter with essential nutrients (the same nitrogen and phosphorus).

The composition of natural wood sawdust does not cause allergies, and does not emit harmful emissions during combustion. But it must be borne in mind that the above composition characterizes natural wood, the qualities of which are also determined by the composition of sawdust. Sawdust as waste from artificially obtained wood-based panels impregnated with adhesives and varnishes cannot be used in gardening.

Types of sawdust and their use

Sawdust is named according to the main type of tree culture: birch, linden, oak, chestnut, pine, aspen, coniferous, etc.

All types of sawdust (any tree species) can be used on the farm. But first, you need to reduce their negative impact on soil components using various methods.

This is the most accessible and inexpensive raw material that has a wide range of applications in the personal household. Sawdust is used in the construction of outbuildings, for insulation of walls, floors and in other cases of construction.

But the most valuable is the use of sawdust in gardening work:

• To improve the physical condition of the soil for planting garden or horticultural crops.
• As one of the components of compost preparation.
• As use for mulching vegetable, flower and horticultural crops.
• Sawdust has low thermal conductivity and can be used as a heater for heat-loving plants (roses, young southern fruit crops, exotic plants in cold regions).
• Sawdust is an indispensable component in the preparation of warm beds.
• As a covering material for tracks, from overgrowing the latter with weeds.

Ways to use sawdust

Improving the physical properties of the soil

Chernozem soils, clayey and loamy, are dense and heavy. Most garden plants prefer light, loose, breathable and permeable soil. The qualitative composition of such soils can be improved by adding up to 50% of the volume of the soil mass of sawdust when preparing greenhouse substrates or preparing soil mixtures for growing seedlings.

So that the sawdust does not reduce fertility, they are mixed with semi-rotted manure before application or mineral fertilizers, a solution of urea or mullein are added.

Composting with sawdust

Preparation of compost eliminates all the negative properties of sawdust (depletion of soil with nutrients, a decrease in the properties of an oxidizing agent, a decrease in the action of resinous substances, etc.).

Compost preparation can be done in two ways:

• get fast or aerobic compost (with air access), which will be ready for use in 1.0-2.0 months;
• anaerobic compost (without air access); this preparation process is longer (3-6 months depending on the components used), but this method preserves the nutritional value of organic matter.

Sawdust compost. © Rocky Mountain Compost

Aerobic compost preparation

With this method, you can prepare sawdust-mineral, sawdust-organic and sawdust-mixed compost.

1. For sawdust-mineral compost for 50 kg (0.5 m³) sawdust add 1.25 kg of urea, 0.4 kg of superphosphate (double) and 0.75 kg of potassium sulfate. Fertilizers are dissolved in warm water and sawdust is spilled, constantly stirring them or laying them in layers. Each layer is spilled with a prepared solution. During the composting period, the compost heap is stirred to increase air access, which will accelerate the fermentation of sawdust organic matter.
2. To prepare sawdust-organic compost, chicken manure or manure is required. Organic matter is added to sawdust at the rate of 1: 1 (by weight) and mixed with sawdust or laid in layers for fermentation. During fermentation, aerate the heap with a pitchfork (push).
3. To prepare the sawdust-mixed compost, the sawdust-mineral compost is first laid, and after a month of fermentation, manure or chicken droppings are added. Manure is added in a 1: 1 ratio, and chicken manure is 2 times less (1: 0.5).

Remember that fast fermentation requires loose styling, no compaction. Such a compost heap will allow air to flow freely, which will accelerate the decomposition of the compost components.

If the composts are laid in the spring, then by the fall they will mature and will be ready for digging. Such composts can be applied half-baked after 3-4 weeks. They are not yet fertilizer, but have already lost the property of negative impact on soil and plants.

For digging, 1-2 buckets of ready-made compost are introduced, depending on the condition of the soil.

Anaerobic compost preparation

With the anaerobic method, the compost heap is prepared over time, gradually adding components. Different crushed organic matter (leaves, branches, unseed weeds, sawdust, manure, tops from the garden, food waste, etc.) are laid in a compost pit 50 cm deep in layers of 15-25 cm. Each layer is sprinkled with one or two shovels of soil and spilled with a solution of fertilizers. Up to 100 g of nitrophoska is added to a bucket of solution.

In contrast to the first (aerobic) method, all components are well compacted to reduce air access. In this case, fermentation is carried out by anaerobic microflora. After completing the laying of the compost heap, it is covered with foil or a layer of grass. Fermentation lasts 4-6 months. Anaerobic compost is more "nutritious" and all types of waste (including rough branches) are used for its preparation.

When preparing composts, the optimum moisture content of the compost heap should be 50-60%, temperature + 25 ... + 30 ° C.

Shrub mulching with sawdust. © nwfruit

Mulching the soil with sawdust

Mulching in translation into Russian means covering, shelter.

Benefits of using sawdust mulch:

• Sawdust mulch is a cheap natural material to improve the physical properties of the soil;
• it keeps the top layer from overheating in the heat;
• good insulation. Protects the soil from freezing and at the same time freely passes air, preventing the development of putrefactive fungal and bacterial infections;
• conifer sawdust mulch promotes easy soil oxidation, which is important for a number of crops, especially flower ones: begonias, pelargoniums, ivy, ficus, cyclamen, citrus and others;
• protects ripening berries in contact with the soil from rotting and pests (slugs).

Disadvantages of sawdust mulch

The negative properties of sawdust are manifested when they are misused:

• in its pure form, this raw material is reheated for 8-10 years, using soil nutrients for fermentation;
• when using sawdust for composting, high temperatures rise very quickly;
• the raw material, with constant application, increases the acidity of the soil.

Ways to use sawdust mulch

Clean sawdust is used to cover only paths and other surfaces that are free of crops. For example: aisles, paths, tree trunks in the garden.

The light colored mulch reflects the sun's rays, which reduces the heating of the topsoil.

As it shrinks, clean mulch is added to the aisles and paths. 6-8 cm layer of untreated mulch, constantly renewed, prevents weeds from growing.

Mulch retains moisture well in the soil and on the surface. Keeps the top layer moist for a long time, protecting it from drying out and cracking.

Mulch is used as a bedding for berries, whose harvest spreads along the ground (for example: under strawberries, strawberries).

The soil is mulched along the perimeter of the crown of horticultural crops. Can be clean (untreated) sawdust - against increased weed growth and compost as organic fertilizer.

You need to mulch the soil under the plants only with treated sawdust.

In rows with plants, under fruit bushes, only processed mulch (mature or half-baked compost) is always added.

During the growing season, the plants are fed on top of sawdust. The applied fertilizers contribute to their faster roasting.

After harvesting, autumn work is carried out directly on the mulch: they dig up the soil with preliminary application of mineral fertilizers and organic matter.

Mulching the beds with sawdust. © Nikki

Using sawdust mulch to prepare tall and warm beds

High warm beds are prepared in any area (stony, gravel, with a high standing of groundwater).

Warm beds (low, near-ground) are located on cold soils, as well as to obtain earlier heat-loving vegetables, growing seedlings.

In such beds, vegetable crops ripen faster, they are less sick with fungal rot and are affected by pests.

The preparation of the beds is carried out in the usual way:

• a "drainage" layer of thick branches and other waste is laid under the base;
• the second layer is covered with sawdust, spilled with a solution of urea;
• sprinkle with any soil, literally a few shovels;
• the next layer is laid out from any other organic matter - straw, manure, chopped weeds, leaf litter;
• each layer has a thickness of 10-15 cm, and the total height of the garden is at the discretion of the owner;
• usually a thermal cushion made of organic waste is laid with a height of 50-60 cm;
• all layers are spilled with hot water, preferably with a solution of urea or any organic matter (manure, bird droppings);
• cover with black film; warming up usually lasts a week;
• after lowering the temperature of active fermentation, remove the film and spread a layer of soil.

A high bed is allocated with a fence so that it does not crumble. Ordinary warm beds are buried 25-30 cm into the soil or prepared directly on the soil, removing the topmost fertile layer (10-15 cm).

If it is necessary to quickly warm up the bed, use sawdust mixed with a small amount of lime and ash, spilled with a hot urea solution. You can prepare a mixture of sawdust and manure. Gardeners also use others, their own methods of heating the soil of a warm bed.

Mulching garden paths with sawdust. © Jason Dingley

Sawdust as insulation and covering material

Sawdust is a good insulation material for young seedlings and heat-loving crops.

• When planting heat-loving crops in cold regions (grapes, various vines), large sawdust mixed with small chips (like drainage) is poured onto the bottom of the planting pit. They will serve as a heat insulator against deep cold.
• Sawdust can be stuffed (lightly tamped) into plastic bags or bags and overlaid on all sides with the roots and shoots of young plants before the onset of a stable cold snap.
• Vines of grapes, clematis, raspberries and other plants, which are bent to the ground, can be covered with sawdust along the entire length. Cover the top with a film and press or dig in from gusts of wind. Such a shelter is prepared just before the frosts so that mice, other rodents and pests do not arrange warm winter "apartments" in the sawdust.
• A warm shelter can be prepared for rose bushes, other thermophilic crops and young fruit trees in the form of wooden frames. Pour sawdust on top of the frame. Pour the earth on the sawdust and cover it with foil. You will get a primitive dugout or a warm hillock. If the sawdust is poured into the shields and covered with foil, the bushes will survive the winter well. In the spring, the bushes need to be freed from sawdust so that when the snow melts, water does not get inside and the lower part of the plants does not start to rot. Sawdust should not be left open. They are saturated with moisture, freeze into one lump and the plants under such shelter will die.

The article contains only an insignificant list of the use of sawdust in the garden and in the garden. Write about your use of sawdust. Your experience will be gratefully used by our readers, especially novice gardeners and gardeners.

I remember that 25-30 years ago there were no problems with where to get fresh manure. My father and I always made a high ridge for growing cucumbers from cow dung. The collective farmers offered it almost for free - just take it on yourself and take it out. Now real horse or cow manure - the most valuable types of manure, in the daytime with fire you will not find.
Of course, you can order a car loaded with this valuable natural fertilizer from a farm or private backyard for money. But the price for such a service leaves much to be desired. So we, summer residents, have to get out of it in order to somehow improve the properties of the soil that is becoming poorer over time. In this article we will tell you about the use of sawdust in the country. They can be a fertilizer, a mulch layer, as well as a substrate for growing various vegetable crops.

It should be noted that sawdust is one of the cheapest and most accessible production waste. It is best to take them at the sawmill, where the primary processing of tree trunks takes place. We propose to consider different options for using this material, and how, at the expense of sawdust, to increase your future harvest.

Sawdust as fertilizer

Wood sawdust is an organic material that occurs during the sawing process of wood. Most of this material can be found in sawmills and those who are engaged in construction work. Compared to manure, it costs much less. So why throw sawdust in a landfill when you can use it as fertilizer? However, in order to use sawdust in the country, they must be properly prepared.

Sawdust in compost for soil fertilization

When the soil is enriched with loose organic material, it absorbs moisture well, allowing plants to thrive. Due to mulch, a crust does not form on the surface of the earth after rainy weather, therefore, such soil does not require additional loosening from the summer resident. But you only need to use rotted sawdust. The better the sawdust pererelya, the darker color they have.

It should be noted that this process takes a lot of time. Outdoors, it can take about 5-10 years to decompose. To speed up the process, it must be added to the compost heap, mixed with manure or watered with special mixtures. This mixture can already be used as fertilizer after one year.

Therefore, it is better to prepare such compost in the spring so that it will be ready for use next year. For the best, the mixture needs to be slightly moistened. It is not worth pouring in - useful substances will be washed out of the compost. It is better to use a mixture of urea instead of water.

A good result is the addition of sawdust to the slurry or mixing with liquid kitchen waste. If you add a little soil to the mixture, then soon earthworms will also appear here. Their waste products - humus, will contribute to the process of decay of wood waste.

It should also be noted that pine sawdust (the main waste product) acidifies the soil. Therefore, they must be introduced together with limestone, which neutralizes this action.

Sawdust for strawberry fertilization

Sawdust is an excellent fertilizer and mulch for garden strawberries. Such mulching will prevent the berries from falling on the ground, which will significantly reduce crop losses from rot.

In winter frosty times, sawdust mulch will keep the roots from freezing. use fresh sawdust treated with urea. In this case, coniferous sawdust is best suited.

Birch sawdust is often used to raise ridges located in swampy and low places. For this purpose, trenches are dug around the ridges and covered with fresh sawdust. Such trenches will prevent moisture from quickly evaporating on a sultry day, and will prevent the crop from dying from drought. A dense mulch layer will keep weeds from breaking through to the surface.

Sawdust for seed germination

Staying sawdust is an ideal soil for a short period of time for the development of the root system. For example, you can grow early potatoes in March-April by placing the tubers in a sawdust substrate. Then, the matured plants are painlessly transplanted into the soil.

Mulching the soil with sawdust

But most often sawdust is used by summer residents just as a mulching material. For these purposes, you can use sawdust of any freshness. Try to spread it in an even layer of 3-5 centimeters. This mulch is best for raspberries, other fruit bushes, or vegetable beds.

Accelerated method of making fertilizer from sawdust

Pour sawdust on it (three buckets), then pour urea (200 grams), and then pour water from the watering can (half a watering can). And so we do for the required amount of sawdust. Cover the top with a film, and in turn press it down with stones or bricks. After two weeks, you can use this sawdust as fertilizer.

Such fertilizer can be applied only until mid-July or the dry season, when water from the soil rapidly evaporates. From the second half of summer, this mulch will completely mix with the soil.

Use of sawdust in greenhouses

Sawdust, as fertilizer for greenhouses, must always be mixed with fresh manure and plant residues. This helps the soil to warm up much faster and seed germination will also begin earlier. Such mulch is introduced in the spring, before planting.

Planting plants in sawdust

We take flat containers, which we fill in advance with moistened sawdust. We spread the seeds at small distances from each other, and cover them with sawdust from above. We place the containers in slightly opened polyethylene bags. You can also seal the top with cling film, making a series of small holes in it. After that, we put the boxes in a warm, illuminated place.

After the first shoots appear, you can remove the plastic bags. A layer of fertile soil should be poured on top so that the plants can get used to the ground. We plant the plants in separate containers not earlier than the appearance of the first leaf. Fertilization of the soil with sawdust will also occur before planting seedlings in the garden.

Sawdust when growing potatoes

Sawdust is an excellent fertilizer for potato crops, with which you can harvest an earlier crop of this vegetable. To do this, you need to buy or prepare in advance, potato tubers of early varieties sprouted in the light, as well as several deep boxes. these boxes must be filled with rotted sawdust. About 2 weeks before planting the tubers in the ground, they must be placed in these boxes, and sprinkled with sawdust on top.

Make sure that the substrate is not too dry or very wet. After two weeks, you should start planting tubers in the beds. After planting potatoes, it is recommended to cover the entire area with agrofibre or straw to prevent freezing of the tubers. Thus, you can accelerate the ripening of the potato harvest by several weeks and eat young potatoes at the end of June.

From the above, it follows that sawdust is an irreplaceable fertilizer, which has been so intensively used recently by many summer residents on their plots.

The main the benefits of sawdust are its relative cheapness and ease of use.

Purposes of sawdust use different: for mulching the soil, warming vegetable crops, fertilizing the soil layer and retaining moisture in it during a dry period.