Sawdust

[dndweeks]

My husband finished cutting up our fallen tree last night and we have sawdust several inches deep in our yard.

Any suggestions on what we can do with all the sawdust?

[JoePa]

yes - but you won't like it -

[tinknal]

Do a search for "mushroom growing kits". Some kinds of mushroom spoor does well in sawdust.

[jwal10]

Bed the chicken coop, put a layer under the rabbit cages, add some to compost pile, put some around the blueberries....James

[dndweeks]

Originally Posted by jwal10

Bed the chicken coop, put a layer under the rabbit cages, add some to compost pile, put some around the blueberries....James

I wish we had a chicken coop, rabbit cages and blueberries. Unfortunately, we're still in a small town that doesn't permit some animals and we are waiting on the blueberries until after we get moved to our homestead. That isn't happening quickly enough for me right now

I do have a compost pile and had planned to throw some in there. Hubby mentioned the oil that is used on the chains. We have to assume some of the oil is in the sawdust and was worried that it might not make healthy compost. We are definitely in learning mode here. Advice?

[goatlady]

It is THE best mulch for strawberry plants ever.

[TedH71]

It is super flammable. I used to work at a place where we had to be concerned about the dust in it blowing up the dust collectors. I think that would be less of a concern outside.

[rod44]

Just be carful if it is Walnut sawdust. Never use it for horse bedding as it can destroy the horse's hooves.

[Darren]

If you have a shady area google Fungi Perfecti

[motdaugrnds]

As others have mentioned, if it isn't black walnut sawdust, then it would make a nice bed for some mushrooms. "Fungi Perfecti" puts out a nice catalog with information about this.

[dancemama]

put it in small paper sacks or bundles made out of newspaper and tied with string, it makes great fire starters if you have wood heat

[Wolf mom]

On a similar note,
Mix with wax in egg carton cups & use for fire starters. (I melt old candles)

[bjgarlich]

I have heard that it will keep slugs away from your garden - have not tried it tho because we don't have sawdust!!

[o&itw]

Rake it around in the grass with a leaf rake. It will be as much help there as anyplace. If you have a little fertilizer to sprinkle around at the same time, even better.

[TheMartianChick]

We cut firewood on our tarvia driveway so that we can sweep up the shavings and dust. I add it to my garden beds and till it in. It adds so much to the soil. Our soil is light and fluffy as a result.

[thenance007]

Save it in 5 gal. buckets for composting toilet if SHTF. Check out "The Humanure Handbook" -- you can read online free at:
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/

[manygoatsnmore]

Originally Posted by thenance007

Save it in 5 gal. buckets for composting toilet if SHTF. Check out "The Humanure Handbook" -- you can read online free at:
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/

^^^This! A sawdust toilet works very well, no odor, saves water, then compost it in a hot compost pile if you are going to use it on edibles (to kill e-coli and other nasties). If you don't want to do that, use it as mulch in your flower beds or garden...it will help keep down weeds and hold in soil moisture.

[Pony]

Yeah, my first thought was the composting loo, too. Nick and I used a composting biffy while we lived in suburbia. <G> Also had "illegal" rabbits and chickens.

You can also use it for mulch. I would not worry about the relatively small amount of oil in it.

[Pony]

Hm. Just had another thought.

If you play around with it, mixing it with Elmer's glue, you could make different knick knacks and such with it. Door handles, tchotchkes, who knows? All the stuff people make with modeling clay and sculpy.

[sdnapier]

Send it to me!