27-03-2003, 06:56 PM
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Fresh sawdust as soil amendment???
(Joe Jamies) wrote in message . com...
Hi,
About 10 cubic metres of fresh fir sawdust was just delivered to my
garden site. The soil is basically clay and very hard to work with. I
would like to use this sawdust to improve the soil structure.
Should I compost the sawdust in a pile (or several piles), or can I
spread the sawdust over my soil so it can compost "in place" (due to
the large amount of sawdust)? As a nitrogen source, I am thinking of
using urea. How long before this soil is ready for planting
vegetables?
I would spread it because it is a lot less work, but do not expect it
to work this season. Sawdust is not optimal for the job, and clay
takes a long time to improve. Also sawdust will be acidic (great for
blueberries, but you may have to lime for cabbage or beet). If I were
you I would spread manure (2 inches), and then spread the sawdust on
top (4 inches, plant through it). Manure will allow you to work this
year (it is neutral, fertilizing, and will improve the soil somewhat),
and the sawdust will be gone by next year. No nitrogen needed then.
Your option is also viable - urea is cheap, abundant nitrogen, but
then you will be gardening in somewhat fertilized, structurally
unimproved soil this year.
My vegetable garden will take up half the site, so I would like to
prepare that soil ASAP. I would like to use the other half of the site
for trying other ways of improving soil, eg. cover crops, etc. Can I
start some cover crops now in the area I will not be using for my
vegetable patch? Any suggestions on what a good combination of cover
crops would be?
There are a lot of vegetables you can consider for their ability to
break the soil, or their ability to thrive in clay. I found mache to
be a good cover crop. It produces a matting cover, it has a strong
root system, and contributes N. It overwinters in Zone 5 without
cover. But you better like it, because it reseeds itself prodigiously
(I treat it like asparagus, with its own bed). Radicchios and
dandelions are excellent at breaking the soil too. You could also
consider potatoes, which will not come out big but will certainly
break the soil. All the veggies above will cope very well with the
probable acidity due to the sawdust.
You could also plant favas as a cover crop, and you should be able to
get a decent crop this year and plenty of N. I would take a chance
with collards, too, because I have seen them do well in clay.
Cover crops are nice but no soil is as good (texture-wise) as the soil
that you find under a pile of leaves that has been sitting there for
one year. Sawdust will do that for you as well but you will have to be
more patient and add lime from time to time.
Thanks
Joe
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