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#1
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Fresh sawdust as soil amendment???
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? 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? Thanks Joe |
#2
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Fresh sawdust as soil amendment???
Joe Jamies wrote: 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), My money would be on composting it ASAP with an accelerant to get it going quickly. Garotta cut with ammonium sulphate is pretty good. You may have enough bulk there that it is self starting anyway. But it will rot down much faster with some twiggy stuff to provide air and some extra nitrogen accelerant. Don't leave a big compost pile too close to fences or your garden shed it can get very hot. or can I spread the sawdust over my soil so it can compost "in place" (due to the large amount of sawdust)? If you mix it into the soil directly it will rob nitrogen rather badly. As a nitrogen source, I am thinking of using urea. How long before this soil is ready for planting vegetables? I'd plant spuds as a way of breaking up the clay without bothering too much about soil structure. Best time to fight clay is in the Autumn when you can add clay breaking chemicals and leave the frosts to do their work. Even so composted lawn mowings and anything else organic and bulky you can get are more useful. 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. This year I'd live with the heavy soil and grow the vegetables in it. Improve modest areas by a large amount rather than spreading it too thinly to have any measurable effect. My soil is extremely heavy clay and I have only improved it where absolutely necessary. Clay soils are pretty fertile ground even if in winter they stick to your boots and tools in inch thick slabs and set like concrete in summer. And many vegetables will thrive in it provided you keep them watered. Regards, Martin Brown |
#3
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Fresh sawdust as soil amendment???
"Joe wrote in message 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? 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? We garden on Thames clay/silt and have a ready supply of well rotted sawdust from our neighbours the Egham Swan Sanctuary. Wonderful stuff for clay, the fine particles help separate the clay. Also makes a good mulch for around cucurbits etc. Don't use it fresh though, it will rob nitrogen out of the soil, our's has it's own in built accelerator (swan shit). :-) -- Bob www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in Runnymede fighting for it's existence. |
#4
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Fresh sawdust as soil amendment???
On 27 Mar 2003 04:20:30 -0800, Joe Jamies wrote:
About 10 cubic metres of fresh fir sawdust was just delivered... Lucky you! 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? One of the American reference books in my library, "Wyman's Garden Encyclopedial", goes into exactly this question, but unfortunately the book has strayed and I can't look the details up regarding the amount of nitrogen you need to use. It's not really critical - try a few ounces of urea per square yard for, say, three inches of sawdust applied superficially. If your soil is acid, a dusting of lime will also help. Remember that when decomposition is complete, the soil will be on the rich side as the added nitrogen is released. You can plant directly into soil so amended. Many nurseries here use a sawdust-based compost for potting and I assure you that they don't let the stuff rot down before use. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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