"emuir" wrote in message ...
I'm told that putting green woodchips onto soil has the effect of drawing
out nutrients from the soil as they rot down. Does anybody know if they
same happens if sawdust from seasoned wood is added to soil. Has anybody
tried this to build up moisture retention in dry areas?

Sawdust has a carbon to nitrogen ratio of about 400-1 and it will tie
up nitrogen if mixed into the soil.
It makes a good mulch for blueberries when laid on the soil surface.
It makes a soft place to land when mixed with sand under
playsets/swingsets.
It ties up enough nitrogen to make a pile of grass clippings rot
without stinking.