Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil?

**sanderson** 2/13/2015, 2:31 pm

We had the tree in the back yard removed and the stump ground down. Any use for this product for non-MM use? It's very fine sawdust plus some native soil. Can I mix 6-month old horse manure 50/50 plus maybe some Ecoscrap compost and composted cow manure and use it immediately?? Can I move it and use for flowers beds in front? Squash? Frame some of it in place for a square flower bed? I use the space near the large rose pot for some veggie pots during the heat wave and shade with curtain shears. Otherwise, the material will go in the garbage can. Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil? Tree_c13

Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil? Tree_c13

Closer view: I had the crew save some stump sections as pot stands. Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil? Tree_c14

Fine texture, not a lot of soil but some: Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil? Tree_c15

Triciasgarden 2/13/2015, 3:38 pm

That is beautiful stuff!

My two cents worth: Since your sawdust is so fresh, as it breaks down, it will use up the nitrogen in the soil. So if you use it in a bed, I would suggest you add something high in fresh nitrogen to balance out the wood. Also, since it is sawdust and such small particles, it should break down very quickly and not need the nitrogen for very long. How about watering it with some diluted urine, 20 parts water to one part the yellow stuff.

I think adding the older manure and compost would not accomplish the faster composting of the sawdust as something of a fresher nature. Although adding those would be wonderful in the soil.

How nice to have fresh sawdust, I would not dump it in the garbage!

**sanderson** 2/13/2015, 4:04 pm

Tricia, Thank you. Yes, I hate to waste it. I won't be putting it in the sfg beds but I would like to use some of it.

**sanderson** 2/13/2015, 4:07 pm

PS One of the guys wanted to engrave one of the stumps for me. Here is what I chose. Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil? Tree_c16

audrey.jeanne.roberts 2/13/2015, 5:30 pm

I had a trash can full of sawdust from a friend that is a woodworker. I mixed it in small portions with my compost pile or especially with the fresh kitchen waste in my tumbler. I like Tricia's suggestions as I have found even very small sized saw dust takes a long time to break down. You might also be able use the soil/sawdust mix as a top dressing on flower beds dusted with some manure or other high nitrogren item. I would experiment before going whole hog though Smile

Triciasgarden 2/13/2015, 5:46 pm

Sanderson, I forgot to say I like your ideas of using stumps to put your planter pots on! I like your SFG stump! I didn't notice at first the SFG because the middle of the stump has such a pretty color.

Audrey-Jeanne it's good to get information from someone like you who has had the sawdust and their experience with using it!

**camprn** 2/13/2015, 5:49 pm

I would use it for flower beds and use a 10-10-10 fertilizer sprinkled on top. Then topdress with coffee grounds .

plantoid 2/13/2015, 6:36 pm

Compost it with some manure & other green stuff keeping it covered with a weighted down tarp & carpeting to get it sweating and composting till autumn.
Then spread it over your flower beds good & thick to use it up .
As it is " Green wood " chippings with earth it will break down far quicker than dried wood chips in a compost heap .
You may find that you get some sort of toadstool fungi that grows on/in dead tree roots/ foot prints growing where you spread it .

**Kelejan** 2/13/2015, 8:22 pm

Maybe you could mix it with larger wood chips so that you get more air?

**sanderson** 2/14/2015, 1:15 am

Thanks folks. I used shavings for pets the first year and found they were still present through 3 compost cycles. These are very fine, so like Plantoid suggested, maybe by fall they would be sufficiently composted. Meanwhile, Camp's suggestion may allow me to use some of it for flowers.

DH wants to go to the coast next week - he wants to ride his toys. So, I'm thinking of sea weed!

**AtlantaMarie** 2/14/2015, 8:12 am

Woo-hoo!

Have fun!

audrey.jeanne.roberts 2/14/2015, 10:53 am

Have Fun!!! When you mention seaweed, I laugh thinking of my dogs sneaking the seaweed off of my garden and eating it!

JohnKelly 2/14/2015, 8:37 pm

Same situation with me in The Land Down Under; just had a stump grinder remove the stump and have used the sawdust mixed with soil plus a few hand fulls of Dynamic Lifter to form a new garden bed.

**sanderson** 2/15/2015, 1:34 am

Irish Digger, Are you using it in veggie beds or on the ground like row gardening? I really hate to waste such fine, clean sawdust.

JohnKelly 2/16/2015, 4:18 am

sanderson wrote:Irish Digger, Are you using it in veggie beds or on the ground like row gardening? I really hate to waste such fine, clean sawdust.

For use on veggie beds.

Cheers.

**sanderson** 2/16/2015, 4:46 am

The wood will grab the nitrogen so it can decompose. Make sure you have enough nutrients in the mix. I'm going to use some in flower beds and compost the rest all summer with lots of horse manure.

MrBooker 3/17/2018, 2:27 pm

I was wondering about the sawdust. I knew it would lock the nitrogen. I just started my wood shop up again and will have LOTS of sawdust but luckily there are two places near me where I can get lots of horse manure. Sawdust.... Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/using-sawdust-in-your-compost-pile.htm
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

No_Such_Reality 3/17/2018, 6:06 pm

Pretend its wood chip mulch.

**trolleydriver** 3/17/2018, 6:24 pm

sanderson wrote:PS One of the guys wanted to engrave one of the stumps for me. Here is what I chose.

+1

**sanderson** 3/17/2018, 6:35 pm

TD, You remembered this photo?? Never mind, I just noticed it's within this post. Embarassed

If memory serves me, I spread a lot on the 1' x 50' worthless strip of dirt, then topped with cheap compost and coffee grounds with the ramial chips from the tree on top of all. The next summer I planted spare tomatoes and peppers and some tomato suckers. They did great.

In the 4' x 4' framed area of the tree stump, I added cheap compost to the stump grinding-dirt and planted flowers the following spring.

Mr. Booker, I would use the saw dust/shavings in a longer term compost pile, or mix like 50:50 with compost for flower beds. Hate to waste it. Do you have any trees to spread it around with some compost or organic plant food like Espoma - Plantone? You know, like ashes to ashes for the trees?

plantoid 3/17/2018, 6:37 pm

MrBooker wrote:I was wondering about the sawdust. I knew it would lock the nitrogen. I just started my wood shop up again and will have LOTS of sawdust but luckily there are two places near me where I can get lots of horse manure. Sawdust.... Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/using-sawdust-in-your-compost-pile.htm
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/using-sawdust-in-your-compost-pile.htm
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/using-sawdust-in-your-compost-pile.htm
Think of it as using one hobby to feed another.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Using Sawdust In Your Compost Pile https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/using-sawdust-in-your-compost-pile.htm

On my local authority council allotment I had a big compost heap , made up in layers of a foot of 7 yr old veterinary stable beddings & dung , a foot of fresh untreated green wood fine ( ish ) saw dust . Built to a height of six foot or so tall with a base something like 20 foot by 15 foot . It took many 2 ton small tipper truck loads over a couple of weeks to build .

It was well wetted as it was being built & sheeted down to get it rotting when some " *%^$£ pyromaniac " set fire to it .
As it was far from any habitation or valuable property the fire people let it burn out naturally as access to it was very difficult . . It burnt for two days along with my creosote soaked / pickled railway tie constructed 50 year old garden shed roto-tiller , tools seeds , garden bench & seating .
It broke my heart , but every cloud has a silver lining ...... it give me a lot of sacks of potash to sell to the other allotment growers .

**sanderson** 3/17/2018, 7:08 pm

Plantoid, great ending for a sad story! $$

has55 3/18/2018, 3:44 am

put soaker hose on it or place into a tub of water to get it very wet. it may take a couple of days to truly get the water to soak into the sawdust chips otherwise it will pull water out of your pile and takes a while to break down. After soaking you can allow it to break down on it own because it will cause fungi to grow on it to break it down. I would cover it to speed up the process and keep it moist.

MrBooker 3/18/2018, 4:24 am

sanderson wrote:TD, You remembered this photo?? Never mind, I just noticed it's within this post.

If memory serves me, I spread a lot on the 1' x 50' worthless strip of dirt, then topped with cheap compost and coffee grounds with the ramial chips from the tree on top of all. The next summer I planted spare tomatoes and peppers and some tomato suckers. They did great.

In the 4' x 4' framed area of the tree stump, I added cheap compost to the stump grinding-dirt and planted flowers the following spring.

Mr. Booker, I would use the saw dust/shavings in a longer term compost pile, or mix like 50:50 with compost for flower beds. Hate to waste it. Do you have any trees to spread it around with some compost or organic plant food like Espoma - Plantone? You know, like ashes to ashes for the trees?

Yes I have trees, bagged compost and Plantone but the Plantone is pretty expensive in my area. I use it in the sfg at planting time.

No_Such_Reality 3/18/2018, 7:36 pm

On my drive to the grocery store one of the corner houses took down a mature cottonwood-type tree late last summer. And by mature I mean like trunk that had good 4-5 foot diameter.

Anyway their pile of sawdust looked way more woody than your's appear. Six months later with regular watering, you can't tell it was there any more. There's a bit of a mound but otherwise, just growing plants.

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Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil?

Any suggestions on the stump grinding sawdust plus soil?

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