Sawdust on hosta beds

[mooie]

They are refinishing the stage floor at the auditorium at work and I noticed a couple very large bags of sawdust left over from the sanding they did. I wondered if this is something I can use in my hosta beds. Then I wondered if it would turn all pulpy and yucky when wet. Would this be a viable addition or a mess?

mooie

[HostaDesigner]

I wouldn't. I would guess the raw dust would suck the nitrogen out of the soil like large dry wood shavings do. I'm no expert, but it's a little different than mulch.

[DBoweMD]

I'm pretty sure that Peter Ruh used sawdust as one of the ingredients in the bedding of the area where he grows his experimental plants. It should decompose pretty fast if it is from sanding, in contrast to sawing or chipping.

[playinmud]

The only thing that would concern me would be the remnants of the floor's previous finish, not the wood. I don't know how the varnish, oil, polyurethane or whatever they used would break down in your garden. Just a thought.

[JaneG]

I agree with the last post, if they are refinishing the floor then they are sanding off the very top layer to get all the old finish off. No telling what it might be or if it might be bad.

My DH is a woodworker so I get wheelbarrow loads of fresh sawdust on a regular basis. I may mix a little into the beds, but not often and never a solid layer. I do layer it on some paths or a thick layer where I want to suppress weeds, but won't be planting anything.

When fresh, they will rob nitrogen. Old piles that have been sitting around for a year or more, I am more inclined to mix into planting beds.

[Marlys]

Ron has given me wood shavings / saw dust that worked very well as mulch in the gardens. However, it did not have any chemical finishing agents on it. I have used wood chips from the tree service on my beds when they were young & there were large bare spots before the hostas / plants got big / mature. It worked very well and conserved moisture & kept weeds away. It is a good idea to keep it away from the petioles of the plants. I think crown rot can travel via the wood chip mulch especially in wet seasons. I believe the same fungus that breaks down the wood chips can also attack the petioles of hostas & other plants. I have seen the white fiborous stuff in the wood chips frequently.

The thing I would do with your chemically treated saw dust is put it in your compost pile. The chemical finishing agents would be broken down by the sun, rain, heat of the compost pile over one summer / winter. Mixed with dried tree leaves & other green mattter, saw dust is wonderful in the compost pile. IMHO

MM

[mooie]

I may go back and grab those bags of sawdust if they are still there. The varnish and whatever else on the wood was very very old and thin and I'm not sure how much of an issue it would actually be. I may just dump them in a spot and add some leaves and what have you and let it compost itself. Seems too good to waste.

mooie

[whip1]

Any material on the soil surface will not bind nitrogen. it will if it's mixed, but on the surface is fine.