Lack of moisture in the soil negatively affects the development of cultivated plants, this is due to the fact that it is more difficult for them to extract nutrients from the soil. However, frequent watering is harmful to plants, as it provokes the development of fungal diseases. To solve the problem, many gardeners mulch the soil using sawdust and other organic material. This helps maintain soil moisture for longer.
Can sawdust be used for mulching?
Wood waste is suitable for use as mulch, but you need to figure out which tree species are best selected for this. In addition, it is worth remembering that sawdust is used to cover the soil only in its rotted form. Fresh material cannot be used, this is due to the fact that bacteria that break down cellulose draw nitrogen from the soil and release certain substances, which increase the acidity of the soil.
Wood mulch not only prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil, but also prevents overheating and freezing of the root system of cultivated plants. If you lay mulching material around bushes and trees, there is no need for frequent weeding and loosening of the beds, since it is difficult for weeds to break through the mulch to the surface. In addition, it protects plants from damage by slugs and other pests.
After the mulching material has rotted, it is mixed with the soil in the garden bed and increases the fertility of the soil, also serving as an organic fertilizer. Thanks to sawdust mulch, it is possible to improve the structure of the soil; it becomes looser, allowing the water needed by the roots to pass through.
Advantages and disadvantages
When planning to use sawdust as a mulch layer, you must remember that this material has both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of wood waste include the following:
- low cost and availability of organic material;
- protection against a number of fungal diseases and some pests;
- no need for constant weeding;
- increasing soil breathability;
- protection of the root system from extreme cold and overheating;
- the ability to obtain organic fertilizer after decomposition of the material;
- reducing labor costs for regular watering of beds and no need to loosen the hardened crust on the soil surface;
- increasing the amount of humus in the soil, as a result of which the land becomes more fertile;
- protection of cultivated plants from dirt during heavy rains;
- creating an attractive appearance on the site;
- reduced yield loss - berries and vegetables do not rot, as they do not come into contact with wet soil.
Among the disadvantages of sawdust, summer residents note the absence of such an essential element as nitrogen in their composition; on the contrary, they reduce its concentration in the soil, which ultimately leads to acidification of the soil. In addition, such a mulch layer inhibits the work of not only harmful, but also beneficial microorganisms.
What plants are they used for?
Sawdust is used to retain moisture in beds with different plants. However, strawberries, wild strawberries, raspberries, garlic, potatoes, bell peppers and eggplants react most positively to this procedure. Organic material is also used for garden flowers, such as roses.
What sawdust should I use?
You can use waste from almost all trees for mulch, but the final choice depends on the purpose of using sawdust. For example, to repel the Colorado potato beetle from potato plantings, it is better to take pine sawdust, since its smell is unpleasant to pests, and they leave the beds with the crop.
Mulch made from softwood sawdust is used to insulate plants for the winter, but is not very effective as a fertilizer. Oak sawdust are capable of acidifying the soil, so they are used for lining paths and paths on the site and in the garden and only in rotted form.
Recipe
Fresh sawdust is not placed around plants, since they themselves are not fertilizer; they must first be prepared by enriching them with nutritional components.
It is recommended to do this using the following algorithm:
- Spread out a plastic film, and place 2-3 buckets of selected sawdust on it in a thin layer. Calcium nitrate is poured on top - you will need 80 grams of fertilizer per bucket of material. Sprinkle water on top and cover with a second layer of film. The material must be left for a week, and then used for its intended purpose.
- If you need to enrich sawdust with nitrogen, you need to prepare the material with the addition of urea. 200 grams of fertilizer are dissolved in 10 liters of water and sawdust is poured in layers, a film is placed on top, and after 2 weeks the mulching material is turned over. Mulch is considered ready for use when the sawdust turns black.
As a rule, the material for mulch is prepared in advance, in the fall or early spring, but if there is no time, then use this recipe. 40 grams of ammonium nitrate, 30 grams of superphosphate granules, 120 grams of slaked lime and 10 grams of calcium chloride are added to a bucket of material. The mixture is kept for 14 days and used as directed.
Rules of use and terms of work
The timing of mulching beds depends on the crop being grown and the goal pursued by the gardener. Annual plants are mulched immediately after planting in the ground. The time for root crops is when the plants have already thinned out.
As for perennial crops, soil cultivation begins as soon as the ground warms up a little, after first removing the old winter layer. If the plants are planted in a greenhouse, the procedure begins during the period of active growth and development of crops.
How long can you store?
If you provide sawdust with the necessary conditions (absence of direct sunlight and moisture), it can be stored for two years.
