Thread: Domestic sawdust disposal

This is very boring. We have horses, my shavings and all of another woodie's go to bedding.

I better say though, this is out in the paddock, it would definitely not be suitable for stable use.
Cheers
Michael

Boring? Has this topic been covered previously? I admit I didn't search for it.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

How do you dispose of the wood shavings and sawdust you create at home? Let's keep it legal... actually, it might be fun to hear of any clandestine disposal sorties too.

I used to have the waste collected when I had my restoration shop, but at home, we seem capable of filling our 120 litre wheelie bin on a weekly basis as it is without the addition of any wood waste.

There's probably only so much sawdust I can jettison over the neighbours fences before they notice the build up, so I really need to explore other options before I start making serious quantities.

Basically, sawdust is not very friendly stuff for the garden, but if you know anyone who is growing rhubarb, it's said to be great for that veggie! It's very acidic and pulls nitrogen out of the soil.

Snails hate it, so surrounding pot plants or others in the garden is another use of the stuff. We use it for paths in our garden and weeds simply do not thrive.

Michael

It has been covered before, but in my opinion that doesnt mean it shouldnt be bought up again - you never know when someone will come up with a new idea.

I have considered compressing it - perhaps wetting it first and maybe with some cheap watered down pva so that it stays compressed. I thought of using a small metal drum with a lid that can be pushed down inside using a lever of some sort. Never got around to making it, but my thinking is that compressed it should have only a percentage of its uncompressed volume which may make it a candidate for the wheelie bin.

If you have a green waste bin then that may be the answer. I rang our local council and they said it couldnt go in, but I have heard of other councils allowing it.

Arron

Many gardeners like it, get onto a local gardening club

Sawdust plus lawnmower cuttings in equal quantities makes top quality soil enricher.

Sawdust on its own can be used as a mulch.

Cheers,
Andrew

Sawdust by itself depletes the Nitrogen in the soil as it rots. Manure fixes that.

You could offer it on Backyard Poultry - someone might have a use for it in your area.

Otherwise there's freecycle too.

And if you're gardening with it, putting it on in a thick layer will draw nitrogen out of the soil as it decomposes, but if you spread it thinly, or mix it in a wet compost heap, it'll do fine.

Wasn't there a thread about a sawdust burning stove?

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Boring? Has this topic been covered previously? I admit I didn't search for it.

Oops sorry WW, I didn't explain myself well. NOT the thread that's boring, but I didn't think my disposal method was particularly exciting or clandestine!

?

Cheers
Michaell

Some people mix it with various things, like water/vermiculite/cement and lime, pressed into frames which include some netting, and produce wall panels when dried.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

How do you dispose of the wood shavings and sawdust you create at home? Let's keep it legal... actually, it might be fun to hear of any clandestine disposal sorties too.

I used to have the waste collected when I had my restoration shop, but at home, we seem capable of filling our 120 litre wheelie bin on a weekly basis as it is without the addition of any wood waste.

come and live in my suburb
120 litres is undreamed of luxury – we're on one 50 litre bin per week
plus an unlimited quantity of paper, plastic, tins and glass into the recycling.

You've got a 120 litre wheelie bin, (and no kids using disposable nappies?) so I recon you should be able to get rid of up to 80 litres of saw dust each week.

In my case, excess sawdust goes out with green waste once a fortnight



ian

In the wintertime I bag it in large brown paper bags (a few cents each from Coles) and chuck it in the combustion fire.

With firewood at $240 a ton in Adelaide it is worthwhile doing.

I recently got a approx 250kg from one job.

In the summertime I trade the excess as mulch on my neighbours gardens.

I deliver it by wheelbarrow and accept payment of some red stuff in a bottle.

Cheers


Tim

Dust alone can cake up and not work too well as a mulch.

I generate a lot of shavings from woodturning and spread them over the lawn an inch or two deep. Rots down in no time ... 'cept for Cypress.

Edit: yeah, sometimes put a big bag on the nature strip with a notice .. 'free mulch, pls return the bag'.

SWMBO will take as much as I care to give her - she mixes it up with sheep poo and kitchen scraps and it all goes in the compost bin. Given that the size of our veggie garden just doubled, I reckon I could claim I HAVE to spend more time in the shed to generate enough shavings...

...might be forced to buy a lathe, too. All for the garden's benefit, of course.