Sawdust Usage?

[AlittleSalt]

Our oldest son's father-in-law works with mesquite as a hobby. There's lots of sawdust left over. This comes from old stumps, wedges, etc. (Not boards or treated). My son gathered about 4 or 5 pounds of it and brought to me.

That leaves me with the question, "Now, what am I going to do with it?"

I've read that it compacts easily and that perlite can help break it up some. I'm wondering if it is useful in potting or containers? Of course, there's always the option of throwing it out in the compost bin.

What would you do with this mesquite sawdust?

(If this needs to be moved to the Soilbuilding section - please move it there.)

[Worth1]

Salt All of the mesquite sawdust I collect I use for smoking.
Or just toss some on the hot coals for a little smoke.

If you put it in the container it will eat nitrogen for awhile, though there are people that grow with sand sawdust and 13-13-13 fertilizer.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

Worth, it's kind of funny that you mention using it to smoke with - it is sitting beside our pit/smoker.

[Worth1]

I just looked on line $8.50 for 5 pounds.
When I cut hardwood I vacuum any of the pine I was using away or blow it out.
Just to get the hard wood sawdust for cooking.

The growing method is called the Mittleider method.

Worth

[ScottinAtlanta]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I just looked on line $8.50 for 5 pounds.
When I cut hardwood I vacuum any of the pine I was using away or blow it out.
Just to get the hard wood sawdust for cooking.

The growing method is called the Mittleider method.

Worth

I switched to canola oil in my chain saw rather than chain oil for exactly that reason - to use wood cut with my chainsaw in smoking food. The canola oil seems to work very well - actually a bit cooler than the bar oil made for chainsaws.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I switched to canola oil in my chain saw rather than chain oil for exactly that reason - to use wood cut with my chainsaw in smoking food. The canola oil seems to work very well - actually a bit cooler than the bar oil made for chainsaws.

Scott If I am not mistaken they used vegetable oils in engines too in WWII and even earlier.

[imp]

Mesquite can be like pecans and walnuts- though the allopathic chemical is different. hough I have no problem with the sawdust part, I would not use straight mesquite, pecan, or that tree family in my garden areas that I want to grow in.

[AlittleSalt]

I looked up several sites. This one is pretty direct http://www.gardensalive.com/product/...et_your_garden

I like the idea of using it to smoke with.

[Rajun Gardener]

If you feed plants enough, they will grow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhcbQ8X_JqY

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

If you feed plants enough, they will grow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhcbQ8X_JqY

I have seen his stuff before he is a big proponent of it.
There are people against it.
I'm neutral we all have our own choices to make.

The way I look at it is we all have to learn to work with the tools we have.

Worth

[Rajun Gardener]

Do you remember Corolyn Phillips used it in her GH on those awesome tomato plants? http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=mittleider

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

Do you remember Corolyn Phillips used it in her GH on those awesome tomato plants? http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=mittleider

Yes I do If memory serves me correctly she sent me a PM or two.

Now let me say what we did with our garden growing up.
We had a huge sawdust pile on our property from a sawmill.
That saw mill was moved across the road.

I had a one ton flat bed truck with cow racks on it.
I would back the truck up into the sawdust discharge pile and slam into it.
Then I would fill the truck up to the brim.
Take this back to our garden and spread it out and go get more.

Then the big tractor was used to till it all in with 13-13-13.
I did this every winter right before spring to get the garden ready.

We had one of the so called prize gardens in the community two actually they were huge.
We also had our prize fruit trees growing in it.
We had bees and we sprayed but we never killed bees.
Worth

[Gardeneer]

Like Worth said, sawdust can steal nutrients a for a while until it is saturated. Then there will come time when it is composted, it will give back what it stole.

[AlittleSalt]

I've been thinking of buying an electric chainsaw just from cutting up smaller green branches to smoke with. I'll give the vegetable oil a try for bar oil.

[shatbox]

Humanure!!!