HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 32, 31 August 1949, Page 6

HOME GARDENS

(By J. S. Yeates, Massey Agricul-t tural College)

SAWDUST AS AN ALLY

Sawdust as a garden material has had strong suppoi’ters and opponents over many years. There are however, many reasons why it is funding more supporters today. Firstly, organic manure such as the “stable manure” of gardening books is almost unobtainable, and the motor car produces no substitute. Sawdust is not by any means a complete organic manure, but what it lacks in this respect can be quite cheaply supplied by artificials like ammonium sulphate, or by animal manures like sheep or poultry manure. I believe very firmly that, used in this way, sawdust is an outstandingly successful means of supplying organic matter to the soil. What is almost equally important is that it does not introduce the heavy crops of. weeds or clubroot disease as bought in stable manure or cow manure usually does. The second great use far sawdust is as a smothering agent to prevent the growth of weeds. I use several large truck loads of it each year on my own garden and consider it is the greatest labour-saving trick I know. Now for methods of using it. In the vegetable garden there may be a plot which is stiff and puggy—the sort of soil on which I used to put lime without any effect. Into such a plot, about seven yards by four yards, I thoroughly mixed a large truck load containing between four and five cubic yards of sawdust. At the same time I mixed a liberal dressing of ammo'nnum sulphate and of superphosphate (about 14 pounds of each). This was in late spring v/hen both soil and sawdust were damp. Cabbages and leeks were grown quite successfully on the plot that same season, and the soil by the following'spring was black and comparatively friable. After years of growing and digging in green manure crops in the same garden, I consider the sawdust gives very much greater benefit and a considerable saving of effort. Used As Mulch Another method I have used is to mix the sawdust with lawn clippings, poultry manure or cow manure and, in effect, make compost. This makes a beautiful, friable soil which is first class for„ ( use in plots or in seedling boxes. Sawdust used on top of the soil as a mulch to prevent weed growth finds its widest application. It can be used with ease and great satisfaction in the average shrubbery, provided that any other ornamental plants growing there will tolerate a-layer of three inches of sawdust on top of the soil. Apart from very low growing plants and small annuals used in bedding, most plants thrive under the sawdust. All the common bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, freesias, lilies and gladioli are good examples,' all of which I have grown through sawdust. The best method for using' the sawdust is to apply it in late autumn. Have the soil clear of weeds and v/ait until it is thoroughly wet; then put on about three inches of wet sawdust. The soil needs to be raked fairly smooth before applying the sawdust; otherwise it is impossible to spread an even thickness of sawdust, and soil will show through the sawdust here and there. Retention of Moisture During the summer months the sawdust layer helps to prevent loss of moisture from the soil, although when rain does come, the dry covering of sawdust also takes very prolonged rain to soak through it. Sand can quite easily be used in place of sawdust to bury seeds and prevent weed seedling growth; this is an old practice and a very s useful one. Sand dries out more quickly in the summer, but sawdust is more likely to be blown off. A mixture of coarse sand and sawdust gives good results. Patting the wet sawdust to a smooth flat surface is one way to make it develop a relatively wind-proof surface. The best sawdust to use is coarse sawdust from fairly green timber—not the fine dry dusty material which you might get from a joinery factory.