Is sawdust useful, or is it just some waste? But before we answer this question, it is important first to know what it is. So, what is sawdust? It is the material left behind when you cut down trees for your construction projects. It is often produced when people use saws to cut through wood logs. It can be made of any type of wood, but most industrial manufacturers make it out of hardwood like Oak or Beech because they are harder and denser than the others.
Sawdust has many uses that are not common knowledge. It can be put to use in very many application areas. Here are five uses of sawdust that you need to know about.
- Fertilizer
Sawdust is an ideal fertilizer for plants, especially for domestic gardening. It has high carbon content and is very rich in nitrogen, a key nutrient for plant growth. Therefore, adding it to your soil will help to improve the quality of your soil and improve growth.
- Soil for growing mushrooms
Mushrooms grow very well in a sawdust substrate because sawdust contains all the nutrients that a fungus requires to grow into a fully developed mushroom. You can buy a fully developed sawdust substrate from your local garden shop, or you can make it at home by mixing sawdust and water until it becomes a paste that you can spread on your growing tray. After that, just add some mushroom spores and cover the substrate with a growing medium. Leave it to sit for about two weeks, and you will end up with an impressive crop of mushrooms!
- Animal bedding
Did you know that you can use sawdust for animal bedding? It is ideal for use as animal bedding because it is relatively cheap, but at the same time, it softens animals’ sleeping environment. The traditional way of using sawdust is to mix it with wood shavings and some form of absorbent material like sand, limestone, or rice husk. Make sure that you use the best quality sawdust because lower-grade ones will not be suitable for animal bedding. You can also buy sawdust pellets from your local farm store.
- Weed suppressor
Sawdust is very useful for keeping weeds at bay between paving stones and in garden beds. It helps suppress weed growth without affecting the health of the plants that you want to grow. Additionally, it keeps the soil moist and assists with suppressing weed growth in general.
- Composting material
Sawdust can be mixed with other organic waste materials to make compost for your plants. It helps to aerate the soil while retaining moisture content for prolonged periods, which is great news for any gardener. And the good thing is that sawdust is relatively cheap, so you can use it as much as you want.
Note that the uses of sawdust are not limited to this short list. Now that you know about these 5 uses of sawdust do not throw your sawdust away anymore. Use it to your advantage!
