Nyboy
Garden Master
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Bay you are a mind reader LOL
Sawdust As A Soil Builder
- Thread starter freedhardwoods
- Start date
canesisters
Garden Master
The 'situation' was that I had no tiller and a desire to produce produce (
http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/from-comunity-garden-into-first-try-at-a-garden.11824/
This year's garden was back in the same 15' circle. But 'Rotmore II' is almost ready right beside it. The posts are going in for the chicken run/moat. And I'm still having a great time working on it.
bobm
Garden Master
For those that have used or consider using sawdust from a cabinet shop ... that sawdust is mostly from melemine ( hard plastic coating) glued to plywood that contains wood particles that is held together with glue. Also hardwoods --- mostly red oak, cedar, alder, birch , cherry, walnut , bamboo ( held together with glue ) as well as some exotic imported woods for custom cabinets.
canesisters
Garden Master
Hum, I guess it's the melemine that gives my garden that light fluffy soil. Kinda like the beads in potting soil.
I can bury by arm almost up to my elbow just by working my hand into it.
Well whatever it is, the plants LOVE it. I'm able to grow, in a 15' circle, more than I have been able to process. Can't wait to get the 2nd and 3rd circles going.
Well whatever it is, the plants LOVE it. I'm able to grow, in a 15' circle, more than I have been able to process. Can't wait to get the 2nd and 3rd circles going.
Nyboy
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Cane send some melemine to me, I can't get a fingernail passed mine. So wish I had your soil.
canesisters
Garden Master
Just run down to Walmart and pick up the biggest entertainment center you can find. Then spend a couple of weeks putting it together. Sit it out in your garden. Five mins after the first rain starts, you'll have the start of a pile of lovely, fluffy compost.
Actually, most of my soil is clay that is hard as a brick when its dry and sticky enough to add 3" to my height when it's wet.
I still say that you need some chickens.
1. They provide pre-fertailzed wood shavings to use in your compost
2. They make weeding fun. I call it 'harvesting' when I collect a 5gal bucket full of 'mixed field greens' for my girls.
3. I don't mind so much when I go out and find that half of yesterday's 'almost there' tomatoes have suddenly gone soft and yucky because now they're simply fuel for the egg machines.
Actually, most of my soil is clay that is hard as a brick when its dry and sticky enough to add 3" to my height when it's wet.
I still say that you need some chickens.
1. They provide pre-fertailzed wood shavings to use in your compost
2. They make weeding fun. I call it 'harvesting' when I collect a 5gal bucket full of 'mixed field greens' for my girls.
3. I don't mind so much when I go out and find that half of yesterday's 'almost there' tomatoes have suddenly gone soft and yucky because now they're simply fuel for the egg machines.
bobm
Garden Master
The melemine is a hard plastic manufactured from oil through the wonders of chemistry .
- Thread starter
- #18
freedhardwoods
Deeply Rooted
I knew big factories used melamine. I didn't think about smaller shops using it. The Amish shops in my area don't build cheap cabinets with melamine in them.
Wood chips take a lot longer to break down and rot than sawdust does. Tilling in sawdust works well if you add nitrogen to help it break down. Many no-till gardeners put wood chips on top of the soil as mulch.
- Thread starter
- #19
freedhardwoods
Deeply Rooted
Interesting thread about starting your garden.
On the job learnin' is always better than book learnin'.
