Workshop Sawdust on the lawn for OM

This is the place to discuss Organic lawncare.
Post Reply
Adam_M
Posts: 215
Joined: April 22nd, 2017, 12:29 pm
Location: Southwest PA
Grass Type: Midnight, Bewitched, Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Workshop Sawdust on the lawn for OM

Post by Adam_M » March 22nd, 2022, 4:14 pm

I've got a 55 gallon drum of sawdust from my workshop dust collector, and was wondering if it's safe to spread on the yard for a bit of OM. I know that sawdust is generally accepted, but the contents of this bin quite varied.

I've cut many species of wood including:
Pine (not pressure treated), Oak, Bubinga, Mahogany, Zebrawood, Padauk, Wenge, Walnut, Maple

I've definitely cut some plywood (not pressure treated)

There's literally a couple cuts worth of particle board/MDF sawdust in there too.

I sanded glued seams, so there's likely a miniscule amount of PVA glue in there.

And there's sanding dust from varied finishes which include: Polyurethanes, lacquer, shellac. I acknowledge the first 2 aren't are particularly lawn-friendly, but I've only sanded mills of finish off of a few products. They'd be very fine and quite dilute.

Are the tropical woods issues? What about the wood composites? I'm most concerned about the finishes.

I've typically just thrown it in the trash, but figured I'd ask.

User avatar
turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Workshop Sawdust on the lawn for OM

Post by turf_toes » March 22nd, 2022, 4:27 pm

I’d also be concerned about the Walnut wood. Black walnut trees are alleopathic (meaning they tend to secrete substances that kill competing plants)

Frankly, I’d skip it between the walnut and the finish material.

Adam_M
Posts: 215
Joined: April 22nd, 2017, 12:29 pm
Location: Southwest PA
Grass Type: Midnight, Bewitched, Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Workshop Sawdust on the lawn for OM

Post by Adam_M » March 23rd, 2022, 1:21 pm

Thanks! In the garbage it goes.

User avatar
Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3341
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: Workshop Sawdust on the lawn for OM

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » April 22nd, 2022, 2:43 pm

Inasmuch as I dislike Dr Linda Chalker-Scott, I found this article by her reviewing the literature on alleopathy in black walnut. She says it is okay to use the wood dust. Apparently the 'poison,' if there is any comes from the tree roots. You can see in the article images of shade loving plants growing under black walnut.
The shade in the following picture is provided by an English walnut tree.

Image
The zoysia underneath is doing very well. The thin spots have not yet filled in from the 1-inch plugs planted 6 months earlier.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests