How to use sawdust for mulching. How to properly prepare mulch and compost from sawdust. Neutralizer of harmful substances

How to keep the soil moist for a long time in the heat? How to protect plants from freezing in winter? How to control the growth of weeds in the beds? Such questions are often asked by inexperienced gardeners.Mulching with sawdustsoil is one of the agricultural techniques that solves these problems.

Advantages and disadvantages of sawdust mulching

Mulch the soil with sawdust, that is, to cover the surface of the earth with them, it is necessary with skill. This procedure is not always beneficial. Advantages:

cheapness;
retain moisture well in the soil;
contribute to greater air permeability of the soil;
protect roots from temperature changes;
when they decompose, organic substances are formed that feed the earth with vital elements;
retain heat in the soil, in severe winters do not allow it to freeze;
pass air;
prevent the spread of weeds;
prevent the berries from coming into contact with the soil, which means they reduce their spoilage;
mulch is a home for beneficial microflora;
pine mulching sawdust prevents the development of fungal diseases and repels some pests;
softwood sawdust, especially pine , drive away some pests and pathogens.

Despite the impressive list of pros, mulching has its drawbacks:

fresh sawdust affects the acidity of the soil, increasing it;
sawdust of large size rots for a long time, and for the decomposition process they need nitrogen, which they take from the soil;
also, the decomposition period depends on the types of trees - sawdust from soft hardwoods overripe in 10-15 months, from pine and other representatives of conifers - 2–3 years;
coniferous sawdust prevent the development of not only pathogenic microflora, but also useful.

What sawdust can be used

Crops respond differently to sawdust mulch.

plants love shredded hardwoods other than oak, poplar, and walnut. Oak, as well as waste from poplar and walnut, it is better not to use. They secrete substances that inhibit the growth of many crops;
sawdust from coniferous trees acidifies the soil , therefore, it is applied under plants that prefer an acidic environment - potatoes, greens, carrots, tomatoes and representatives of the pumpkin family;
waste from chipboard is prohibited to use, as they contain hazardous substances.

For mulchinguse material of different sizes.

A very fine fraction is not used. It cakes into lumps and forms a hard crust on the surface.
Large sawdust forms a loose and deep layer, which is difficult to compact.
large chips warm the plants winter.

Sawdust in its pure form is sprinkled with paths in plots and flower beds, passages between the beds. Do not cover the ground with fresh sawdust in the fall. This wood material has a low thermal conductivity. If you covered the cold ground with it, then it will not thaw for a long time in the spring and will not warm up well. For mulch it is better to use rotted or semi-rotted material, which is painted in light or dark brown.

For a healthy harvest potatoes after hilling it, sprinkle the grooves with sawdust. They will help retain moisture and prevent weeds from germinating. Mulching bushes raspberries helps to overwinter its root system without negative consequences. Bushes of tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and many flowers - hydrangeas, roses , lupins also respond well to this procedure.

Mulching must be combined with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers.

For cucumbers practice mulching with wood chips small fraction. Each bush is sprinkled in a circle, this protects the plant from sucking pests. Coniferous sawdust is used as biofuels. They are poured into the base of the cucumber beds , well watered with slurry and increase it in height with earth.

Wood waste under the action manure will spit and give off heat all season long. Large wood shavings are laid in planting holes for grapes and flower vines. They act as a heat insulator, protecting plant roots from deep cold. Coniferous sawdust is best used for mulching carrots , they will drive away the carrot fly. For warming mulch, the “dry” method is most often used, which is suitable for most crops - clematis, grapes, rose bushes.

The advantage of this method It lies in the fact that plants hibernate in a dry, warm place where excess moisture does not penetrate. They are covered with sawdust, covered with polyethylene and covered with earth. Events are held in late autumn.

Winter garlic needs mulching not to protect against freezing, but to preserve soil moisture and prevent cracking of the earth. Therefore, a “wet” shelter method is suitable for garlic: mulch from shavings sprinkle the soil near the plants, without digging in the ground and without covering the beds with polyethylene. Mulching pine sawdust protects garlic from diseases and pests.

Do not sprinkle such mulch on plants that love an alkaline environment - cabbage, beets. This will adversely affect their growth.

Terms of work

In order for the sawdust to start "working", they must rot. This requires a high temperature, which is why the optimal terms for their use are spring, summer - the warm season. In the same period, it is necessary to protect the roots of plants from the scorching sun and prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture. Wood mulch can handle strawberry plantations, raspberry bushes, tree trunks near fruit trees. Winter mulching is carried out with a mixture consisting of:

from sawdust;
plant residues;
rotted manure.

Technology

Before how to processsoil with mulch, you need to find out its acidity and, if necessary, adjust this parameter by adding additional components.

Material preparation

The sawdust itself are not fertilizer. They, on the contrary, like a sponge, suck elements out of the soil, impoverishing it. Therefore, it is necessary from them make mulch. It is easy to cook with your own hands. Training starts with the purchase of wood material. It must be of high quality, free of pathogens and pests.

Several buckets of sawdust are poured onto a plastic film and calcium nitrate (70–80 g per 1 bucket of material) is poured on top. Then watered, covered with a film and left for a week.
The most commonly used urea saturation of the material with nitrogen. They pile it in a heap, pour each layer with a solution of urea (200 g per 10 liters of water), then cover with a film. Every 14 days, the sawdust is shoveled so that it is saturated with oxygen. Use them when they turn black.

Technology preparation is to ensure that a sufficient number of microorganisms settle on the material, which will begin to process the tree into organic matter. To do this, it is necessary to maintain high humidity and temperatures above +15°C. To prepare mulching takes time, so it's best to do it in the spring or fall when making compost pits. Sawdust, manure and vegetable waste - tops, mowed grass, leaves are laid in them in layers. If there is no time, then compost made from fresh sawdust. For 1 bucket of sawdust take:

superphosphate in granules - 30 g;
ammonium nitrate - 40 g;
calcium chloride - 10 g;
slaked lime - 120 g.

The mixture is infused for 2 weeks.

Adding dolomite flour or ash to rotted sawdust neutralizes components that change the acidity of the soil.

Features of spring and summer mulching in the open field and greenhouse

In the spring, crops of annual crops are mulched immediately after they are planted. For this purpose, only sawdust of deciduous trees is used, oak cannot be applied. Root crops - carrots, turnips, garlic - are sprinkled with mulch after thinning, when the tops of the plant have reached a height of 5–7 cm. A layer of mulch is made 3–4 cm thick.

It is added to perennials after warming up. soil , after removing the old mulch layer or digging it with soil. In the summer they are not mulched, as they do not have time to prepare for the winter. Raspberries, currants, apple trees, bushes strawberries mulch in spring before flowering. Sawdust should be applied before the second decade of June, then by the middle of summer there will be no trace of the layer.

Mulch is better in the greenhouse to bring in the spring, having mixed with other nutritious components - manure, urea. Plants are mulched when they begin to actively develop. This allows you to reduce the rate of watering and protects the roots from overheating. The use of coniferous sawdust in a greenhouse for growing tomatoes and cucumbers helps to reduce the development of diseases and the number of harmful insects. The layer of mulch should be 5-7 cm.

Preparing beds and planting for winter

In the garden make high beds on which vegetable and flower crops grow well.

Remove the top fertile layer and lay it aside.
On the resulting base lay a layer of mowed grass, tops, straw.
Sawdust, well moistened with a solution of urea, is laid on it.
Again, plant remains, which are covered with deposited earth.

So that the bed does not crumble around the perimeter, the sides are made of mowed grass. Plants in such a bed need more water.

Gardener's mistakes

Beginning summer residents sometimes complain that mulching does not bring the result they expected. This is due to a violation of the process technology. Let's look at the main mistakes:

the use of sawdust without pre-treatment of the soil with nitrogen fertilizer is one of the fatal mistakes;
it is forbidden use freshsawdust - this entails an increase in soil acidity;
incorrectly selected size of wood waste for plants - large shavings, they are used only in the garden for mulching the near-trunk circles of trees and shrubs or as insulation for the winter;
the introduction of sawdust on unheated soil.

sawdust mulchis good stuff and fertilizer which is suitable for many types of soil. The result of mulching will be noticeable after 3–4 years, since the formation of a fertile layer is a very slow process. But the quality of the harvest of strawberries or raspberries can be assessed in the same season. But be sure to take into account peculiarities use of mulch so as not to harm crops.

Sawdust as a fertilizer causes a lot of controversy among gardeners and gardeners. Many consider them an excellent fertilizer, others oppose the use of such organic matter. Which of them is right? Like any fertilizer, the use of sawdust requires some knowledge, since with thoughtless use you will not get a positive effect, but you can also do harm.

There are many options for using sawdust in the garden:

Effective mulching material for the formation of beds;
Sprinkle the paths with sawdust;
Used as a substrate for germinating seeds and potatoes, as well as for growing seedlings;

The effect of sawdust on the soil: benefit or harm?

The soil, rich in a large amount of loosening organic matter, such as sawdust, is breathable, absorbs moisture well, as a result, plants on such soil actively develop. Such soil is not subject to drying out, does not form a crust during the dry period, which means that it requires less loosening.

However, all of the above advantages relate to a greater extent to rotted sawdust, which have a dark or light brown color.

Fresh sawdust

Using a lot of fresh sawdust can do more harm than good to the soil.

In the process of sawdust decomposition, soil bacteria will use up a large amount of nitrogen from the soil, thereby significantly impoverishing it. Plants growing on this land are deficient in this essential trace element.
In addition, fresh wood shavings are replete with substances harmful to vegetation, such as resins.
Fresh sawdust can adversely affect the condition of the soil, as it has an acidifying effect. Therefore, when using them, the soil needs additional liming.
Therefore, fresh sawdust should not be used at all. The best option is to make compost from sawdust.

sawdust compost

When preparing compost, you also need to adhere to some technology, because if you just dump wood chips in a pile, and hope that it will rot over time. That process will take a lot of time. The fact is that sawdust piled up in a heap will never get wet through (this is a prerequisite for decay), even if it rains heavily. The wet upper layer, after drying, forms a strong crust that protects the lower layers from any influences.

In a compost pile, mix 1 cubic meter. sawdust with manure (100 kg) and bird droppings (10 kg);
Sawdust should first be thoroughly moistened with slurry or water;
You can also add fresh grass clippings, leaf litter, or plant waste to speed up the process.
If there is no required amount of manure, it can be replaced with a solution of urea (200 g per 3 buckets of sawdust), or a solution of mullein and bird droppings.
Compost maturation will take place during the year, at this time it is necessary to regularly moisten and cover the biomass so that useful substances are not washed away.
To improve the quality of the compost, you can add some soil at the laying stage: 2-3 buckets per 1 cubic meter. sawdust, then earthworms and microorganisms will become accelerators of wood decomposition, and transformation into high-quality compost.

Keep in mind that if the sawdust was stored near abandoned areas, where there were thickets of weeds. Such sawdust should be cleared of possible clogging with weed seeds using the hot composting method. To do this, the temperature in the biomass should be brought up to +60C. This can be achieved by watering the sawdust with hot water and immediately covering it with plastic wrap to maintain temperature.

Mulching material

Sawdust as a fertilizer, sprinkled with a layer of 3-5 cm as a mulching material. This material is especially good for mulching the soil under raspberry bushes, strawberry and strawberry beds, when growing vegetables, and also for flowers.

Mature sawdust is immediately ready for use, while fresh sawdust should be prepared in advance, as they can draw nitrogen from the soil.

Preparing for mulching

Spread a large oilcloth or film on the ground
In order, pour out sawdust (3 buckets), urea (200g) and evenly moisten with 10 liters of water, then repeat everything in order.
At the end of the work, cover the sawdust with a film, as tightly as possible, put a few stones on top.
After two weeks, sawdust is ready for use.

It is most effective to use this mulching material in the first half of summer, during the period when moisture is actively evaporating from the soil. With this approach, by the end of summer, the mulch will do its useful work, and thanks to the work of earthworms and regular loosening, the sawdust is completely mixed with the soil.

If too thick a layer of mulch was initially poured, then by the end of summer, it must be mixed with the soil, carefully loosening the soil. Otherwise, with the onset of spring, a frozen layer of mulch will become an obstacle in thawing the soil cover. It is especially important to take this fact into account when processing areas where early spring plantings are carried out.

For greenhouses and greenhouses

When growing cucumbers and tomatoes in closed ground, sawdust as a fertilizer is an indispensable material.

Sawdust is used in combination with manure and all kinds of tops; in this combination, the compost rots much faster. When preparing compost, keep in mind: fresh sawdust is added to fresh manure, which will take on excess nitrogen; when using rotted sawdust, manure is also introduced by rotted or sawdust as an independent material - because they do not require additional nitrogen.

Sawdust can be applied to the beds of greenhouses or greenhouses in spring and autumn. To make sawdust, you can use this method:

In autumn, lay a layer of vegetation residues on the ridges (straw, fallen leaves, mowed grass and vegetable tops);
In the spring, add a layer of fresh manure and cover it with lime and a little fresh sawdust;
Thoroughly mix sawdust, manure and plant residues;
Then you should cover this mixture with straw or leaves and lay a layer of soil, adding ash and mineral fertilizers to it;
For better heating, it is recommended to spill the soil with boiling water and cover with a film.

Sawdust for sprouting potatoes

To obtain an early harvest of potatoes, sawdust is an indispensable material.

First of all, you should get the right amount of moistened sawdust and germinated early potato tubers.
A couple of weeks before the planned planting of potatoes in the ground, fill the boxes with sawdust 10-15 cm, place potato tubers there.
Sprinkle a 3-5 cm layer of substrate on top.
Make sure that the substrate is optimally moistened, do not allow drying out and waterlogging, and also maintain the temperature no more than 20C.
When the sprouts reach 6-8 cm, water them well with complex fertilizer and plant them together with the substrate in the holes, sprinkling the tubers and potato sprouts with earth.
It is recommended to preheat the soil, for this, cover the ground with plastic wrap in advance.
After planting the potatoes, cover the entire area with hay or straw, and then with the same film to prevent the tubers from freezing.
As a result, potatoes will ripen several weeks earlier than usual.

Advantages and disadvantages of sawdust mulching

Mulch the soil with sawdust, that is, to cover the surface of the earth with them, it is necessary with skill. This procedure is not always beneficial. Advantages:

cheapness;
retain moisture well in the soil;
contribute to greater air permeability of the soil;
protect roots from temperature changes;
when they decompose, organic substances are formed that feed the earth with vital elements;
retain heat in the soil, in severe winters do not allow it to freeze;
pass air;
prevent the spread of weeds;
prevent the berries from coming into contact with the soil, which means they reduce their spoilage;
mulch is a home for beneficial microflora;
pine mulching sawdust prevents the development of fungal diseases and repels some pests;
softwood sawdust, especially pine , drive away some pests and pathogens.

Despite the impressive list of pros, mulching has its drawbacks:

fresh sawdust affects the acidity of the soil, increasing it;
sawdust of large size rots for a long time, and for the decomposition process they need nitrogen, which they take from the soil;
also, the decomposition period depends on the types of trees - sawdust from soft hardwoods overripe in 10-15 months, from pine and other representatives of conifers - 2–3 years;
coniferous sawdust prevent the development of not only pathogenic microflora, but also useful.

What sawdust can be used

Crops respond differently to sawdust mulch.

plants love shredded hardwoods other than oak, poplar, and walnut. Oak, as well as waste from poplar and walnut, it is better not to use. They secrete substances that inhibit the growth of many crops;
sawdust from coniferous trees acidifies the soil , therefore, it is applied under plants that prefer an acidic environment - potatoes, greens, carrots, tomatoes and representatives of the pumpkin family;
waste from chipboard is prohibited to use, as they contain hazardous substances.

For mulchinguse material of different sizes.

A very fine fraction is not used. It cakes into lumps and forms a hard crust on the surface.
Large sawdust forms a loose and deep layer, which is difficult to compact.
large chips warm the plants winter.

Mulching must be combined with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers.

Do not sprinkle such mulch on plants that love an alkaline environment - cabbage, beets. This will adversely affect their growth.

Terms of work

from sawdust;
plant residues;
rotted manure.

Technology

Before how to processsoil with mulch, you need to find out its acidity and, if necessary, adjust this parameter by adding additional components.

Material preparation

Several buckets of sawdust are poured onto a plastic film and calcium nitrate (70–80 g per 1 bucket of material) is poured on top. Then watered, covered with a film and left for a week.
The most commonly used urea saturation of the material with nitrogen. They pile it in a heap, pour each layer with a solution of urea (200 g per 10 liters of water), then cover with a film. Every 14 days, the sawdust is shoveled so that it is saturated with oxygen. Use them when they turn black.

superphosphate in granules - 30 g;
ammonium nitrate - 40 g;
calcium chloride - 10 g;
slaked lime - 120 g.

The mixture is infused for 2 weeks.

Adding dolomite flour or ash to rotted sawdust neutralizes components that change the acidity of the soil.

Features of spring and summer mulching in the open field and greenhouse

Preparing beds and planting for winter

In the garden make high beds on which vegetable and flower crops grow well.

Remove the top fertile layer and lay it aside.
On the resulting base lay a layer of mowed grass, tops, straw.
Sawdust, well moistened with a solution of urea, is laid on it.
Again, plant remains, which are covered with deposited earth.

So that the bed does not crumble around the perimeter, the sides are made of mowed grass. Plants in such a bed need more water.

Gardener's mistakes

Beginning summer residents sometimes complain that mulching does not bring the result they expected. This is due to a violation of the process technology. Let's look at the main mistakes:

the use of sawdust without pre-treatment of the soil with nitrogen fertilizer is one of the fatal mistakes;
it is forbidden use freshsawdust - this entails an increase in soil acidity;
incorrectly selected size of wood waste for plants - large shavings, they are used only in the garden for mulching the near-trunk circles of trees and shrubs or as insulation for the winter;
the introduction of sawdust on unheated soil.

Hello friends! Gardeners have been arguing about the benefits and harms at their summer cottage for a long time. Someone categorically opposes their use, and someone regularly pours a thick layer in the garden and claims that this improves the structure of the soil and fertilizes it. Who is right? We'll figure out!

Gardeners have been arguing about the benefits and dangers of sawdust for a long time.

But first, let's talk about the properties of sawdust.

Properties useful and not so

They help her breathe, prevent the formation of a crust on the surface of the earth, so less planting will need to be loosened.

Sawdust absorbs and retains moisture.

For plants, this feature is, of course, only a plus.

Weeds do not break through the layer of sawdust.

A controversial fact ... But in part it is true. In any case, not everyone will make it through.

Sawdust fertilizes the soil.

But this is true only if they are well rotted, and if they are applied to the soil correctly.

Wood chips acidify the soil.

And this is a minus. Some gardeners have had a negative experience and say that even fertilizers do not help later - almost nothing grows in the garden. Let's talk about that too.

Sawdust takes nitrogen from the soil.

They "steal" it from plants, and this is also a minus. However, any minus can be turned into a plus if you know how to do it.

Problems and Solutions

So, problem number 1 - soil acidification. In case you mulch with sawdust, or, then there is no problem at all - they love "sour". For most other plants, acidification is detrimental.

Solution. If you remember from the chemistry course, alkalis and acids neutralize each other by reacting. Remember how long ago you "extinguished" with vinegar when preparing the dough? The same can be done in the garden.
Only instead of soda you need to use:

(peat or wood);
ordinary lime or special lime deoxidizer (sold in stores);
dolomite flour;
(potassium chloride, potassium or ammonium sulfate, calcium or sodium nitrate, superphosphate);
crushed chalk.

All in all, alkalis must be applied with sawdust. The main thing is to follow the dose and the rules. So, with lime and dolomite flour, fertilizers enriched with boron and manganese must be applied to the soil. To use special tests with litmus papers. They are also available at garden stores and are very easy to use (no chemistry knowledge required).

Problem number 2 - "pulling" nitrogen. And with a lack of nitrogen, as we know, plants do not develop well.

Solution: urea (calcium nitrate). In this case, it is imperative to use water so that the fertilizer dissolves and the sawdust is saturated with it.

You need to use water so that the fertilizer dissolves and the sawdust is saturated with it.

Now let's go directly to the ways of using sawdust in the country.

Ways to use sawdust in the country

It would be wrong to limit ourselves only to ways to improve the soil with the help of sawdust, because their possibilities are much wider. Therefore, I will describe in general the scope of sawdust at their summer cottage.

1. Sawdust - mulching material

Anyone's tasks:

keep water in the soil;
reduce the amount of ;
prevent erosion, soil erosion;
prevent overheating of the soil in summer and its freezing in winter;
keep the soil loose;
prevent the formation of a crust on the soil surface;
protect plants from pathogens present in the soil and falling on the leaves during irrigation;
stimulate the formation of adventitious roots.

To make sawdust a good mulch, need to prepare them. Here is one way:

Spread a plastic sheet on the ground and pour it on sawdust bucket. Distribute them.
sprinkle 200 g urea.
Pour 10 liters of water.
Cover with polyethylene on top, press down with stones and leave for 2 weeks.

After the sawdust "ripen", sprinkle them on the ground with a layer of 3-5 cm, mixing with ash. And you can mix with alkali in the first stage. I note right away that it is not necessary to cook rotted sawdust in this way, but in any case, fresh ones need to be “marinated”.

Gardeners who grow this mulch are especially fond of - the berries are always clean and do not rot when in contact with the soil. At the end of the season, sawdust is dug up along with the ground.

Sawdust in children's creativity

Kids actually love them as much as sand! Do you know that you can even make colored applications from sawdust? To do this, they need to be painted in a solution of gouache and dried in the sun. Then draw some kind of outline on the cardboard, smear it with clerical glue and pour multi-colored sawdust on it, creating applications.

Storing vegetables in the cellar

As you know, sawdust absorbs water well. Therefore, feel free to use them if it is too damp: sawdust will absorb excess moisture, and fruits and vegetables will not rot.

Sawdust suitable for crop storage

Firing of clay products

If you are fond of modeling, you should know that a beautiful glaze on products appears during repeated firing with the use of sawdust, during the combustion of which the product quickly heats up and cools down.

sawdust as stuffing material

Do you make toys, decorative pillows for the garden or dolls? You can stuff them with sawdust. By the way, now is the time for a new summer season.

Sachets

From juniper sawdust it is possible for a cabinet. Put them in a rag bag and hang them in your closet.

Animal bedding

In this case, sawdust plays 2 roles: floor insulation and hygiene products (absorb slurry, waste). However, not all are worth using.

Of course, fruit tree sawdust is best - they have less resin. Pine - you can, but it is desirable to dry them well first. But from walnut sawdust in horses, inflammation of the hooves can even happen.

sawdust for smoking

They smolder slowly, give a lot of smoke, and this is what you need when.

Sawdust for ice

Sprinkle them on icy paths. Safe and environmentally friendly!

There may be other ways, but nothing else came to my mind)). Maybe you know how else you can use sawdust on the farm? If yes, share with us in the comments. And I would like to hear from each of you whether you use sawdust in the country, how, and what it gives you. Thank you all for your attention, I will be glad to comments.

Mulching with sawdust protects crops in beds from drying out in summer and freezing in winter. Mulch retains moisture, maintains temperature, and inhibits weed growth. Consider in the article how to make mulch, what advantages and disadvantages this method has.

Features of mulching with sawdust

There are many organic materials for mulching. In view of the development of agriculture, sawdust is more often used for mulching. Despite its cheapness, the material brings great benefits. Sawdust is used both in winter and in summer. They do not allow the roots of crops to freeze. It is enough to lay them out on the beds and tamp. To prevent sawdust from fluttering in the wind, cow dung is added to the mulch.

The soil for the winter is mulched in mid-October or early November. A layer of up to 3 cm is laid on the beds. But mulching with sawdust is not suitable for all plants and soil types. Be careful with oak and coniferous sawdust! For different cultures, the thickness of the mulch layer is selected:

for tulips, garlic and onions, it is 6 cm;
for strawberries and carrots - up to 4-5 cm.

From the beds of strawberries and strawberries, the mulch is not removed all year round.

Hay and straw are similar in their characteristics to sawdust. ". We give in the table the features of mulching with various organic materials.

Material	Application features
Sawdust	Suitable for bulbous (flowers and vegetables), strawberries, carrots, beets and berry bushes.
Straw	Like sawdust, it rots for a long time, so it is used for early crops. The layer reaches 10-15 cm.
Compost	Suitable for all vegetable crops.
Grass (hay)	Quickly rots and saturates the soil with nutrients. Grass or hay is laid in a layer of 4-6 cm.
Fallen leaves	Suitable for cabbage and beans. They also cover the flower beds for the winter.

There are several approaches to soil mulching. Mulching according to Kuznetsov has its own characteristics:

The aisles are covered with a thick layer of sawdust to prevent the growth of weeds.
Biocompost is introduced into the ridges themselves. If the earth is clayey, then add sand.
As crops grow, sawdust is sprinkled between the rows, the ridges themselves are loosened and biocompost is regularly introduced.
Berries are covered with a layer of sawdust, mulch is regularly sprinkled.
Sawdust can be applied on top of the manure, which will retain moisture.

To loosen the soil, improve its structure and accelerate the decomposition of organic fertilizers into ridges, it is worth running earthworms. Alexander Kuznetsov refutes the opinion that sawdust, like mulch, enrolls the soil, because they are brought on top of the soil. The soil is acidified not by sawdust, but by fungi that destroy them.

Sawdust is tightly laid in row-spacings on vegetable beds.

Advantages and disadvantages of mulching

Sawdust is a reliable means for warming crops. Mulch protects the roots from freezing in winter and rotting in autumn. In summer, sawdust is used to prevent overheating of the soil and moisture retention. The benefits of sawdust as mulch are as follows:

Cheapness.
As they decompose, they turn into organic fertilizers, loosen the soil.
Retain moisture in the soil.
They retain heat and prevent the soil from freezing, but at the same time allow air to pass through and allow the roots of crops to breathe.
Protect crops from disease. Sawdust, especially coniferous ones, do not allow the development of pathogens. Slugs and other pests dislike them.
Protect ripening berries from decay and pests.
Cured from fungal diseases.
Protect roots from sudden changes in temperature.
Coniferous sawdust protects carrots from carrot flies.
Beneficial insects hide in the mulch and microorganisms live that improve the structure of the soil and loosen it.

Sawdust is a natural mulch that supports the growth and development of beneficial microorganisms to improve soil structure.

Mulching with sawdust has its drawbacks. Large sawdust rot for several years. This takes a lot of nitrogen, causing plants that grow in such beds to be deficient in this nutrient. Their growth and development is deteriorating.

Fresh sawdust increases the acidity of the soil, which affects the development of crops. Coniferous sawdust inhibits the development of pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms. The latter process organic substances that are necessary for plant nutrition.

When to use sawdust on the ridges

Sawdust is suitable for poor soil. They enrich the earth, activate the growth and ripening of fruits. Under a layer of mulch, the root system is protected, it receives all the minerals and moisture. Mulching is carried out after the descent of sprouts. As a result of this, the earth does not dry out, a crust does not appear on the surface, and the soil remains loose.

Winter mulching is necessary to protect the roots of crops. Mulch protects plants from temperature extremes until spring. Used for bushes, trees, winter crops and berries. In dry areas, mulching with sawdust is especially important for tomatoes. To protect the roots from overheating, it remains only to cover the soil with mulch. ".

In summer, vegetable beds with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and beets are covered with sawdust. This prevents crops from drying out.

Mulching strawberries has many advantages:

Productivity increases.
The berries are protected from pests and decay.
Due to the lack of contact with the ground, the berries are clean and dry.
Stops the growth of weeds.

Tip #1 Mulch beds with potatoes. After hilling, furrows are sprinkled. A layer of mulch retains moisture and stops weeds from growing. Productivity increases, especially the effect is noticeable during dry summers.

Mulching trees and shrubs

Sawdust is used to cover the roots of trees and shrubs for the winter. Such shelter is considered the most reliable. Large sawdust as a heat-insulating material is buried in pits when planting grapes and flowering shrubs. They reliably protect from frost.

Sawdust is poured around the tree trunk in a large layer.

Sawdust mulching is suitable for the following horticultural crops:

fruit trees;
shrubs (raspberries and black currants);
grapes;
clematis.

Raspberries respond especially well to mulching. Sawdust helps to increase fruiting and improve the taste characteristics of berries. With annual mulching with raspberry sawdust, bushes are grown without replanting for up to 10 years. For the winter, vines of grapes and weaving flowers that are on the ground are covered with sawdust along the entire length. They do this in late autumn, otherwise mice will get into the mulch and damage the culture.

Tip #2 Before mulching, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers.

Sometimes an air cover is made for such crops. Boxes are built from boards and plants are covered with them, they are covered with sawdust from above, covered with foil and a layer of earth is poured. There is a wet shelter with sawdust for the winter when the mulch is not covered with anything. But this method is suitable for some crops, for example, roses rot under such cover.

Sawdust is one type of mulch that can be used in greenhouses. Cultures do not rot and deteriorate. They are used to enrich manure and plant waste. They accelerate the decomposition of organic fertilizers, the compost is loose and breathable.

Mulch is added to greenhouses in spring or autumn. Sawdust is best applied in combination with other components. This mixture is laid in the fall in the ridge. You can make compost:

200 kg sawdust;
50 kg of manure;
100 kg of grass;
30 kg of food waste.

For greenhouses, sawdust can be placed in ridges in combination with straw or hay.

In the spring, the soil is mulched when the increased growth of crops begins. In greenhouses, during heavy irrigation, a crust often forms on the surface of the soil, and the earth around the roots is washed out. In this case, it is necessary to mulch the soil. In addition, mulching reduces the rate of watering and prevents overheating of the root system of crops in the greenhouse.

Tip #3 For a greenhouse measuring 3x6 m, six bags of coniferous sawdust will be required. Mulch is spread in a layer of 5-7 cm between the rows and around the stems of crops.

How to mulch beds in winter

In winter, the beds are mulched with a mixture of sawdust, manure and plants. The thickness of the layer depends on the type of soil. On clay, it reaches 5 cm, and on sandy - 10 cm. When mulching, the following recommendations are followed:

Under the berry bushes, the mulch is never removed. The earth is loosened along with sawdust. In the absence of chemical fertilizers, the mulch is mixed with manure and applied in the fall. This prevents the accumulation of nitrates in the fruit.
If you put a large layer of mulch on heavy soils, rotting will begin.
Be sure to mulch the soil in summer or late spring after planting seedlings. The mulch is carefully crushed and laid around the gathering place. The results of mulching are noticeable after 3-4 years, since the sawdust decomposes slowly.

Answers to frequently asked questions about mulching

Question number 1. What sawdust is best for mulching?

Sawdust comes in different sizes and from different types of trees. Depending on their properties, they are used in various areas of horticulture. We present them in the table.

Type of sawdust	Application area
Gray-brown semi-rotted sawdust of medium size	They are the best for mulching vegetable beds.
large sawdust	Used to cover the roots of trees, strawberries and shrubs.
small sawdust	Suitable for sheltering young shoots with thin stems.
Fresh sawdust	Suitable for mulching strawberries and strawberries.
Sawdust from coniferous trees	Used for carrots.

Question number 2. What crops are sawdust used for?

Sawdust is suitable for mulching vegetable crops that grow in garden beds. They are used for greenhouses, and for garden plots. Mulch trees and shrubs, including roses. Strawberry and strawberry sawdust is well perceived. ".

Mulching garden strawberries with sawdust on the ridge

Question number 3. Under what crops is it better to use coniferous sawdust?

Coniferous sawdust contains phenolic resins that protect against diseases and pests. They are suitable for sheltering crops for the winter, such as garlic.

Question number 4. Is it necessary to mulch the soil in greenhouses?

Yes. The soil fertility improves, the soil does not overheat, the irrigation rate decreases, and moisture evaporates more slowly. Cultures are even watered with cold water, while it passes through the sawdust, it warms up. The preservation of fruits, taste qualities are improved and the ripening period is accelerated.

Question number 5. What is the timing of mulching?

Late spring or early summer is suitable for mulching, when the earth warms up and crop sprouts appear. Before mulching, the soil is fertilized, loosened and watered abundantly. A layer of mulch is at least 5 cm. In summer, as the layer decreases, mulch is added.

Mulching gardening mistakes

We offer a spread of errors that gardeners make when mulching with sawdust:

It is important to choose the right size and type of sawdust. The younger the seedlings and the thinner the sprouts, the finer the chips. But sawdust similar to wood flour is not used at all. It turns into a dense crust on the soil surface, which does not allow water to pass through.
Large sawdust rot for several years. They are not suitable for vegetable beds. Use shavings for trees and shrubs.
Before making mulch on the beds, nitrogen fertilizers must be used, otherwise the growth and development of crops will slow down.
Use rotted sawdust. Fresh ones increase the acidity of the soil, which negatively affects the development of crops.
Do not rush to mulch. If you make sawdust on unheated soil, this will affect the growth and development of crops.